The Houston Rockets will be in the market for a new head coach after Mike D’Antoni informed the organization that he will not be returning. One potential option could be Sam Cassell.
There was a lot of speculation surrounding D’Antoni’s future with the Rockets since he was in the final year of his contract. That all came to an end after D’Antoni ended the relationship on his own terms.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Rockets and Cassell have a mutual interest in a deal to become Houston’s next head coach.
Cassell has managed to gain a substantial amount of experience as an assistant coach and appears overdue for a head coaching role. His first tenure as an assistant began with the Washington Wizards in 2009 and lasted until 2014.
Since 2014, Cassell has served on the Clippers’ coaching staff and has played an important role for Doc Rivers. He is widely considered as helping the early development of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander before the guard was traded to Oklahoma City in exchange for Paul George.
The thought of Cassell becoming the head coach of the Rockets is intriguing, especially when considering his history with the organization. Houston drafted him with the No. 24 pick in the 1993 NBA Draft and he played for the organization until 1996.
Managing to take over a head coaching job for a team that has James Harden as its franchise centerpiece has to be appealing for any candidate. Factoring in the other talent on the Houston Rockets, it’s easy to see why Sam Cassell has interest in the job.
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