Report: First hints of “pessimism” surrounding Nick Nurse to Rockets

Nick Nurse has been rumored to be the number one choice for the Houston Rockets in their coaching search, and he led our SB Nation Reacts poll last week as the fan’s top choice, but accoring to a recent report, there is some scuttlebutt that Nurse might not actually be interested in the H-town gig.

According to Marc Stein’s The Stein Line, which is a subscription substack, the newest rumors have some negativity surrounding Nurse. According to Stein:

“Amid considerable curiosity about whether he will continue to coach the Raptors, clarity has yet to emerge regarding Nick Nurse’s future in Toronto.

What I did pick up over the weekend, interestingly, was the first whiff of pessimism I’ve heard regarding Houston’s chances of hiring Nurse even in the event that he and the Raptors part ways. Beyond the possibility that he stays in Toronto, perhaps Nurse has other options that are not plainly apparent.”

That’s not amazing news for the Rockets, who are interviewing Ime Udoko this afternoon and already have several interviews completed. Check out Lachard’s piece for the full breakdown of interviewees to this point.

The title-winning Nurse (2018-2019 with the Toronto Raptors), who is also a former NBA Coach of the Year, is the most accomplished of Houston’s prospective choices, but it’s now sounding like Houston will have to look at one of their other candidates. Of course, this is all just rumors at this point, but Stein is pretty connected in league circles.

Time will tell what direction the Rockets go in, but this is the first real negative report to come out on Nurse since the coaching search began. Make sure you keep on checking back at TDS, as we’ll have any updates for you as the Rockets look to take the next step with a new leader.