Ime Udoka, Rockets Reportedly Agree to Contract Extension After Knicks Rumors

Ime Udoka parlayed a 52-win season and interest from the New York Knicks into a lucrative new contract from the Houston Rockets.

Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Udoka has agreed to a long-term extension with the Rockets that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA.

Udoka was originally hired by the Rockets in April 2023 on a deal worth $28.5 million over four years.

That was right before coaching salaries skyrocketed, starting when Monty Williams received a six-year, $78.5 million deal with the Detroit Pistons. His contract led to extensions for Gregg Popovich (five years, more than $80 million), Erik Spoelstra (eight years, $120 million) and Steve Kerr (two years, $35 million).

Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen put out a ranking of the 10 highest-paid NBA coaches in January. Udoka’s $7.1 million average annual salary didn’t crack the list. Jason Kidd and Nick Nurse tied for 10th at $8.5 million annually.

The Rockets have a 93-71 record in two seasons with Udoka as head coach. They won 52 games and made the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference this season. It was their most victories since the 2018-19 campaign (53-29).

Even though Houston’s 2024-25 season came to an end with a first-round playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors, this was a huge step forward for the organization after missing the postseason in each of the previous four years.

The Rockets finished fourth in net rating and seventh in defensive rating. It was their first time being a top-five defense since 2008-09. They also have a promising young core with Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson, all of whom just finished their age-22 seasons, to build around.

Udoka’s success in Houston prompted the Knicks to make a push to interview him after they fired Tom Thibodeau. Their request was denied by the Rockets, who have followed it up by extending their commitment to the 47-year-old.