The Houston Rockets’ lackluster followup to last year’s Western Conference Finals appearance will not cost general manager Daryl Morey his job.
Owner Leslie Alexander has made that much clear as the team prepares to square off with the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, per Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston:
Alexander said a recent ESPN report that said general Daryl Morey “faces some uncertainty” about his future is not accurate.
“There is no uncertainty,” Alexander said. “Daryl is with the team. We evaluate everybody, but right now things aren’t changing.
“There’s no uncertainty about his future.”
This isn’t really that surprising. Morey has a knack for winning the offseason. Those wins haven’t always translated to wins on the hardwood, but he has made the Rockets a relevant free-agency player. That Alexander would give him some additional time isn’t just expected; it’s understandable.
But this is about more than just giving Morey another season. If the Rockets plan on keeping him through the offseason, he’ll be in charge of finding the next coach. The team cannot reasonably clean house after that, since any general manager replacement they hire would likely want to have his own coaching choice installed.
Anything is possible when it comes to matters of NBA continuity. Alexander could decide to eat whatever is left on the new coach’s deal if he finds that parting ways with Morey is best between next season and next summer. But this latest vote of confidence suggests that, while not above speculation, Morey’s job isn’t anywhere close to in jeopardy.
