The Houston Rockets may be looking to make major changes to their roster before next season but it seems that head coach Mike D’Antoni. The two sides may be close to agreeing on an extension.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Saturday Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta removed the buyout language that ultimately proved to be a deal breaker in the last round contract discussions.
Without a deal in place D’Antoni is entering the upcoming season on lame duck status as he is in the final year of a four-year deal.
D’Antoni’s agent , Warren LeGarie, let the cat out of the bag to the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen regarding the true dollars and cents of his deal :
I’d like [to] clear up some inaccuracies that were stated about the offer made to Mike. The reported $5 million is really $2.5 million because it comes with contingencies. One, it’s only $5 million if he makes the playoffs and two, if he is coaching the team at the end of the year.
“If they decide to fire Mike in the proverbial change of direction, he gets $2.5 million. If there is an injury or a change in the roster construction, of which Mike has no control, he nonetheless would become a victim of it.”
Should D’Antoni get the three years he was seeking in the initial round of negotiations, that would take him to his desired end of his coaching career.
