Rockets Rumors: Warriors' Kenny Atkinson, Suns' Kevin Young to Interview for HC Job

The Houston Rockets received permission to interview Golden State Warriors associate head coach Kenny Atkinson for their vacant head coaching position, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Atkinson, 55, was head coach of the Brooklyn Nets for four seasons before spending 2020-21 as a Los Angeles Clippers assistant and the past two campaigns as a Warriors assistant under head coach Steve Kerr.

The Rockets are also in the process of "securing permission" to interview Phoenix Suns associate head coach Kevin Young, Wojnarowski reported.

Houston's head coaching job became available Monday when the organization announced it would not exercise the option in Stephen Silas' contract for the 2023-24 season.

After Atkinson spent time coaching overseas, his NBA coaching career began in 2008 as an assistant with the New York Knicks. He also spent time on the Atlanta Hawks coaching staff before the Nets hired him as their head coach in 2016.

The results were mixed, as the Nets went just 118-190 before firing him 62 games into the 2019-20 season, although they did reach the playoffs in 2018-19 and returned to the postseason following his firing in 2019-20.

Last season was Atkinson's first with the Warriors, and the move paid off, as he was part of Kerr's championship staff, marking the Warriors' fourth NBA title in eight seasons.

Atkinson had agreed to become the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets during the offseason, but he backed out and decided to return to Golden State for the 2022-23 campaign.

While it has been an up-and-down year for the Dubs, they made the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and remain a threat to repeat as champions.

Young has been a Suns assistant since 2020. He was also a Philadelphia 76ers assistant from 2017 through 2020, and he has extensive experience as a G League head coach.

Coaching under Monty Williams, Young was part of the Suns team that went to the NBA Finals in 2021.

Although the Rockets went just 22-60 this season and have won 22 or fewer games in three straight years, there may be some light at the end of the tunnel.

Houston has a solid young core in place, led by 2021 No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green and 2022 No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr., as well as Kevin Porter Jr.

Additionally, the Rockets are tied for the best chance (14 percent) to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, which would secure them Victor Wembanyama, who is a potential franchise-altering player.

Atkinson was able to mold a young Nets team without any superstars into a playoff team, and he may be able to do something similar in Houston, although there is undoubtedly some superstar potential on the roster already.