NBA Rumors: Jeff Van Gundy favorite to take over as the Head Coach of Houston Rockets; Daryl Morey reportedly struggling to match Ty Lue's market value
The Houston Rockets parted ways with Mike D'Antoni recently. A fan favorite, D'Antoni was on the hot seat after losing the western conference semi-finals to the LA Lakers. Since then, Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey has been on the lookout for candidates who can replace D'Antoni, which has led to massive NBA rumors.
With basketball season coming to an end, NBA rumors surrounding not only star players but Head Coaches, who have recently been relieved of their previous jobs, have already started hitting the internet.
NBA Rumors: Jeff Van Gundy favorite for the Houston Rockets' head coach job
According to NBA rumors, NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy is the favorite for the Houston Rockets gig. While Van Gundy appears to be an odd fit with the Rockets, he is the candidate that has been most strongly linked with the job throughout the season. The Houston Rockets also interviewed Van Gundy's brother and former Detroit Pistons head coach, Stan Van Gundy, recently.
Jeff Van Gundy has coached the Houston Rockets in the past, but only tasted success in the regular season. The Rockets continuously failed to make it past the first round of the playoffs, despite having two superstars in shooting guard Tracy McGrady and Chinese sensation Yao Ming on their roster.
Following his firing from the Houston Rockets in 2007, Van Gundy joined ESPN as an analyst and is quite popular amongst the NBA fans for his commentary and tactical insight.
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On the other hand, another coaching free agent, LA Clippers assistant coach Tyronn Lue, will reportedly not be pursued by the Houston Rockets after their initial inquiry. The reason being reported is that the Rockets won't be able to pay the market value for Lue, who is set to be one of the highest-paid coaches next season. The former Cavaliers coach also had sit-downs with LA Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans recently.
Tyronn Lue boasts of a resume few coaches can match in the NBA, as he won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 under extraordinary circumstances. However, the Houston Rockets could be limited from a financial standpoint and will have to pass up on Lue.
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