Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka has agreed to a long-term contract extension that makes him one of many highest-paid coaches within the NBA, sources informed ESPN on Thursday.
Udoka’s new deal comes after he guided Houston to its first top-two seed within the West in seven years. In Udoka’s second season, the crew went 52-30 and made its first playoff look since 2019-20, getting knocked out within the first spherical by the Golden State Warriors in seven video games.
Rockets possession, Tilman and Patrick Fertitta, and common supervisor Rafael Stone employed Udoka in 2023, and the perimeters have constructed a partnership on year-by-year progress and sustainability.
Houston has gained 93 video games underneath Udoka after successful a complete of 59 video games within the three seasons earlier than he arrived, and it completed fifth in defensive effectivity this season. The Rockets ranked within the backside 5 in defensive effectivity in 2022-23.
The New York Knicks had expressed curiosity in talking with Udoka about their head teaching place, however Houston denied the request, sources informed ESPN earlier this month.
Udoka joined the Rockets after he was suspended and finally fired by the Boston Celtics in the course of the 2022-23 season for a number of violations of crew guidelines. He led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his solely season as their coach in 2021-22.
Udoka’s extension marks one other main piece of enterprise for the Rockets this month. They re-signed heart Steven Adams to a three-year, $39 million contract final week. Houston additionally has till June 29 to decide on guard Fred VanVleet‘s $44.9 million crew possibility, and the crew is taken into account one in every of Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant‘s preferred trade destinations, sources beforehand informed ESPN.