Former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka reportedly agreed to a long-term contract extension with the Houston Rockets on Thursday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Charania explained that Udoka's new deal will make him one of the NBA's highest-paid coaches, as it is apparently worth "eight figures annually."
Udoka's Rockets finished as the second seed in a loaded Western Conference with a 52-30 record during year two of his tenure.
Ime Udoka's success in Houston emphasizes how sharp Brad Stevens is
Of course, Udoka ended up in Houston following his ugly exit from Boston in 2022. The triumph of Boston's in-season turnaround, which eventually led to the team's first NBA Finals appearance since 2010, was rightfully overshadowed by the turmoil caused by the rookie head coach and his actions within the organization.
An internal investigation found that he "used crude language in his dialogue with a female subordinate prior to the start of an improper workplace relationship with the woman," per former ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
Following the Udoka exodus, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens appointed Joe Mazzulla as the team's interim coach, before eventually removing the interim tag in early 2023.
The Rhode Island native has since led the Cs to their 18th NBA title and holds a 182-64 (.740) record as Boston's man in charge. It's easy to poke holes in his success by pointing to the team's roster since he took over, but Mazzulla was undoubtedly a huge part of the 2024 team's dominance right from the jump.
Oftentimes, teams with new additions (Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday) can take a while to fully gel as a unit. Mazzulla immediately had his players buzzing and committed to the mentality of sacrificing for the betterment of the group.
Stevens' decisions to hire Udoka and appoint Mazzulla showcase his eye for coaching talent. It shouldn't come as a big surprise, considering how great he was during his time in the role with the Celtics. Boston probably overachieved in all but two of his seasons (2019 and 2021), and Stevens was a huge part of it.
Will Mazzulla join Udoka as one of the league's highest paid coaches?
Mazzulla will enter his fourth season at the helm for the Celtics this fall -- the final of his current deal, according to a report from Charania in May of 2023.
With the expectations surrounding the team low, or at least uncertain, following Jayson Tatum's ruptured Achilles, it's tough to imagine that the Cs wouldn't re-up with a new contract for Johnston Joe.
That hypothetical new deal would have to be lucrative, right?
Mazzulla's .740 regular-season winning percentage is second in franchise history, trailing only K.C. Jones. His .660 playoff rate is its highest. The 36-year-old has become one of the faces of the franchise during his short tenure, resonating with the fanbase thanks to his cold, witty personality.
There are skeptics, of course, who blame Mazzulla's stubbornness and commitment to generating a high volume of three-point attempts for the team's underachievement in the 2025 playoffs.
At the end of the day, one of the only opinions that matters is that of Stevens (as well as the players), who sounds pretty confident in his guy.
"Joe's great. Joe's done a great job," Stevens said last month. "We're lucky that we have Joe here, we're lucky that we have the staff we have here, and we're thankful."