Report: Rockets, Ime Udoka to retain all assistant coaches for next season
The plan is for assistant coaches Ben Sullivan, Royal Ivey, Garrett Jackson, Cam Hodges, Mike Moser, and Will Dunn to all return to the Rockets next season, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
With a 52-30 record and the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference standings, the young and improving Houston Rockets exceeded most reasonable expectations in the NBA's 2024-25 season.
One year earlier, the Rockets were 41-41 and No. 11 in the West. That type of annual growth helped head coach Ime Udoka finish third in Coach of the Year voting, and it recently led to the 47-year-old getting a contract extension with the franchise.
Based on that success, other teams around the league would undoubtedly love to have portions of Houston's braintrust. Assistant coach Royal Ivey, for example, was pursued by multiple NBA teams this offseason.
But it appears Ivey is staying put, and so, too, is the rest of Udoka's staff. The Athletic's Kelly Iko writes:
Besides Udoka, a number of his assistants attracted interest around the league for various positions, but Houston is expected to head into the 2025-26 season with the same staff, team sources say.
As currently constructed, Udoka's staff of coaching assistants includes Ben Sullivan, Ivey, Garrett Jackson, Cam Hodges, Mike Moser, and Will Dunn. Willie Cruz is director of athletic performance, while Jason Biles is Houston's head athletic trainer and director of athlete care and science.
Many of those staff members will work with players in the offseason, in an effort to hit the ground running when training camp opens in late September or early October.
Entering Udoka's third season, it appears continuity and internal growth will again be a theme for Udoka's young squad — and that extends to the coaches leading them, as well. All were hired by Udoka in the 2023 offseason, with many having had past experience working alongside Udoka during either his head-coaching stint in Boston (2021-22) or at one of his previous assistant jobs.
Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta rewarded Udoka with both an extension and a raise for his exemplary work. While assistant salaries are typically not disclosed, it shouldn't come as a surprise if many receive similar treatment, based on the undeniable success of their tenure to date.
Prior to the arrival of Udoka and his staff in April 2023, the Stephen Silas-led Rockets had combined to win 59 games in the previous three seasons, which all featured last-place finishes in the West. In the past two seasons, they've won 93 games, with player development and elite defense among the clear points of emphasis and growth.
More: Despite external coaching inquiries, Royal Ivey likely to stay with Rockets, Ime Udoka
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mookie Betts reacts to Boston's ‘crazy' Rafael Devers trade
The Boston Red Sox have traded their best hitter to a team in the NL West – again. This past weekend, it was Boston dealing away Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. Back in 2020, it was the Red Sox sending former MVP Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Advertisement So, how did Betts react to seeing his old team trading away another star in his prime? The Dodgers star sure seemed surprised, but didn't seem to want to touch on it any further. 'I just thought it was crazy,' Betts said, via The Athletic. 'Nothing really to say, it's just crazy.' The Devers trade came as a shock to fans in Boston, who just witnessed their team sweep the New York Yankees by playing some of their best baseball of the season. This type of move has become a recurring nightmare for Red Sox fans. First, it was the 2020 Betts trade. Then it was seeing Boston let Xander Bogaerts leave for the San Diego Padres in free agency. Advertisement Fans in New England will be in an uproar this year (and for years to come) as they witness another homegrown star land out west. Apparently, Betts will not be joining them in their outcry. 'I genuinely don't care,' Betts said, via The Athletic. 'It just is what it is.' News of the Devers broke shortly after the Red Sox beat the Yankees Sunday. Officially, Boston is sending their DH to San Francisco in exchange for four players: LHP Kyle Harrison, RHP Jordan Hicks, OF James Tibbs III and RHP Jose Bello. As things currently stand, it's not an impressive turn. But given the youth of the players Boston received, it will be a few years until we know how the Red Sox truly made out in the deal. Advertisement BETTING: Red Sox -1.5 runline is listed at +255 on FanDuel for Monday's game against Seattle. If you're new to sports betting, be sure to check out our Massachusetts sports betting guide. More Red Sox coverage Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What they're saying nationally about Boston Red Sox trading Rafael Devers
The Boston Red Sox shocked the baseball world by trading away the man who – until last night – was their franchise player. After months of rumors and speculation, the Red Sox made the shocking move to deal Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for four players: LHP Kyle Harrison, RHP Jordan Hicks, OF James Tibbs III and RHP Jose Bello. Advertisement What happened with Devers? Is Boston just being cheap again? Did the Red Sox get a decent return? Let's dive into the insane baseball discourse that's unfolding Monday morning. Jeff Passan, ESPN 'Rafael Devers, after all that had happened with Boston this spring, the move from third base to DH, then them wanting him to play first base, did not want to be in Boston anymore.' Mookie Betts, former Red Sox star "I just thought it was crazy. Nothing really to say, it's just crazy.' Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic "There is no drama like Red Sox drama, and their latest messy divorce with a star player is one that figures to generate debate for some time.' Advertisement Buster Posey, Giants president of baseball operations "The bat is so special. It's really hard to acquire this type of talent at this point of his career. It felt like this was a chance to take a shot.' Jared Carrabis, Underdog Fantasy 'The craziest part about all of this is that Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez have been awesome over at first. So, the Red Sox basically just said fuck you to Raffy because their egos got hurt when he told them no. They didn't need him to play first anymore. Still traded him anyway.' Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers pitcher 'How about that trade? That's wild. Buster's really doing it – not Olney. Buster Posey's really doing it over there. Good for Buster, man. He's going for it. I'd consider (Devers) one of probably the top 10 hitters in the game at worst." Advertisement A long American League scout to MassLive's Chris Cotillo 'I'm literally speechless on this one.' Sean McAdam, MassLive 'According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Devers received mixed messages from some in the organization since the season began, which Devers saw as a symbol of the team's own struggles to successfully communicate expectations to their star player, and making for what one person labeled 'an unsalvageable situation.'' Julian McWilliams, CBS Sports 'This, for me, is crazier than the Mookie Betts trade.' Andy McCullough, The Athletic "Yeah, this deal probably won't play well for a fanbase still scarred by the Mookie Betts trade. In some ways, this trade is part of the never-ending runoff from that disaster. The Red Sox paid Devers, a talented homegrown player, in part because they had dealt away Betts and lost Xander Bogaerts in free agency. Now Devers is gone. The sound you are hearing is howling from Burlington to Bangor." Advertisement Keith Law, The Athletic "The Red Sox get some value back, certainly, but nowhere near enough to justify offloading Devers' contract while the team is ostensibly trying to contend this year." Steve Buckley, The Athletic "There's really no way of getting around this: The Boston Red Sox need to make the playoffs in 2025. That's the only way they can justify trading Rafael Devers, their franchise player, to the San Francisco Giants." Chris Cotillo, MassLive "We know now the discord and drama was real — and worse than many believed." David Schoenfield, ESPN 'When you're looking to trade a player because of a broken relationship, it's hard to get fair value in return -- and it seems as if the Red Sox came up short here. Maybe this will prove to be the best move for the organization in the long run, but Boston's playoff hopes for 2025 take a hit. Advertisement Matt Vautour, MassLive 'So once again, a star player's tenure with the Red Sox has ended badly. The reasons are different, but the result is the same. Devers joins Betts, Bogaerts, Mo Vaughn, Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Adrian Gonzalez, Johnny Damon, Curt Schilling, David Price and so many others to leave with a bad taste in their mouth.' Rob Bradford, WEEI "In the matter of an hour or so, fun and optimism in the world of the Red Sox was quickly transferred across the country to the euphoria Buster Posey had delivered his Giants fan base. The Red Sox rug has once again been pulled out from under their fans' feet." Advertisement aa More Red Sox coverage Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Boston Red Sox still have MLB's No. 1 trade chip, experts say
Even after shocking the baseball world by trading Rafael Devers, the Boston Red Sox may still have the biggest piece at the MLB trade deadline table. On Wednesday, The Athletic released its 'MLB trade deadline big board,' which ranks players who could be moved by the trade deadline next month. Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran was ranked No. 1 on the board. Advertisement The Athletic's trio of reporters who put out the big board don't believe a deal is likely. The big board graded the likelihood of a player being traded on a red-yellow-green system, with red meaning unlikely and green meaning likely. Durran got a 'yellow' grade. In their eyes, it would take a huge return for Boston to move on from Durran. 'To be clear: There's little reason for Boston to even entertain offers for Duran unless the return is substantial,' per The Athletic. 'His production has predictably fallen short of his 2024 breakout, but Duran remains a solidly above-average hitter with lots of speed and the ability to play center field.' The Red Sox have a bit of a logjam in the outfield, which played a large part in top prospect Roman Anthony's delayed debut at the major league level. Advertisement An injury to Wilyer Abreu opened the door for Anthony to crack the lineup. But with Abreu on track to return, the Red Sox will have to start making hard decisions. The Athletic noted that Boston could certainly continue to build around the 2024 All-Star. However, the fact that Duran is under team control until 2028 could make him an enticing trade target for other teams. Durran's name has been popping up in trade rumors for a while, with the Padres emerging as a top candidate early on. Would the Red Sox actually trade Duran after already moving on from the centerpiece of the lineup? That will likely depend on how the team does over the next month or so. Advertisement Boston is back over .500 after a recent surge. But if the Red Sox start sagging in the standings again, we could see the team turn into sellers at the deadline. BETTING: The Red Sox regular season wins line is set at 80.5 on Caesars. Our complete list of Massachusetts sportsbook promos will help you decide which sportsbook to use. More Red Sox coverage Read the original article on MassLive.
