The Houston Rockets’ head coach search may be zeroing in on a candidate, but it’s not one of the market’s bigger names.
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, John Lucas is an “emerging candidate” for the job. Lucas has served as Houston’s player development coach since 2016, and his good relationships with both James Harden and Russell Westbrook are said to be working in his favor.
Lucas has NBA head coaching experience, but he last led a team from 2001 to 2003, when he coached the pre-LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s 173-258 overall as an NBA head coach. He’s also well-known for mentoring and counseling numerous athletes, and even tried to help Johnny Manziel.
Lucas is a bit of an off-the-radar option for the Rockets. If they’re prioritizing strong relationships with their stars, he ticks those boxes. That may end up working hugely in his favor.
