More on Mike D'Antoni Contract
I can confirm through multiple sources that the decision to pick up D’Antoni’s option next season was owner Tilman Fertitta’s, NOT Morey’s. It should also be noted that the decision to hire D’Antoni was former owner Les Alexander’s. This story is interesting from all three perspectives. From Morey’s perspective, he has to feel that an NBA executive with his pedigree should be able to hire the head coach to coach his team.
Mike D’Antoni said negotiations are taking place that he is hopeful will keep him in Houston beyond next season. D’Antoni has one year left on his Rockets deal. “We’ve been in contract discussions and we still are about the extension,” D’Antoni said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. “I think I can go two or three more years at the level I want to be at and everything will play out in the near future.”
D’Antoni said a lot of work has already been done toward completing a contract extension. “It’s a good ways (into it). I don’t do it. That’s my agent. He takes care of that stuff. They’ve been discussing it for a long time now. It just hasn’t been a couple weeks. It’s been awhile that they’ve been talking. So they’ll figure it out. “Everybody likes security. It’s just a matter of okay this is the direction the organization wants to go. I want to be a part of it. It’s just normal business and we just got to take care of business.”
New owner Tilman Fertitta told @Jonathan_Feigen earlier this month he intends to keep Mike D'Antoni as Houston's coach, but the flurry of changes imposed on D'Antoni's staff has some in the coaching community wondering if the Rockets are trying to nudge D'Antoni toward the exit
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said negotiations are taking place that he is hopeful will keep him in Houston beyond next season. D’Antoni has one year left on his Rockets deal. “We’ve been in contract discussions and we still are about the extension,” D’Antoni said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. “I think I can go two or three more years at the level I want to be at and everything will play out in the near future.”
D’Antoni said a lot of work has already been done toward completing a contract extension. “It’s a good ways (into it). I don’t do it. That’s my agent. He takes care of that stuff. They’ve been discussing it for a long time now. It just hasn’t been a couple weeks. It’s been awhile that they’ve been talking. So they’ll figure it out.”
Alykhan Bijani: PJ Tucker on MDA: “I think it will get done (contract extension). Everyone loves him, I think it will get done, he’s my guy”
The Houston Rockets and coach Mike D'Antoni have had preliminary discussions on the framework of a contract extension that would keep the two-time NBA Coach of the Year from entering the final year of his deal.
"I've let (GM) Daryl (Morey) and (owner) Tilman (Fertitta) know that I'm energized to keep coaching --- and believe that I can continue to do this at a high-level for at least another three years," D'Antoni, 68, told ESPN on Sunday night. "I want be part of a championship here."
The Rockets picked up their option on the final season of D'Antoni's contract, keeping him under contract through the 2019-20 season. But Morey said he would like to work on an extension for D'Antoni in the offseason. "He's such a critical factor," Morey said. "Speaking for myself only, I would love for him to be here for as long as he wants to be here. He's so critical to everything we're doing here. Hopefully, that's something we can work out at the right time. I think the right thing for everyone is those things are done in the off-season."
Mark Berman: Mike D'Antoni on #Rockets owner @TilmanJFertitta picking up the 2019-20 option on his contract: "It just makes things simpler. Just 1 other thing I don't have to think about. You're always grateful..I want to stay as long as I can. This adds 1 more...He's been great. He's all in"
Jonathan Feigen: Rockets announce D'Antoni's extension. Fertitta: "It did not take long for me to see that he is the perfect fit for our organization. We are thrilled to have Coach D’Antoni continue to push the Rockets towards our goal of winning a championship.”
Newly hired Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni has signed a three-year contract in the $15 million range with a team option for a fourth season, according to a source. D'Antoni's contract is similar to that of New York Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek, who, according to ESPN sources, signed a three-year deal for $15 million on Wednesday. Unlike D'Antoni, Hornacek doesn't have a team option for a fourth season. In the past two years, Rockets owner Leslie Alexander has distributed significant money to coaches. In December 2014, Alexander gave Kevin McHale a three-year fully guaranteed contract extension worth $12 million.
