Wizards’ Wes Unseld Jr. Transitioning To Front Office Role

8:44am: Top assistant Brian Keefe will serve as the Wizards’ interim coach for the rest of the season, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). As noted below, the team will conduct a full search for a permanent head coach during the offseason.


7:08am: Wes Unseld Jr. will no longer serve as the head coach of the Wizards, according to the team, which announced in a press release today that Unseld will transition to a front office advisory role.

“After several thoughtful conversations with Wes, we determined together that a change was needed for the benefit of the team,” Wizards president Michael Winger said in a statement. “Wes embodies the characteristics we value in our organization, and his vast basketball experience will be an asset to the front office as we progress toward our long-term goals. We are thankful that he will continue his contributions to our organization and community.”

“I am grateful to have served as head coach of the Washington Wizards,” Unseld said. “I look forward to this new opportunity to work toward our organization’s continued progress.”

According to the Wizards, an interim head coach will be named shortly, with the club launching a “comprehensive” search for a new permanent head coach in the offseason.

The son of former Wizards star Wes Unseld Sr., Wes Jr. was hired as the Wizards’ head coach in 2021 after having served as an assistant in Washington, Golden State, Orlando, and Denver from 2005-21. He led the club to a 35-47 record in each of his first two seasons and was off to a 7-36 start in 2023/24, for an overall record of 77-130 (.372). Washington didn’t make the playoffs or the play-in tournament during his tenure.

The Wizards conducted an overhaul of their front office during the 2023 offseason, dismissing former president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard and hiring Winger and general manager Will Dawkins to run the show. With a retooling of the roster also underway, there was a sense that the new executives may want to bring in their own coach and that Unseld’s days on the Wizards’ bench might be numbered.

After losing at home to Minnesota on Wednesday, the Wizards will host the Jazz in the second end of a back-to-back set on Thursday night, so they’ll name an interim coach at some point today.

Unseld is the second head coach to be replaced this season — and this week. The Bucks parted ways with Adrian Griffin on Tuesday.

Pistons Rumors: Core, Murray, LaVine, Bojan, Burks, Morris

The Pistons have already completed one in-season trade and are open to making more deals, but there are a few players on the roster who are considered essentially off-limits in trade discussions, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

According to Edwards, those players are Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, and Jaden Ivey. There’s a belief that Detroit has no interest in moving any of those four youngsters in the immediate future and views them as the club’s “blue-chip pieces,” says Edwards.

While it’s no surprise that Cunningham, Thompson, and Duren in that group, Ivey’s inclusion was perhaps less of a certainty, given that his role has fluctuated under new head coach Monty Williams. However, the former No. 5 overall pick has received a minutes bump in recent weeks and is averaging 17.7 points and 4.8 assists per game in his last 14 appearances (all starts).

Here’s more on the Pistons and their trade deadline plans:

  • The Hawks initiated talks with the Pistons a few weeks ago about guard Dejounte Murray, according to Edwards, who says Atlanta was interested in Thompson and Ivey, among others. Detroit didn’t have interest in moving forward with those talks, given the Hawks’ asking price, sources tell The Athletic.
  • The Pistons have also spoken to the Bulls about Zach LaVine, but Chicago “appears to be locked in” on a package that would include Bojan Bogdanovic and one of those four young players Detroit doesn’t want to move, Edwards writes. While the Pistons wouldn’t want to make that sort of deal, they might have interest in LaVine if the Bulls lowered their asking price.
  • Although the Pistons aren’t actively shopping Bogdanovic or Alec Burks, they appear more open to moving the two veterans than they were a year ago, says Edwards. Bogdanovic has a $19MM partially guaranteed salary for next season, while Burks is on an expiring contract. According to Edwards, Detroit may end up pushing its decision on Bogdanovic to the summer and feels like it has a chance to re-sign Burks. However, neither player is off the table in the next couple weeks — Edwards believes an offer of at least two “really good” second-round picks would be enough for the Pistons to seriously consider moving Burks.
  • Monte Morris made his season debut for the Pistons on Wednesday and played well, registering seven points, three assists, and three rebounds in 11 minutes. The veteran guard said after the game that he felt good, though he believes he has room to improve (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). League sources tell Edwards that potential suitors have expressed interest in Morris and will want to see how he performs upon returning from injury. It’s not a given that Detroit will trade the guard at the deadline, Edwards notes.

Pacific Notes: Beal, Green, Milojevic, Vezenkov

Bradley Beal lost a chance to play in the last Olympics after being placed in COVID protocols, and it doesn’t appear he’ll be part of this year’s event either, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The Suns star wasn’t included on the 41-player pool list that was released Tuesday.

“It’s a difficult exercise because we have so many talented players and so many guys who one could make an argument for being on the list,” USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill said during a media conference call. “I had some great conversations with Brad last summer. That was tough. Tough decisions to get it to 41. I’ll be honest. I didn’t think we would be at 41. I thought we would have fewer names. I thought maybe 30 and it was really hard to get to 41 and I imagine it will be very difficult to get to 12.”

Beal remains a productive scorer, averaging 18.0 PPG in his first season with Phoenix, but injuries likely factored into the decision to keep him off the pool list. Beal has been limited to 50 and 40 games the past two seasons, and he has only appeared in 20 of the Suns’ first 44 games.

“I’ll say this with history as sort of a guide here,” Hill added. “A lot can, and will, happen between now and July and we’ve added players to that list. We’ve been fluid at times. We’ll continue to monitor, we’ll continue to evaluate and we’ll see where we are when we get on that plane and head overseas.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Warriors forward Draymond Green was also noticeably absent from the pool list, and Hill indicated that his two suspensions this season played a role in the decision, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “His contributions have been significant, and he is a real part of the legacy of this organization for his excellence,” Hill said of Green, a two-time gold medal winner. “But in lieu of what’s transpired this year, we made a decision to not have him on this list.” 
  • The Warriors will wear a “DM” patch for the rest of the season to honor assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, who died suddenly last week, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The team paid tribute to Milojevic with a ceremony before tonight’s game (video link from Kendra Andrews of ESPN).
  • Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov will be reevaluated in seven to 14 days after suffering a moderate right ankle sprain Monday night, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Vezenkov was dealing with a sprained left ankle going into the game, Anderson adds.

Knicks Notes: Grimes, Sims, Achiuwa, Brunson

Quentin Grimes has been the subject of recent trade rumors, but coach Tom Thibodeau wants the third-year wing to ignore the speculation and concentrate on basketball, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. The Knicks have reportedly been taking calls about Grimes, but Thibodeau said that’s not a sign that anything will happen.

“For this time of year, for every 100 trades that get talked about, one gets done. That’s why you stick to your routine,” Thibodeau said. “You block out all the outside stuff. You lock into what’s in front of you and keep your focus there. Let basketball be your focus. So, I think where we are today, the popularity of the game is so huge. Media, social media and everyone talking about it. It’s a by-product of society today. But don’t get caught up in it. Whether it’s praise, criticism, speculation, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that really matters is what you think and what we think. That’s it.”

Botte notes that Grimes probably expected his playing time to increase after RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were traded to Toronto last month. Instead, it has declined since the deal as Thibodeau has relied more on other players on his reconfigured bench.

There’s more from New York:

  • With their top two centers hurt, the Knicks got a strong night from their reserve big men in Tuesday’s win at Brooklyn, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Mitchell Robinson underwent ankle surgery and hasn’t played since December 8, and Isaiah Hartenstein saw his consecutive games streak end at 164 due to an inflamed Achilles, but Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa were capable replacements. Sims started the game and blocked four shots in the first quarter, and Achiuwa played the entire fourth quarter as New York rallied for the victory. “[They were] amazing,” Julius Randle said. “Precious gave us big minutes. Jericho gave us big minutes. Protecting the rim. Jericho was great protecting the rim in the first half. Precious just being in the right spots, getting us extra possessions rebounding the ball. Defending guards. All that type of stuff. Gave us a lot of versatility.”
  • Jalen Brunson has been playing at an All-Star level, but that won’t guarantee him a spot in the game when the rosters are announced Thursday night, Botte notes in a separate story. Brunson ranked sixth among Eastern Conference backcourt players in the latest round of fan voting, which accounts for half of the final total. He may need to be selected by the coaches to earn his first-ever All-Star nod.
  • The Knicks should monitor trade opportunities, but they shouldn’t risk their current chemistry with an aggressive move, contends Fred Katz of The Athletic, adding that he doesn’t see an ideal player for the team on this year’s market.

GM Jon Horst Explains Bucks’ Coaching Change

Bucks general manager Jon Horst said the team’s expectations changed after the decision was made to hire Adrian Griffin as head coach, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Horst met with media members before tonight’s game to explain why management believed a coaching change was necessary even though the team was off to a 30-13 start.

Horst noted that when Griffin got the job in early June, the roster was filled with uncertainties, which made having a first-time head coach seem more plausible. Things changed throughout the summer as Milwaukee was able to reach contract agreements with Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez and then trade for Damian Lillard, which led to Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s extension. With all those pieces securely in place, the front office felt renewed urgency to get the most of out of its championship window.

“It was a tough job and a great opportunity – both things were true – when we hired Griff,” Horst said. “The dynamics and the things that changed after that I think created even more of an urgency and even more so. These are special opportunities. The talent became even more special. The commitment to the team even more significant. And I think that increased the urgency.

“It’s not because I’m afraid to be wrong. I’ve been wrong many a times. I believe Griff still is a head coach. Guy’s 30-13. It made this such a tough decision. This is an assessment and an evaluation for myself, (team president Peter Feigin) and our ownership group in how do we give this team the best resources to maximize this window. It’s way more about that and way less about what Griff did or didn’t do.”

Horst referenced the awkward situation that can develop when a major move of this type is announced on social media. He met with the players before today’s shootaround to explain the reasons why a coaching change was deemed necessary.

Horst also expressed confidence in interim coach Joe Prunty, noting that he has been in this situation before and is “fully aware” that the organization is in the process of hiring a new head coach. Horst refused to comment on Doc Rivers, who reportedly reached an agreement in principle to take over the team, but indicated that he wants to fill the position as quickly as possible.

“What we’re looking for now is a path to go forward and maximize this group from a leadership perspective, from an experience perspective,” Horst said. “We want to try to bring in a coach that can really take us to the next level where we think we can go with this group. That’s not just about coaching. The players have to be better, they have to improve, my group has to continue figuring out how to improve the roster, but we think coaching is an element for us to get better.”

Horst also addressed the issue of having to pay three head coaches, as Mike Budenholzer had two years remaining on his contract when he was fired in May. Horst admitted that it’s part of the “hard decisions” that go into running a team and credited the owners for their commitment to winning.

Horst expressed confidence that the new head coach can fix the defensive shortcomings – and other issues that developed under Griffin – and put the team in position for a long playoff run.

“Although it’s a condensed period of time calendar-wise I think in the world of the NBA and what in particular our really smart, professional and mature players can do, a great coaching staff around them, I believe that there is enough time for them to find an identity, find a rhythm together and continue to grow,” he said. “So, it may feel shortened but the things that happen in the NBA happen quick all the time and transition happens all the time and I think we’ll be well adapted to it.”

Bulls Notes: DeRozan, Lowry, Caruso, White

DeMar DeRozan typically doesn’t get involved in the Bulls‘ front office decisions, but he might change that stance if it means bringing long-time friend Kyle Lowry to Chicago, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

Lowry, who was DeRozan’s teammate for many years in Toronto, was traded from Miami to Charlotte on Tuesday and could be on the move again before the February 8 deadline. It’s unlikely that the Bulls would deal for Lowry’s $29.7MM contract, but they have an open roster spot and DeRozan is willing to help facilitate a signing if Lowry reaches a buyout agreement with the Hornets.

“If it was asked of me, whether from him if that was something he wanted to do (or management), for sure. Why not?” DeRozan said. “That’s one of my closest friends, one of the smartest players I’ve played with since I been in the league.”

DeRozan revealed that Lowry called and informed him of the impending trade before the news broke Tuesday morning. DeRozan offered support to the 37-year-old guard, who is facing an uncertain basketball future for the first time in many years.

“For me, it flips to being there for him more so as a friend. Basketball kind of goes out the window,” DeRozan said. “Even last night, I just texted him before I went to sleep and asked him how he was feeling mentally. That’s all I care about first.”

There’s more from Chicago:

  • While several Eastern Conference rivals have already made significant moves, the Bulls’ trade outlook continues to be quiet, Johnson adds. No market has developed for Zach LaVine, who is currently sidelined with a sprained ankle, and the front office hasn’t shown any inclination to trade Alex Caruso despite interest around the league, according to Johnson.
  • Caruso was honored to be included in the 41-player pool for the 2024 Olympics that was released Tuesday, tweets Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. “Hopefully I’m lucky enough to get selected and go,” Caruso said. “That would be an even bigger accomplishment and exciting adventure.”
  • In a full story for The Chicago Tribune, Poe looks at whether Coby White should be given a larger role in the Bulls’ clutch possessions considering his improvement this season. Even when White is having a huge scoring night, DeRozan is typically the focus of the crunch-time offense.

Terry Rozier: “I Feel Like I Fit The Heat Culture”

At a brief press conference before Wednesday’s game, Terry Rozier said he’s thrilled about the opportunity to play in Miami and he sees himself as a natural fit for Heat culture, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Rozier, who was acquired from Charlotte on Tuesday, said he’s long been an admirer of his new team.

“It’s been no secret how much love I have for the Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade growing up,” Rozier said. “This is definitely a full circle moment. I’m happy to be back on that stage in a playoff race. It’s huge.”

Rozier was added to bring some spark to the Heat’s offense, which has struggled to produce points on a consistent basis. He averaged 23.2 PPG in his 30 games with the Hornets this season, and Jackson notes that combining him with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro makes Miami the only team in the league with four players scoring at least 20 PPG.

Rozier added that he’s “not here to step on nobody’s toes” and will work with coach Erik Spoelstra to determine the best way he can help the team.

“Definitely want to take my time. Things are not going to be perfect right away,” Rozier said. “I feel like I fit the Heat culture and I’m coming right in, can come in [and help] on the defensive side. We’re basketball players. We will figure it out.”

Spoelstra also spoke at the press conference, calling Rozier “one of the most dangerous X-factors” in Boston before developing his game even further with Charlotte. Spoelstra likes the idea of adding another extreme competitor to his roster.

“He has a lot of those competitive qualities that we respect and we think not only resonate with us but also impact winning in a big way,” Spoelstra said. “He’s a competitive guy. Winning matters to him. He respects our uniform. He really wanted to be here. Not everybody wants to play for us. So that matters. We want to have like-minded competitors that view competition in a very similar way.”

Spoelstra addressed his new-look backcourt, with Rozier and Herro both capable of scoring and distributing the ball.

“Skill level is extremely high with both of these guys,” he said. “Terry can play more naturally at the point. Tyler, his skill level, his ball handling, his play-making has improved so much. Terry knows how to play on the ball and he also knows how to play off the ball which is really important for our group. He’s had success doing both. This year, he had to do a lot more on the ball and it shows you what he’s capable of leading the attack.”

Spoelstra also discussed the loss of Kyle Lowry, who was sent to the Hornets in the trade after spending the last two and a half seasons in Miami.

“Kyle, you can never define him by his stats,” Spoelstra said. “His whole career, and particularly as an ultimate winner, you define him by whether your team is winning and how it’s functioning. … This is part of the business…. Sometimes you have to make a business decision. That’s what this was. He’ll be just fine. He’ll find his next stop … whether it’s Charlotte or anywhere else.”

Central Notes: Griffin, Lillard, Pacers, Cunningham

The tensions that led to the Bucks‘ decision to fire head coach Adrian Griffin on Tuesday stemmed from a loss of their defensive identity, according to Ramona Shelburne and Jamal Collier of ESPN. A source tells the authors there was a “constant” string of internal conversations about why the team was falling short of expectations, even though Milwaukee is tied for the second-best record in the league at 30-13.

Griffin had a reputation as a defensive specialist after building the Raptors’ defense that resulted in a championship in 2019, and he impressed general manager Jon Horst and other team officials during the interview process with his ideas for the Bucks’ defense, according to Shelburne and Collier.

However, the aggressive scheme that Griffin implemented wasn’t popular with players, who couldn’t understand why center Brook Lopez was being taken out of drop coverage after finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season, sources tell the authors. The new approach, which also included attacking ball-handlers far away from the basket, helped Milwaukee rise from 27th to fourth in the league in deflections, but the team ranked last in field goal percentage at the rim after five games before Griffin relented following a meeting with his top players.

Even though the Bucks kept winning, the defense never showed significant improvement, which caused the organization to lose its faith in Griffin. Shelburne and Collier note that former coaches reached out to Griffin to offer advice, including Lionel Hollins and Doc Rivers, who the authors say became a mentor to Griffin before ultimately replacing him in the job.

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • Fixing the Bucks‘ defense isn’t the only priority for Rivers as he takes over, observes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Damian Lillard is suffering through one of the worst shooting seasons of his career, connecting at just 42.7% from the field and 35.1% from three-point range, which are his lowest figures in nearly a decade. Nehm suggests that creating more pick-and-roll opportunities for Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo might be one of Rivers’ solutions.
  • The Pacers have a lot more options on defense after trading for Pascal Siakam, notes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Coach Rick Carlisle already took steps to improve atrocious defensive numbers early in the season by moving Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith into the starting lineup late last month. There has been progress, as Dopirak points out that the team is 19th in points allowed and 17th in defensive rating over its last 15 games.
  • The Pistons considered having Cade Cunningham return tonight, but coach Monty Williams will give him at least one more game off to recover from a left knee strain, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. “We felt like we were in a good place, but decided to make sure he’s in a good place before he’s out there,” Williams said in a pregame meeting with reporters. Cunningham was originally listed as probable before downgraded to questionable and then out.

Heat Notes: Rozier, Offense, Draft Picks, Martin

After being acquired by the Heat on Tuesday, Terry Rozier will be available to make his debut with his new team on Wednesday vs. Memphis, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). The Heat have confirmed the news.

Heat forward Caleb Martin, who played with Rozier in Charlotte, referred to the veteran guard as a “great teammate” and a tough competitor who will “fit right in” with the Heat, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Martin, Tyler Herro, and Kevin Love all pointed out that the club will benefit from having another contributor capable of putting up 25 or 30 points on any given night.

“It is increasingly important and paramount to have a weapon and a scoring threat out there on the floor at really every position,” Love said. “But somebody who can put points up in a hurry. With teams and offenses scoring so many points and the offensive ratings continuing to go up, usage continuing to go up — I mean, we had two guys score over 60, a guy score 70 (on Monday). It just goes to show you how important that is in this league now.”

While some analysts have expressed concern about the way that Rozier’s and Herro’s skill sets overlap, Herro believes they’ll complement one another well and is looking forward to playing with pace alongside his new teammate.

“We both can play on the ball and off the ball,” Herro said, according to Jackson. “We both can catch and shoot or dribble and shoot. We also can play-make for our teammates. We’re both younger. I think we’ll play faster. Get the ball up the floor. That’s what I want to be a part of and I think the rest of us do too.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

  • The Heat ranked 25th in offensive rating last season and are 20th so far this season, including 28th in January. With that in mind, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald takes an in-depth look at Rozier’s offensive game and considers how having him in the mix will boost the club on that end of the floor.
  • One NBA scout who spoke to Jackson of The Miami Herald acknowledged that Rozier isn’t a great defender and that he has a tendency to occasionally force shots, but called the trade a “great move” for the Heat. “This is a no-brainer to me, from the Heat’s standpoint. He’s perfect for them,” the scout said. “… His play-making is a tad underrated. He sees people. He can penetrate. He can get in the lane and dish. He can run pick-and-roll. He’s more of a point guard than Herro. You have to guard him.”
  • In another story for The Herald, Jackson explores the Heat’s draft pick situation, pointing out that – due to the Stepien rule – the 2030 pick is the only first-rounder the team can still freely trade.
  • Although Caleb Martin has been an important part of the Heat’s rotation, the deal for Rozier means his situation is worth monitoring, notes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. As Winderman explains, it will be more challenging financially for Miami to keep Martin beyond the season with Rozier’s contract on the books; plus, the Heat could potentially move below the first tax apron and become a player on the buyout market by moving off of Martin’s expiring contract at the trade deadline. Of course, Martin will have more value than just about any player who will be available in the buyout market, so Miami is unlikely to move him purely for financial reasons.

Eastern Notes: Embiid, Joerger, Bucks, Rozier, Heat

When Sixers star Joel Embiid scored 30-plus points for a 21st consecutive game on Monday, he didn’t just eke past that threshold — he more than doubled it, eclipsing Wilt Chamberlain‘s franchise record of 68 points by racking up an eye-popping 70 in a victory over San Antonio, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

The performance increased Embiid’s season-long scoring average to 36.1 points per game. James Harden (2018/19) is the only other player to average that many points in a single season since Michael Jordan did it in 1986/87.

Having already missed 10 games in 2023/24, Embiid isn’t a lock to reach the 65-game minimum required to qualify for end-of-season awards. But as long as he plays enough, he looks like the clear frontrunner to win a second consecutive MVP award.

“I keep telling everybody, we cannot take this for granted,” Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey said. “Not just as teammates, not as an organization, but as fans … even if you’re not a fan of Philadelphia, if you’re just a fan of basketball, you can’t take Jo for granted, man. What he’s doing right now is special.

“… He’s doing so much out there. And you know, the kicker is he’s on the other end, he’s anchoring the defense as well. He’s not taking any nights off on defense. So, you know, we appreciate him, and everybody else should appreciate him, as well.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • Dave Joerger, who spent three seasons on Doc Rivers‘ staff in Philadelphia, is receiving consideration to join the Bucks as an assistant, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Rivers and Bucks general manager Jon Horst are expected to work together to finalize any additions to Milwaukee’s coaching staff, tweets Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT.
  • Examining the Terry Rozier trade between the Heat and Hornets, John Hollinger of The Athletic wonders if this deal is a sign that there won’t be any blockbuster trades completed at the deadline. As Hollinger explains, Miami’s front office typically prefers to use its assets to go star-hunting on the trade market, so if the the Heat were willing to give up a first-round pick for Rozier, they may have felt as if no impact players will become available at the 11th hour.
  • Elsewhere at The Athletic, Jared Weiss and William Guillory take a closer look at what the Heat‘s Rozier acquisition means for the teams at the top of the East. As The Athletic’s duo points out, there’s a good deal of overlap between Rozier’s and Tyler Herro‘s skill sets, so it may be a challenge to play them together in the postseason when their relative lack of size makes them susceptible to being hunted on defense.
  • In a comprehensive Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks breaks down the trade deadline for the 15 Eastern Conference teams, outlining the assets at their disposal and what sorts of deals might make sense for each club.