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When you’re a successful franchise, it’s only a matter of time until some of your former players begin to grace the coaching ranks, and for the Boston Celtics, one of their former championship guards looks like he could be in line to get his shot.
According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Sam Cassell has been granted permission by the Philadelphia 76ers to speak with the Houston Rockets regarding their vacant head coach job.
“The Houston Rockets have been granted permission to interview Sixers assistant coach Sam Cassell for their vacant head-coaching position, a league source confirmed. @Jonathan_Feigen was first to report this news,” Pompey reported.
Cassell was part of Boston’s 2008 championship-winning team after joining midway through the regular season, where he participated in 17 regular-season games, averaging 7.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per contest on 38% shooting from two-point range and 40.9% shooting from the perimeter. Cassell then went on to play in 21 postseason contests for the Celtics before retiring as a champion.
Rockets Could Pursue Jaylen Brown
While Cassell may be a former Celtics champion, it would appear that the Rockets could also have their sights on one of Boston’s current championship hopefuls in Jaylen Brown, as they look to expedite their rebuild.
According to Houston Rockets insider John Granato, Houston could potentially be interested in striking a deal for Brown, especially if they have success in luring Ime Udoka to their coaching staff.
“Yesterday, I got some insight into the rockets organization bringing in veterans,” Granato said. “They’re going to do that. I’m going to tell you this. You’re gonna hear a lot of noise about Jaylen Brown. He wants out of Boston. It’s the same as Harde. Daryl Morey thought Harden had star-level ability, which he did. There are guys in this rotation right now that are going to be bench players. They’re not satisfied. I don’t think Tillman is going to be afraid of Ime Udoka.”
Brown, 26, has been operating at an All-NBA level this year, and could potentially be rewarded by making one of the three teams in the coming weeks. In 67 regular-season games, Brown posted a statline of 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, shooting 39.1% from the field and 33.5% from the perimeter.
Ime Udoka is Also Being Considered by the Rockets
It’s true; Sam Cassell has been working his way toward a head coaching job for some time, having been an assistant on a number of NBA teams in recent years, including the Sixers and LA Clippers. However, Cassell with face some stiff competition for the Rockets’ job, as former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is also in the running for the position, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“ESPN Sources: Among the prominent candidates in the Rockets’ search will be former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson and former Lakers coach Frank Vogel. If Raptors coach Nick Nurse becomes available, he’ll be a serious consideration too,” Wojnarowski Tweeted.
Given the circumstances in which Udoka left the Celtics, it will be interesting to see if he can find himself a new head coaching job around the league during the upcoming months, ahead of the 2023-24 season.
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