The Houston Rockets have found their new head coach.
ESPN reported the team is hiring former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka to replace Stephen Silas, whose contract was not renewed after three seasons in Houston.
Udoka spent one season as the Celtics’ head coach, leading the team to a 51-31 record, finishing in second place in the Eastern Conference, and losing to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals in six games.
His Boston team had the best defense in the league, and its offense was among the top 10.
In September, the Celtics suspended Udoka for the 2022-23 season for violating team policy after a law firm’s investigation revealed he had made inappropriate remarks about a female co-worker with whom he had an “improper” relationship.
Boston named Joe Mazzulla its interim head coach and officially moved on from Udoka by giving Mazzulla the permanent job in February.
According to ESPN, the Rockets looked into the investigation with the NBA and the Celtics before hiring Udoka.
The Brooklyn Nets had previous interest in hiring Udoka this season but opted to promote assistant coach Jacque Vaughn.
Mazulla led Boston to a 57-25 record and another second-place finish in the East, and the Celtics are one win away from knocking out the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
ESPN reports that Houston’s young talent, salary cap space, and odds to receive the first overall pick through the NBA Draft Lottery were specifically appealing to Udoka.
Houston has 13 players on its roster who are under 25, including leading scorers Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr and fellow first-round draft picks Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun, and has the most cap space in the NBA entering the offseason.
The Rockets finished with a 22-60 record, tied with the San Antonio Spurs for last place in the Western Conference. San Antonio, Houston, and the Detroit Pistons all have a 14% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick as the three worst teams in the NBA this season.
Houston becomes the first NBA team to fill its head coaching vacancy this offseason. Detroit and the Toronto Raptors are the only two teams without a head coach.