Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trajan Langdon, Milt Newton Among Wizards’ GM Candidates

May 5th, 2023 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards are taking their time as they seek out a replacement for former president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard, who was let go last month. However, they have identified at least a couple initial candidates, per Ava Wallace of The Washington Post.

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis and a “small group of decision-makers” have spoken to Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon and Bucks assistant GM Milt Newton, according to Wallace, who adds that the team is still believed to be in the “information-gathering” stage of its search.

Langdon has been with the Pelicans since 2019, when he left his role as an assistant GM with the Nets to work under David Griffin in New Orleans. He received consideration from the Timberwolves when they sought a new head of basketball operations in 2019 and from the Kings when they did the same in 2020.

Newton, hired by the Bucks in the summer of 2017, was the Timberwolves’ general manager from 2013 to 2016 and has also previously worked for the Sixers and the NBA’s league office. Perhaps most notably, he was employed by the Wizards as their VP of player personnel from 2003-13, so he’s no stranger to Washington. Newton was a candidate for the Bulls’ top front office job in 2020 before they hired Arturas Karnisovas.

Wizards VP of player programs John Thompson III and assistant GM Brett Greenberg are running the team’s basketball operations department while the search for a new head of basketball operations continues.

Southeast Notes: Unseld, Wizards, Hornets, Vincent

May 5th, 2023 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

Wes Unseld Jr.‘s coaching staff will be undergoing some changes this offseason, according to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post, who reports (via Twitter) that assistant coaches Alex McLean and Dean Oliver won’t be returning to the Wizards for 2023/24.

As Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets, McLean had been with the Wizards for the last six seasons and also served as the team’s director of player development. Oliver is an analytics specialist and had been with the franchise for four years.

The expectation, as Wallace notes, is that Unseld will have more power to shape his coaching staff and to hire new assistants going forward.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

The Wizards‘ search for a new head of basketball operations is moving at a deliberate pace and is still in the early stages, according to Robbins (Twitter links), who says the team continues to compile a list of viable candidates for the job. Washington hasn’t hired an outside firm to run the search, which has been led more by ownership, Robbins adds.
The Hornets are hosting a group of six prospects for a pre-draft workout on Friday, the team announced in a press release. Led by Eastern Michigan forward and former five-star recruit Emoni Bates, the workout will also include Meechie Johnson Jr. (South Carolina), Jaylen Martin (Overtime Elite), Landers Nolley (Cincinnati), Jalen Slawson (Furman), and Trey Wertz (Notre Dame).
After evolving into more of a play-maker and distributor during his time in Miami, Heat guard Gabe Vincent has been asked to take on more scoring responsibilities since Tyler Herro went down in the first round. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald writes, Vincent – an unrestricted free agent this summer – has responded admirably, averaging 15.1 points per game and making 40.4% of his three-pointers since the playoffs began.

Wolves Notes: Edwards, McDaniels, Reid, Gobert, Finch, Connelly

April 27th, 2023 at 2:41pm CST by Rory Maher

As former first-round picks entering their fourth seasons, Timberwolves wings Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels will be eligible for rookie scale extensions this summer. President of basketball operations Tim Connelly didn’t hesitate when asked if the team would commit to the two young players, tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.

When the Wolves are permitted to have extension discussions with Edwards and McDaniels, both players will have “really, really nice offers with a lot of money in their inbox,” Connelly said.

Edwards is highly likely to receive a rookie scale max extension after emerging as the team’s best player in 2022/23, while McDaniels could potentially get a nine-figure offer himself — particularly with the addition of a fifth year on non-max rookie extensions — following a career season.

Here’s more on the Wolves:

Edwards’ attorney released a statement saying the guard intends to fight the “baseless” assault charges he’s facing in Denver, Hine writes for The Star Tribune. “With the game over, Anthony’s exit from the court was partially obstructed by a chair, which he moved and set down three steps later,” attorney Harvey Steinberg said via Klutch Sports, Edwards’ agency. “As video of the incident confirms, Anthony did not swing the chair at anyone and of course did not intend to hurt anyone. Despite these innocent facts, the Denver Police Department inexplicably chose to charge Anthony with two counts of misdemeanor assault. Anthony intends to vigorously defend against these baseless charges.”
Both Connelly and head coach Chris Finch said that bringing back reserve big man Naz Reid will be a top priority for the Wolves, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link). Reid will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension. The 23-year-old averaged career highs in points per game (11.5), rebounds (4.9) and field goal percentage (53.7%), but missed the end of the regular season and postseason after fracturing his left wrist, which required surgery.
Center Rudy Gobert has been a mainstay for the French national team in international play, but he says he’s not sure if he’ll compete in the World Cup, which starts in late August, per Krawczynski (Twitter link). The three-time Defensive Player of the Year added that he wants to “come back like I want to have the best year of my career next season. I know that this summer I’m going to put myself in position that I’ve never put myself in before.”
It certainly sounds like Finch’s job will be safe entering next season, as Connelly called the coach and his staff “elite,” tweets Krawczynski. As for the rumors linking Connelly to the Wizards‘ front office opening, he says he’s “pretty committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves right now” and is focused on advancing in the playoffs and building for the future (Twitter video link via SneakerReporter, who covers the Wolves).

Thompson, Greenberg Running Wizards After Sheppard's Firing

April 26th, 2023 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

As the Wizards search for a replacement for dismissed general manager Tommy Sheppard, the NBA issued a memo stating that VP of player programs John Thompson III and assistant GM Brett Greenberg are currently running the basketball operations department, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Wizards Need To Re Realistic In Search For Tommy Sheppard's Replacement

April 22nd, 2023 at 6:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards may dream about landing a big name like Raptors president Masai Ujiri or Warriors general manager Bob Myers to replace fired GM Tommy Sheppard, but they’re better off pursuing someone who has succeeded in building a team in a mid-level market, contends Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. She names Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon, Knicks GM Scott Perry, Bucks assistant GM Milt Newton and Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly as potential targets.

Raptors’ Ujiri Talks Season, Decision To Fire Nurse, More

April 21st, 2023 at 9:52pm CST by Rory Maher

Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri spoke to the media on Friday following the dismissal of head coach Nick Nurse.

While Ujiri didn’t give a concrete reason as to why he felt it was time to go in a different direction, he said that “complacency” and “selfishness” were season-long problems for the team, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Ujiri also said he didn’t enjoy watching the Raptors play in 2022/23.

“You could see it throughout the year. There was never that full excitement. There was never that full spirit,” said Ujiri. “There was never that (feeling) of togetherness. We all saw it. You all saw it. It’s not something we are making up here… It’s not one person or one finger to point. I’m not pointing the finger at Nick. I have to take responsibility for this, too. As the leader of this organization, I will do that. It wasn’t us. This year wasn’t us. I think everybody saw that.”

Another factor in the decision was Nurse’s reluctance to play young bench players, Grange notes. Ujiri still believes there’s talent among the group, but they weren’t given much of an opportunity to learn on the go.

“…All the young players we have, I think one of the things we talked about was maybe utilizing some of these players a little bit more,” said Ujiri. “Like giving them room to actually show if they have or if they don’t have (it). I think we didn’t do so well with that this year. I think that hurt us some in developing our young players.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

There were other internal issues as well. A rival assistant coach tells Grange that Toronto’s coaching staff was known as being “less than cohesive.” Grange suggests “sweeping changes” to Nurse’s staff were likely even if he had kept his job. That aligns with reporting from Doug Smith of The Toronto Star (Twitter link), who hears from league sources that the Raptors have been interviewing potential assistant coaches this week in anticipation of a “mass exodus.”
Nurse was also reluctant to be the “bad guy” at times. A player tells Grange that Ujiri was often the one responsible for speaking to the team after listless performances this season, not Nurse.
Still, Nurse likely won’t have any issues finding a new head coaching job, and the poor results in 2022/23 don’t fall solely on him. “If he wants a job, he’ll get a job,” a rival general manager told Grange.
Ujiri believes more changes are necessary to get the team heading in the right direction, and that starts with himself, per John Chidley-Hill of The Canadian Press (link via The Toronto Star). “Look at the roster maybe in a different way. We have to figure out shooting on this roster in some kind of way. We have to figure out who fits and who doesn’t fit,” said Ujiri. “On the overall, maybe manage people better. Maybe see things a little bit deeper because when we hire people I let them do their jobs. That’s been a strength of ours the last 10 years here but I pay attention now a little bit more.”
Ujiri praised trade deadline acquisition Jakob Poeltl, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. Ujiri referred to Poeltl as a top-10 center in the NBA and believes his high basketball IQ and playing style make him a “championship piece,” per Murphy.
The longtime president expects forward Otto Porter Jr. to return next season — he holds a $6.3MM player option for 2023/24, according to Grange (Twitter link). Ujiri also said the Raptors plan to hang on to two-way guard Jeff Dowtin despite not converting his contract to a standard deal at the end of ’22/23.
As for being linked to the Wizards‘ new front office vacancy following the dismissal of Tommy Sheppard, Ujiri says he’s not going anywhere. “I’m going to be right here, [Toronto],” he said (Twitter link via Grange). As Grange notes, Ujiri still has three years remaining on his contract.

Southeast Notes: Heat, Wizards, Leonsis, Hawks

April 20th, 2023 at 11:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Ahead of a 138-122 Game 2 loss against the Bucks, necessity dictated that the Heat use a rare starting five, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Starting shooting guard Tyler Herro has been ruled out for the next four-to-six weeks after breaking the ring and middle fingers of his right hand, so head coach Erik Spoelstra had to make a change.

Miami started its 27th different five-man lineup of 2022/23, with Gabe Vincent running the point, Duncan Robinson in for Herro at shooting guard, Max Strus at small forward, Jimmy Butler at the four, and Bam Adebayo manning the middle. Though Robinson was inserted into the starting lineup due to his three-point shooting acumen, he only scored in fourth quarter garbage time with the contest already out of hand.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

After the Wizards fired team general manager Tommy Sheppard yesterday, David Aldridge of The Athletic believes Washington’s path back to contention must start with the club admitting it needs to embrace a full rebuild. Aldridge believes that team owner Ted Leonsis needs to look to add a starry front office name, with Raptors vice chairman Masai Ujiri and Warriors president Bob Myers at the top of his list.
Letting Sheppard go was a surprisingly proactive move from Leonsis, who had just inked Sheppard to an extension at the start of the Wizards‘ 2021/22 season, writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Buckner is less optimistic that poaching Ujiri or Myers from their respective gigs would work, but is excited that Leonsis is receptive to such a key change at a position that has stewarded the Wizards to zero play-in appearances in the last two years. In a terse press statement, Leonsis indicated that he would look outside the organization for a new top executive.
Though the Hawks have lost to the Celtics by 13 points per game in a series they trail 2-0 and may be headed for a sweep, Jeff Schultz of The Athletic writes that the experience is still preferable to tanking. Beyond the marginal difference in selecting a draft pick right outside of the lottery and choosing one around its fringes, new head coach Quin Snyder believes the playoff series will have value as a teachable moment for a generally young Atlanta club. “Similar to the regular season, close games, the more you’re in those situations, you learn from them, and in the playoffs you’re learning to adjust to situations by how a team plays you,” Snyder said. “There’s the physicality of the playoffs, so many things you take from it. The experience is an indirect benefit of the playoffs.”

Wizards May Inquire About Masai Ujiri, Tim Connelly

April 19th, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said the team will replace general manager and president Tommy Sheppard with “an executive from outside the organization,” per Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Robbins expects the team to check on the availability of Raptors vice chairman and president Masai Ujiri and Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly. Robbins points out that Connelly is originally from Baltimore and broke into the NBA as an intern with the Wizards in 1996.
Tyler Byrum and Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington have released a new mock draft that has the Wizards landing Arkansas guard Anthony Black if they keep the No. 8 pick after the lottery. Byrum and Hughes note that Washington needs a long-term answer at point guard and Black would provide an upgrade on defense.

Wizards Fire GM Tommy Sheppard

April 19th, 2023 at 5:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tommy Sheppard has been dismissed as general manager and president of the Wizards, the team announced in a press release. The move comes after another disappointing season for Washington, which compiled a 35-47 record and failed to qualify for the play-in tournament.

Sheppard, 53, had been with the organization since 2003, starting as vice president of basketball operations. He had served as GM since 2019 when he was promoted to replace Ernie Grunfeld. He received an extension and a promotion to president of basketball operations after the club got off to a strong start in 2021/22.

The Wizards never won more than 35 games in a season under Sheppard’s tenure and they reached the playoffs just once, advancing through the play-in tournament in 2021 before losing to the Sixers in the first round.

“Failure to make the playoffs the last two seasons was very disappointing to our organization and our fans,” owner Ted Leonsis said in a statement explaining the move (Twitter link from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski).

Sheppard’s departure means someone else will handle key financial decisions in what should be an important summer for Washington. Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis are both expected to turn down their player options for next season and test free agency, although Porzingis is involved in extension talks with the team.

The new GM will also try to improve on Sheppard’s performance in the draft, as Washington holds the No. 8 spot heading into next month’s lottery.

Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon and Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly are names to watch as the Wizards launch their search for Sheppard’s replacement, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

The front office shakeup won’t affect Wes Unseld Jr., who just completed his second season as head coach, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who hears from sources that Leonsis remains a strong supporter of Unseld.

Beal Faces Lawsuit; Big Offseason Ahead For Avdija

April 19th, 2023 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

One of the fans involved in a postgame altercation with Bradley Beal in Orlando last month has filed a lawsuit against the Wizards guard, alleging battery and assault and seeking damages exceeding $50,000, reports David Purdum of ESPN.com. We provided more details on that incident in a pair of previous stories.
Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington explores what lies ahead this offseason for Wizards forward Deni Avdija, who will be extension-eligible and who plans to work out with teammate Kristaps Porzingis. “I think it needs to be more consistent,” Avdija said of his priorities going forward. “I showed how I can help the team in a variety of ways, but also on bad nights I need to find a way to get back into the game.”