Mike D’Antoni informs Rockets that he won’t return as head coach

“Our time here was among the most memorable experiences of our lives,” Mike D’Antoni and his wife, Laurel, said in a statement.

Head coach Mike D’Antoni informed the Houston Rockets on Sunday that he would not return next season, according to reports from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and the Houston Chronicle‘s Jonathan Feigen.

It’s not surprising news. D’Antoni and the Rockets failed to come to terms on an attempted contract extension last offseason, and most around the NBA had expected the Rockets to look elsewhere after a disappointing end to their 2019-20 season in the second round of the playoffs.

D’Antoni was not under contract beyond this season, so it is a clean financial break without any future salary obligations. He issued a lengthy statement Sunday to thank the organization, fan base, and Houston community for his four successful years with the Rockets franchise.

Known best for his innovative offenses, D’Antoni finished 217-101 (.682) in the regular season and 28-23 (.549) in the playoffs over four years in Houston. The 69-year-old, who wants to continue coaching, has the second-most coaching wins in team history, trailing only Hall of Famer Rudy Tomjanovich, and he ranks No. 1 by winning percentage. Over his four years, the Rockets were the only team in the Western Conference to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs in each season, and they had the West’s top winning percentage in the regular season, as well.

Yet, there was also a sense that things had stagnated. After reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2018 and nearly knocking out the eventual NBA champion Warriors before Chris Paul’s ill-timed hamstring injury, the Rockets bowed out in the second round in 2019 and 2020.

With franchise cornerstones James Harden and Russell Westbrook both 31 years old, there’s a clear sense of urgency for the Rockets to win now, before the prime years of their All-Star backcourt run out. And with the team seemingly devoid of salary cap room or significant trade assets for the foreseeable future, gambling on a coaching change could make the most sense as they try to finally get over the hump.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported Sunday that Clippers assistant coach Tyronn Lue, who led the Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA championship, would get a “strong look” from Houston. Meanwhile, D’Antoni could be a candidate for the vacancy in Philadelphia, per ESPN’s Wojnarowski.

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