The Houston Rockets saw another season end in disappointing fashion after the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated them from the playoffs on Saturday night. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the organization, including the security of general manager Daryl Morey's job.
While Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes says Morey's job will be “under review,” Tim MacMahon of ESPN says Houston plans to keep Morey:
There has been widespread speculation throughout the league that Feritta would want to also move on from Morey this offseason, gossip that began in the wake of Morey's tweet that damaged the Rockets' relationship with China, costing the franchise millions of dollars in sponsorship deals. High-ranking Rockets sources dismiss those rumors, saying that Fertitta fully intends to keep Morey.
Houston's commitment to playing a historically small lineup will almost certainly continue next season — with or without D'Antoni roaming the sideline.
As the report suggests, Houston plans to keep Morey and continue on with small ball even if Mike D'Antoni isn't in charge of coaching duties. Both Morey and D'Antoni are responsible for ushering in this small-ball era for the Rockets. The franchise went all in this season after it traded its only true center in the rotation in Clint Capela and moved undersized forward P.J. Tucker to the center spot.
Objectively, Morey is one of the best general managers in the NBA. He carries a reputation of still being able to creatively make deals despite the team's financial restrictions. Likewise, Morey isn't afraid to make a splash when it comes to trades.
Last offseason, the Rockets traded All-Star point guard Chris Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for James Harden's buddy Russell Westbrook. With the Rockets' season ending short of their expectations, expect Morey to make some tweaks to the roster, or perhaps make another blockbuster deal this coming offseason in a last-ditch effort to make this experiment work.
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