Rockets, head coach McHale agree to 3-year, $13-million extension

The Houston Rockets have agreed on a three-year extension with head coach Kevin McHale, according to a media release.

The extension is worth between $12 and $13 million, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports, and there are no options in the deal, according to a separate report from Sam Amick of USA Today.

McHale has served as head coach in Houston for the past four seasons, accumulating a record of 153-104 (59.5 percent). The Rockets have qualified for the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and currently sit in playoff position with a 20-7 record. 

As compared to recent contracts inked by rookie head coaches like Derek Fisher in New York, or Steve Kerr in Golden State, McHale's extension is relatively short in term and low annual average salary. In that sense, the Rockets may have struck a bargain with an established coach who has a strong relationship with his personnel.

McHale has demonstrated the ability to adapt to his players' strengths. In his first three seasons in Houston, McHale employed a run-and-gun strategy with a small-ball-oriented team to great success, culminating in a fourth-ranked offense in 2013-14. 

With the loss of strong offensive players in Jeremy Lin and Chandler Parsons, McHale reinvented the Rockets as a gritty defensive squad that currently ranks second in defensive efficiency.