Rockets Rumors: Stephen Silas 'Widely Expected' to Exit as HC; Nick Nurse Linked

The Houston Rockets are "widely expected" by league officials to move on from head coach Stephen Silas after the season, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

League personnel have connected several names to the Rockets, including Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, who told reporters that he would "see where I'm at" after the season as he ponders his future with the franchise.

Silas, 49, served as an assistant head coach and scout for two decades in the NBA before Houston hired him as head coach in 2020. The Rockets soon decided on a massive rebuild that included a blockbuster trade of superstar guard James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets in Jan. 2021.

Houston has not gotten it going on the court since as the team develops its young stars and undergoes changes. Under Silas, the Rockets have gone 17-55 in 2020-21, 20-62 in 2021-22 and 20-60 this year.

There's murmurs of discontent in Houston, to the point that ESPN's Jonathan Givony said on The Lowe Post podcast that "you just don't hear good things" regarding the Rockets' culture and locker room atmosphere.

"When you talk to people around the NBA about Houston, you just don't hear good things about their culture, about their locker room," Givony said. "People that are on that team, they're like, 'We are a mess.'"

Silas has public support in his corner from Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr., who is second in points (19.0 PPG) and first in assists (5.7 APG)

However, the team could just decide to go in a new direction given the team's struggles. If they do, then Nurse is a possibility. As Fischer noted, he's previously been with the organization as a head coach of the G League affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2011-2013).

Per Fischer, other names mentioned include Scott Brooks, the former Oklahoma City Thunder and Washington Wizards head coach who now serves as a Portland Trail Blazers assistant. Detroit Pistons assistant head coach Rex Kalamian was named as a potential addition.

As Fischer noted, Brooks and Kalamian notably have ties to James Harden, who is reportedly considering a free agent return to the Rockets, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski in December. Brooks was Harden's head coach from 2009-2012 with OKC before Harden was traded to the Rockets.

Ultimately, a change could be in order for Houston, an intriguing team given its collection of young talent and impending high lottery pick in this year's draft.