The Houston Rockets may have a frontrunner for their vacant head coach job.
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, assistant coach John Lucas “has gathered even more momentum” as the possible choice for Houston’s coaching position. Stein adds that Lucas is supported by three key members of the organization: James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and new GM Rafael Stone.
Jeff Van Gundy, who coached the Rockets from 2003 to 2007, remains a co-finalist as well.
Lucas would be a surprising choice, but it seems there’s clear momentum for his candidacy. He hasn’t been an NBA head coach since 2002-03, though he has been around the game consistently since then. He’s served as Houston’s player development coach since 2016.
The Rockets are undergoing a lot of organization upheaval right now. It sounds like the latest change may actually help Lucas land this job.
