Will Dawkins spoke to the media on Thursday, addressing the state of the Washington Wizards ahead of next season.
The general manager discussed several offseason topics with the regular season officially here, but arguably the most noteworthy update from the Wizards' decision-maker was the expectation that head coach Brian Keefe is expected to remain in the DMV.
Obviously, Keefe likely has plenty of supporters among the fanbase, but after Washington was linked to Taylor Jenkins in recent weeks, it felt like the team could be big fish hunting this offseason, especially with their plans to compete next season.
And while Dawkins' initial expectation is that Keefe will remain at the head of the ship for now, it doesn't mean things won't change in the near future depending on how the coaching carousel shakes out in the coming weeks.
Part of Wizards' fanbase hoped for a change of direction at head coach
Keefe has proven to be exactly what the Wizards have needed throughout the early portion of the team's rebuild, showcasing that he's a great developmental coach who connects well with young players.
The second-year head coach has formed a reputation for getting the best out of his players, including the likes of Jordan Poole during his tenure in the DMV.
Still, Washington is entering the stage where competing in the Eastern Conference is the goal, and up to this point, Keefe hasn't exactly proven to be the X 's-and O's type of coach who could help get the team over the hump; granted, he hasn't exactly been asked to with Washington tanking.
Looking across the league, though, head coaches of fellow tanking teams like Will Hardy of the Utah Jazz seem to be in a separate tier than Keefe.
With reporters expecting this offseason to have plenty of movement in the head coach market, many fans hoped that Washington would be among the teams to make a push for a new head coach to pair alongside the duo of Trae Young and Anthony Davis.
Wizards have several candidates that could force them to reconsider
Jenkins has already been a name tied to the Wizards if they opted to move on from Keefe, and though Dawkins said he expected Keefe to remain, things in the league move quickly.
If another top candidate becomes an option, it wouldn't be a total shock to see Washington make a change in plans.
So who's out there?
Well, North Carolina already stole the Michael Malone dream from the Wizards, and Doc Rivers is out because all signs point to retirement (though nobody wanted him in D.C.)
However, several top candidates remain outside of Jenkins, with the likes of Boston's Sam Cassell, San Antonio's Sean Sweeney, or perhaps a proven head coach like Mike Budenholzer.
And that's not even considering candidates like Tom Thibodeau, Becky Hammon, Terry Stotts, Jeff Van Gundy, and the list goes on.
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