According to a report from ESPN on Thursday, Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka has signed a long-term extension with the franchise.
Although the report didn’t include detailed terms, ESPN noted that the agreement places Udoka among the NBA’s highest-paid coaches.
At 47, Udoka led Houston to a 52-30 finish this season, securing the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Despite their strong regular-season performance, the Rockets were eliminated in the first round after a seven-game battle with the Golden State Warriors.
Earlier this month, the New York Knicks expressed interest in speaking with Udoka about their head coach vacancy, but Houston reportedly denied their request.
Udoka joined the Rockets following his suspension and eventual dismissal from the Boston Celtics during the 2022-23 season due to a violation of team policies. In his first and only season as Boston’s head coach (2021-22), he guided the Celtics to the NBA Finals.
As of now, Udoka holds a combined head coaching record of 144-102 with the Celtics and Rockets (2023-present).
