By: Brandon Apter, managing editor 
After a short stint as associate head coach with the Philadelphia 76ers, Mike D'Antoni will join the Houston Rockets as their next head coach. Per the Houston Chronicle, D'Antoni and the Rockets are working on a four-year contract. The article mentions that they went with D'Antoni in hopes of him being able to stabilize their offense with any roster decisions that they make while having other defensive minded coaches on his staff.
The team began contract negotiations with D'Antoni on a four-year deal, the last at the team's option.
The Rockets opted for D'Antoni, according to the person with knowledge of the team's thinking who spoke on the condition of anonymity because no announcement has been made, with a plan to have top defensive assistants on his staff and to improve defensively with roster changes while relying on D'Antoni's expertise to maintain the offense.
Memphis assistant Jeff Bzdedelik is considered a top candidate for a position on D'Antoni's staff.
D'Antoni lands his fifth career head coaching job after posting a 455-426 record as a head coach between the Suns, Knicks, Lakers and Nuggets over a 12 year span. During his time in Phoenix, D'Antoni's teams were known for their fast pace of offensive play. Steve Nash was the cornerstone of D'Antoni's teams in Phoenix, where he averaged 58 wins per year from the 2004-05 season to the 2007-08 season. His last head coaching job was in 2013-14, when he led the Lakers to an abysmal 27-55 record.
Rockets interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff withdrew his name from consideration after taking over for Kevin McHale 11 games into the season. Houston fired Kevin McHale in what was the first season of a new three-year deal.
The addition of D'Antoni could be another sign that Dwight Howard's days in Houston are indeed numbered. The Rockets center played under D'Antoni during his stint with the Lakers and never really fit into the offense that marginalized post play.
