First it was Michael Winger, then it was the clearing of the assistant coaching staff, now it’s Travis Schlenk. The Washington Wizards have most definitely been aggressive this offseason as they have been reported to be.
This is following the news that Schlenk, the Former President of Basketball Operations for the Atlanta Hawks, has signed with the Wizards to be Vice President of Player Personnel. This likely puts him broadly in charge of coaching staff changes as well as the scouting department.
The Wizards are hiring former Hawks President of Basketball Operations Travis Schlenk as Senior VP of Player Personnel, sources tell ESPN. New Wizards president Michael Winger lands a well-regarded talent evaluator and executive as he continues his search for a general manager.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 1, 2023
This is welcome change for the franchise which has been in need of a real direction for a few years now. A few decades would also be a valid response there as they have not won 50 games in a season in 44 years.
What is left for the Washington Wizards to figure out
This still leaves the position of general manager open. While many hope the Bob Myers will be brought in to lead the franchise, he is likely going to spend a year or two with his family. This still leaves one major name rumored to depart his current team out there.
Masai Ujiri. An executive famous for trading his franchise player back in 2018. This is a man who has a history of making winning decisions and making the tough moves to bring home a championship. On top of that, he is already potentially linked to the position.
This would definitely help the Wizards create a super team in the front office reminiscent of the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors roster. Three well respected executives with a long history in the league and have crafted good teams when presented with mediocrity. Oh yeah, the Wizards are looking good.
Not only is the front office getting restructured and given a vision, but the coaching staff is in the same boat as well. The assistant crew has been cleaned out over the course of the offseason including the recent departure of Ryan Richman.
This is so head coach Wes Unseld Jr can have control of who is on his coaching staff, preferably so they can compliment his strengths and weaknesses as a coach. Up until the end of this season, the entire assistant coaching staff had been hired for Scott Brooks, a very different coach than Unseld Jr.
This suggests that the Wizards are going to wait for his contract to expire before evaluating his talents as a coach. His job is safe for at least two more seasons.
With the recent jump in talent in the front office and the willingness of the new additions to make big deals, it seems as if the Washington Wizards are preparing to make a major change in the direction of the franchise. This will be fun.