The Houston Rockets will interview former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka for their vacancy after declining to re-sign the outgoing Stephen Silas.
Udoka, a former D’Tigers star, is among several candidates to take over the 22-60 Rockets, who are already rebuilding around shooting guard Jalen Green, center Alperen Sengun and power forward Jabari Smith Jr.
The team also has a 14-percent chance of winning the NBA Draft lottery and landing prized 7-foot-4 French phenom, Victor Wembanyama.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Udoka, Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, ex-Lakers coach Frank Vogel, ex-Hornets coach James Borrego, and Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin are all candidates to replace Silas in Houston.
Udoka, who is also reportedly a candidate for the Pistons job, led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his first season as head coach. Then, news broke in September on the eve of the NBA season about an affair with a Celtics colleague.
Udoka was named head coach of the Celtics at the start of the 2021-22 season after former head coach Brad Stevens was promoted to President of Basketball Operations.
Before coaching with the Celtics, Udoka spent time as an assistant coach for eight seasons at the San Antonio Spurs under head coach Gregg Popovich, helping to win an NBA title in 2014.
Udoka left San Antonio in 2019, moving to the Philadelphia 76ers. The following season, he became an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets.
He was then hired as the head coach of the Celtics, becoming the fifth black head coach in the team’s history.