This time last year, Ime Udoka was leading the Celtics to the NBA Finals as one of the best young coaches in the league. But after a massive scandal broke ties with the Celtics front office, he was let go and replaced with Joe Mazzulla.
It has been some time since Udoka’s absence, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski announced today that he’d make his NBA return next season as the head coach of the Houston Rockets.
“The Rockets probed the circumstances around Udoka’s Celtics departure with the team and league office, sources said. Udoka – who led the Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals in his only season as head coach – was dismissed after findings of an inappropriate workplace relationship,” wrote Woj.
ESPN Sources: Ime Udoka has agreed to a deal to become the next Houston Rockets coach. pic.twitter.com/xhcDRDfnNJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 24, 2023
The details of Udoka’s exit are still somewhat unknown, but it was clear from the beginning that they had no intention of bringing him back. Now, the Celtics can focus on returning to the Finals while Ime can prepare for his new gig in Houston.
With a new coach on the way now, the Rockets are sparking a lot of rumors that they might have plans to compete next season after several years of being in the lottery.
Will The Rockets Sign James Harden This Summer?
Udoka is a great hire for Houston, but he seems more appropriate for a team trying to win now than one trying to rebuild with young assets. So now that the hire is official, many are wondering if it’s a sign of what’s to come this summer.
“James Harden’s future is very unclear in Philadelphia,” said Wojnarowski on his podcast, per RealGM. “Houston is very much in play for him. And I think a lot may depend on [whether] they make a run and win and it’s easy to pay him long-term big money, or he just wants to be in Houston. Win or lose he goes, or it’s dependent on the team’s success.”
Obviously, Harden isn’t what he used to be as a superstar athlete but maybe the Rockets are hoping that Ime Udoka and a return to familiarity will help the Beard re-discover his superstar form.
Either way, this is an interesting move from the Rockets, and it will be interesting to see what moves they make now that the coaching search is over.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
