The Houston Rockets might be on the verge of a monumental summer. Reports have already indicated that the team is willing to do whatever it takes to change its roster, with the Rockets putting every player and draft pick on the table in trade talks. But this summer is also huge for head coach Mike D’Antoni, as he’s about to enter the final year of his contract.
The two sides have spent time discussing an extension, but according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, that is no longer the case. D’Antoni has reportedly ended discussions with the front office, and plans on entering the 2019-20 season as the Rockets coach, even if he is a lame duck.
Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni has ended talks with management on a contract extension, league sources tell ESPN. D’Antoni plans to complete the final season of his deal in 2019-20. Story soon on ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 30, 2019
The news was confirmed by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle and Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Can confirm this. Will have more in a few minutes when I hang up the phone. D'Antoni will go into the final season of his contract, but indications are he is OK with that. He was willing to add just one year to his current deal. https://t.co/aai6v2CMjf
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) May 30, 2019
While extension talks have ended between Houston coach Mike D’Antoni and the Rockets, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA he’s still expected to be there next season and all involved parties still want him on board. ESPN first reported the end of the talks.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) May 30, 2019
According to Wojnarowski, D’Antoni’s agent told the Rockets about his decision on Tuesday, and gave a look into how negotiations went between the coach and the franchise.
There had been conversations constructed around the Rockets idea of a performance-based extension, but those never gained traction with D’Antoni’s camp, sources said.
The successes in D’Antoni’s three years on the job — four Western Conference series victories, a conference finals appearance and an NBA coach of the year award — led D’Antoni to believe that a potential extension would follow the more traditional guaranteed framework of comparable coaching peers.
D’Antoni has been on the bench in Houston since the start of the 2016-17 campaign. In his time at the helm, the Rockets have gone 173-73, including an appearance in the Western Conference Finals last season.
