Rockets Rumors: 'Chatter' Is Mike D'Antoni Leaves After Not Getting New Contract

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni is reportedly still expected to leave the organization following the 2019-20 NBA season after not receiving a contract extension last year.

"The chatter before and during the season was that D'Antoni was out of there after the Rockets didn't give him the extension last summer," David Aldridge of The Athletic reported Monday. "Things change, of course, and I'm old enough to know you never say never. But my guess is still that he leaves."

In September, D'Antoni downplayed the importance of the failed extensions talks, saying it "doesn't change anything" about how he approaches the job.

"You try and take care of business in the summertime," he told reporters. "Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. So be it, it didn't work out. We both tried."

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta lauded D'Antoni a few weeks later and suggested he still wanted to keep him on as head coach for the long haul.

"Everybody tells me that Mike is the right guy for this team," he said. "Mike appears to me to be the right guy for this team. … I think he's a great coach. He's one of the great offensive minds out there. I truly do not see Mike going anywhere."

Houston has played well despite the uncertainty. It owned the sixth seed in the Western Conference with a 40-24 record when the 2019-20 season was halted because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Although the Rockets, led by the backcourt tandem of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, will be a tough out in the playoffs and potentially even a sleeper contender in the West if the season resumes, it's unclear whether their results will impact their coach's future.

D'Antoni would likely be in high demand if he became a coaching free agent. He's led the Rockets to a 213-97 record (.687 winning percentage) across four seasons and owns a 668-523 mark (.561) in stints with Houston and the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets.

He's also helped revolutionize the offensive style in the NBA with the Rockets ranking second in offensive efficiency and third in tempo this season, per ESPN.

It's hard to imagine a better coaching fit for the Rockets, who lean so heavily on two offense-first players to lead their team.

Yet it sounds like the franchise will head into the offseason with lingering questions about whether D'Antoni will return for the 2020-21 campaign.