The Rockets have re-engaged contract extension talks with coach Mike D’Antoni and are close to an agreement, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets.
Houston owner Tilman Fertitta has removed the buyout language that was the sticking point when talks previously broke down, MacMahon adds.
D’Antoni is entering the final year of his contract and is due $4.5MM next season. D’Antoni and his agent had broken off negotiations late last month.
Before the breakdown, the Rockets reportedly offered D’Antoni a one-year, $5MM extension which could have increased in value based on Houston’s performance in the playoffs. However, D’Antoni’s agent Warren LeGarie said at the time D’Antoni’s $1MM bonuses for postseason advancement wouldn’t have kicked in until the second round, and that he wouldn’t have earned his full $5MM base salary if he had been fired or if the Rockets failed to make the playoffs.
The Rockets’ brass has made significant changes to D’Antoni staff since the club was eliminated by Golden State in the conference semifinals, parting ways with Jeff Bdzelik, Roy Rogers, Mitch Vanya, and Irv Roland.
Entertaining style to watch but will never win a championship.
The Rockets see that now that the Warriors are beatable they think they should run it back.
Bring everyone back and add a few key pieces and keep the coach. There’s a chance to win it all next year for the Rockets.
Before crumbling to the Raptors the Warriors looked too tough to beat and Rockets may have had to blow it up. Not anymore. Bring D’antoni back
He doesn’t care about defense. Entertaining but no championship coming. New owner too new to know.
d’Antoni was at his best with the matrix and steve nash. he runs a high octane offense, unfortunately these rockets only have one play in their playbook
Excellent. One less team to worry about in everyone else’s quest for a championship. He came from the Colangelo tree which is only good for composting.
Funny!
I like that D’Antoni will be back. But hopefully a better coaching staff especially on the Defensive side.
I would hate to make changes again but have some coaches on the Defensive side. Will the Rockets still have Capela, Tucker, Gordon not sure.
But getting D’Antoni set is good and can go forward with filling the Asst. Coaching slots and more.
This should have been a quiet no-brainer 1 year extension so he doesn’t go into the last year of his contract a lame duck. Their owner turned it into an event by proposing some bizarre salary formulation (for an NBA HC any way).
I’m sure Fertitta is a smart guy. He should use that intelligence to learn his new business, and stop trying to impose on it constructs from his prior one.