Shams Uduka joins the ranks of Cole Rivers Cole Rivers, and three have been laid off

Sources revealed to ESPN today that Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka has agreed to sign a long-term contract extension agreement, which makes him one of the highest paid coaches in the NBA.

The renewal is believed to be worth eight-figure annually, and the ninth annual salary coach

led Houston to become the top two seeds in the West for the first time in seven years before Udoka received a contract renewal. In Udoka's second season, the team scored a record of 52-30 and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 season, but was eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in seven games in the first round.

The other 8 coaches with annual salary of tens of millions are as follows

Ranking Coach Team Annual Salary (USD)

1 Steve Cole Golden State Warriors 17.5 million

2 Greg Popovich San Antonio Spurs 17 million(retired)

3 Eric Spoelstra Miami Heat 15 million

3 Tyron Lou Lock Los Angeles Clippers 15 million

5 Michael Malone Denver Nuggets 12 million(retired)

6 Doug Rivers Milwaukee Bucks 11 million

6 Tom Thibodeau New York Knicks 11 million(retired)

8 Mike Budenholzer Phoenix Suns 10 million (laid off)

Rockets owners Tilman Fettita and Patrick Fettita and general manager Rafael Stone hired Udoka in 2023, and the two sides have established a cooperative relationship based on the concept of year-on-year progress and sustainable development.

Houston has won 93 games under Udoka, and in the three seasons before his arrival, the team has won only 59 games in total. This season, the Rockets ranked the top five in defensive efficiency.

Sources told ESPN earlier this month that the New York Knicks had expressed interest in discussing the head coaching position with Udoka, but Houston rejected the request.

Udoka joined the Rockets after being suspended by the Boston Celtics and eventually fired. This incident happened in the 2022-23 season because he violated team rules many times. In the 2021-22 season, he led the team to the NBA Finals in his only season as the Celtics coach.

Udoka's contract renewal marks another important deal the Rockets have completed this month. Last week, the Rockets renewed a three-year, $39 million contract with center Steven Adams.

sources previously told ESPN that the Rockets also had to make a decision on guard Fred VanVleet's $44.9 million team option by June 29, which is considered one of the priority trading destinations for Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. However, with Uduka's contract renewal, the possibility of his own son Van Jordan staying in the team has increased dramatically!

No need to think about those who expect Uduka to leave the team and the 1/5 combination to leave the team! The original team will continue to compete in the next season and it is absolutely reliable!