The Houston Rockets have added one of the NBA’s most respected player development coaches, hiring Chip Engelland as an assistant on Ime Udoka’s staff, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The move reunites Engelland with Udoka after the two spent years together with the San Antonio Spurs organization.
Charania reported Wednesday that Engelland will join Houston after four seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he continued to build his reputation as one of the league’s premier shooting instructors. Before arriving in Oklahoma City in 2022, Engelland spent 17 seasons as an assistant with the Spurs, helping develop multiple championship teams and working closely with players throughout the roster.
The hiring comes as Houston shifts firmly into championship contention following a transformative offseason. After finishing 52-30 and earning the fifth seed in the Western Conference last season, the Rockets acquired Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster trade centered around Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and multiple future first-round picks. The club is now building around Durant, All-Star center Alperen Sengun, rising two-way guard Amen Thompson and forward Jabari Smith Jr.
Engelland’s track record aligns with several of Houston’s developmental priorities. Thompson averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 2025-26 but shot just 21.6% from three-point range, making perimeter improvement one of the biggest areas of focus in his game. Smith connected on a solid 36.3% from beyond the arc, while Reed Sheppard made 39.4% of his three-point attempts during his rookie campaign and finished sixth in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
Durant, meanwhile, remains one of the league’s elite scorers entering his 19th NBA season. The 37-year-old averaged 26.0 points while shooting 52.0% from the field and 41.3% from three across 78 games last season, earning All-Star honors and a place on the All-NBA Second Team. His arrival gives Houston an established offensive centerpiece while the franchise continues developing its younger core.
Engelland’s NBA coaching career began with the Detroit Pistons during the 1999-2000 season before assistant coaching stops with the Denver Nuggets from 2003 to 2005. He then joined the Spurs, where he remained from 2005 through 2022, contributing to multiple deep playoff runs and the franchise’s 2014 NBA championship. Since 2022, he has served as an assistant for an Oklahoma City team that posted a league-best 64-18 record in 2025-26 and reached the Western Conference Finals.
Before entering coaching, Engelland played professionally from 1984 through 1992 with Northern Cement, the Topeka Sizzlers, Calgary 88’s, Columbus Horizon and San Jose Jammers.
Houston has also invested in its long-term core beyond the Durant acquisition. Sengun, who averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists last season, is entering the second year of his five-year rookie extension. The Rockets also added Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton with the 31st pick after trading up in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft.
