Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni may be planning to only coach one more season with the team.
D’Antoni is entering the final year of his contract next season, and it was believed that he and the Rockets were on the verge of working out a long-term extension. However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that D’Antoni has broken off negotiations with the team and plans to coach out the final year of his deal in 2019-20.
Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni has ended talks with management on a contract extension, league sources tell ESPN. D’Antoni plans to complete the final season of his deal in 2019-20. Story soon on ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 30, 2019
It’s unclear if the breakdown in negotiations has to do with the contract itself or D’Antoni simply not wanting to coach beyond next season, but it adds another element of uncertainty to Houston’s offseason.
Wojnarowski reported earlier in the week that the Rockets are not making any player off-limits in trade talks, and they have apparently already been shopping at least one key player. The Rockets were unable to get past the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals despite Kevin Durant leaving Game 5 with an injury. D’Antoni downplayed talk of tension between his two star players after the series, but the Rockets’ offseason will be one to keep an eye on.
