Former Celtics coach Ime Udoka has agreed to a deal to become the next Houston Rockets head coach, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday.
The Houston Rockets have agreed on a deal to hire Ime Udoka as the franchise’s next coach, sources told ESPN on Monday.
The hiring comes nearly three months after the Boston Celtics suspended and dismissed Udoka for an improper workplace relationship, a situation the Rockets probed with the league office and with the Celtics, among others, before making the job offer, sources told ESPN.
In his one season as a head coach, Udoka led the Celtics to an NBA Finals appearance against Golden State.
The hiring is a coup for Rockets general manager Rafael Stone, who helped sell Udoka on the franchise’s young talent, salary cap space and the chance at winning the draft lottery and selecting generational talent Victor Wembanyama.
Udoka and Stone moved quickly toward a partnership upon an initial meeting recently, sources said.
