How Doc Rivers leaving Clippers may impact Rockets’ coaching search

Ty Lue and Jeff Van Gundy could be candidates in Los Angeles, while it might even open up Rivers as a possibility in Houston.

In a move that could have ripple effects across the NBA coaching marketplace, the Los Angeles Clippers are parting ways with head coach Doc Rivers, as first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

After finishing the 2019-20 regular season with the West’s No. 2 record, the Clippers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by Denver. The Clippers lost the final three games of that series after having previously taken a 3-1 lead, and it appears that disappointment prompted Clippers owner Steve Ballmer to agree to a big move.

The change means that the Clippers now join the Houston Rockets and four other franchises (Philadelphia, Indiana, Oklahoma City, and New Orleans) as teams without a head coach. Given their enormous home market and an established All-Star base of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the open Clippers job could be the most attractive of all.

Per Wojnarowski, Clippers assistant coach Ty Lue and former Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy are among the top candidates for Los Angeles. Both Lue and Van Gundy have also been previously reported as options in the current Houston search to replace Mike D’Antoni.

It would certainly seem possible that Rivers could become an option for the Rockets, should he be interested the job. His son, Austin, has played with Houston for the past two years — though he does have the contractual right to become a free agent this summer, if he desires.

Over parts of 21 seasons as a head coach, the elder Rivers has a 943-681 record (.581) in the regular season, and 91-89 (.506) in the playoffs. Now 58 years old, he ranks 11th in all-time victories in the regular season, and seventh in playoff wins. He guided the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals in 2008 and 2010, headlined by the 2008 championship.

Should he want to continue coaching, Rivers would seem to be much more of a fit for a contending team than a rebuilding situation. Led by an All-Star backcourt of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, it could be argued that Houston is the best “win now” job of the bunch — but Philadelphia with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid might have a case, too.

Rivers could also potentially wait to see what the market looks like after the 2020-21 NBA season, when many rosters could change dramatically thanks to a huge class of superstar free agents.

Salary might also be an issue. With an average annual salary of more than $10 million, Rivers was one of the league’s highest-paid coaches with the Clippers. Given the amount of open jobs on the market right now, he probably has the leverage to command a similar figure.

Is Houston owner Tilman Fertitta willing to spend to that extent? For perspective, media reports in 2019 indicated that Houston’s extension offer to D’Antoni included a base salary of only $2.5 million.

The departure of Rivers could also have an impact on longtime assistant coach Sam Cassell, who has served on Rivers’ staff since the 2014-15 season. Now 50 years old and a former player from Houston’s “Clutch City” championship years in 1994 and 1995, Cassell has reportedly become a candidate himself for the position of Rockets head coach.

With Rivers out of Los Angeles, it could make Cassell even more available — since the new Clippers coach might want to bring in his own assistants. Then again, Cassell might also follow Rivers to his next job, should he want one this offseason. In theory, both could end up in Houston, though that would require a significantly larger staff investment from Fertitta.

The scenarios are almost endless. The bottom line is that with Rivers unexpectedly joining the market and the Clippers job now available, the ripple effects are likely to have at least some impact on Houston’s search in the days ahead. More information should be coming soon.

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