Report: Rockets have interest in Doc Rivers as head coach

It remains to be seen whether the interest is reciprocated by Rivers, but a new report indicates that Rivers is on Houston’s desired list.

Hours after the Los Angeles Clippers and veteran head coach Doc Rivers mutually agreed to part ways, a report emerged Monday night that the Houston Rockets had interest in Rivers for their vacant job.

Per longtime beat writer Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:

They need need to move from the two weeks of planning and vetting since Mike D’Antoni told them he would not be back to step up the process to get a sit down with Rivers and find if there can be a fit.

There is interest in Rivers, a person with knowledge of the Rockets’ thinking said. They were expecting and likely still plan to begin requesting permission to speak with candidates or scheduling meetings by Wednesday or Thursday. Those candidates are expected to include Tyronn Lue, Jeff Van Gundy, Kenny Atkinson, Wes Unseld Jr., Stephen Silas and possibly Sam Cassell.

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

Austin Rivers, who is the 28-year-old son of Doc, has played in Houston for the past two seasons. As a result, there is familiarity between the Rivers family, the city, and organization. The younger Rivers has a player option in his contract to potentially return for the 2020-21 season.

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

If he wants to keep coaching, Rivers would seem to be a better 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 available NBA gigs — but Philadelphia with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid might have a case, too.

Besides the Rockets, 76ers, and Clippers, other vacant jobs are the Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Rivers could also potentially wait to see what the coaching 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 Rockets 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.

Whatever the case, step one is Houston expressing interest, which it seems they have done. From there, the next moves are up to Rivers and his agent — namely, whether the interest is reciprocated, and if there’s a financial fit between his desires and what the team will pay. Stay tuned.

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