The Houston Rockets plan to part ways with coach Stephen Silas when general manager Rafael Stone meets with Silas on Monday, a person familiar with the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly until the team announced the decision.
Silas had an option year left on his contract, and the Rockets will decline to pick up the fourth season. Silas will be a sought-after assistant for teams looking to improve their offense.
Silas, the son of former NBA player and coach Paul Silas, was 59-177 in his three seasons with the Rockets. He came to Houston from Dallas where he was a top assistant to then-Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle. Silas was partly responsible for Luka Doncic’s development and the Mavs’ improved offense.
SCORING BINGE: Warriors set NBA record with -point first quarter
But in Houston with a young team, Silas had trouble getting the necessary buy-in. The Rockets were 22-60 this season with the 27th-ranked offense, 29th-ranked defense and 29th-ranked net rating.
The Rockets have some young talented players (Jalen Green, Kevin Porter, Jr., Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith and Tari Eason) but it has not translated into NBA success. Houston will add to that roster with a lottery pick, potentially the No. 1 overall pick, and another first-round pick in the June draft.
Houston’s next coach has a sizable task, trying to turn around a franchise that has not won more than 22 games in any of the past three seasons. But there are several viable candidates, including former Boston coach Ime Udoka, who could also draw interest from Detroit, which will not bring back Dwane Casey.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Houston Rockets to part ways with coach Stephen Silas after 3 seasons