Scott Brooks still has two years and $14MM left on his contract and while he hasn’t heard a definite answer on his future, he expects to be on the Wizards‘ bench next season.
“I haven’t been told anything different,” Brooks said (via Candace Buckner of The Washington Post). “I’m not saying this in an arrogant way, but I worry about my job day-to-day. I don’t worry about my job long-term. I worry about doing my job today. If that’s good, I can do it again tomorrow.”
The Wizards were plagued with injuries this season, but Brooks has done well with the hand he was dealt. Bradley Beal evolved into a premier player under his leadership and Brooks made several prudent rotation decisions, such as inserting Thomas Bryant into the starting lineup instead of Ian Mahinmi when Dwight Howard was forced out of action. Mahinmi was the team’s fourth-highest paid player at the time so the decision wasn’t an easy one to make.
Here’s more from Washington:
- Brooks acknowledges that he has to continue to improve as a coach, as Buckner relays in the same piece. His defensive scheme could be an area where change occurs.“We have to, myself and my staff and I have to be — I have to evaluate just like Ted and our new person will evaluate, as well,” Brooks said. “But it’s a lot of things we have to look at, and everything is on the table.”
- According to some within the Wizards‘ organization, John Wall lost his edge once he signed his mammoth deal and some questioned his level of commitment to the game, The Athletic’s Michael Lee writes. Wall has gained a greater appreciation for the game being away from basketball and he’s anxious to prove all of his doubters wrong. “Just hearing what people say, that just keeps my fuel going,” Wall said. “I read all the articles. It’s over. His career is over. All that type of stuff. So, it’s fun for me.”
- The Wizards can’t let Wall deter them from drafting a top point guard prospect during the upcoming draft, Lee argues in the same piece. The scribe believes Washington should take Ja Morant if available but ultimately the team needs to take the best player available regardless of position.
Wall said all the same stuff last summer. As a wiz fan I’m not sure I buy it.
The Wizards have made their bed with Wall. There is no way they will be able to take a Morant and still pay Wall, not to mention Beal who will also take up a large portion of the cap. They will have to at least try to take a 4 or a 5 to work with their two guards with their first round pick.
It may not work out well, but the Wizards basically have no other choice if they can’t trade Wall.
Wall salary has nothing to do with them taking Ja. He is the second best player in the draft. He is not falling to the Wizards. Honestly the “scribe” of whatever moron wrote that suggestion clearly does not have the slightest clue about the draft pool this year. And before someone says a trade, unless Beal is going out, there is nothing they have that could move them up to 2nd as Ja and Zion are both looked at as can’t miss prospects.
Draft *lottery*
trade wall to the lakers or stretch him
I’m sure the Lakers would love to have him!