The Wizards are in the market for a new head coach after parting ways with Scott Brooks and Tommy Sheppard is tasked with finding his replacement.
There are plenty of options available to fill the void, but with six head coaching vacancies as of today, the top candidates can take their time.
The Wizards roster boasts a unique blend of veterans (Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook) and up-and-coming prospects (Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija) and have been a team in the playoff mix for the better part of the last decade, but have been unable to get over the hump to be considered a “contender”.
The top candidates have options:
Luka Doncic and the Mavericks need a head coach, but also a general manager.
The Trailblazers have a fantastic backcourt with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, but have never been considered “elite”.
The Celtics have a bona-fide star in Jayson Tatum, but play in a loaded division that includes the Brooklyn Nets.
The Magic haven’t been relevant since Dwight Howard was traded, but have a shot at a high lottery pick.
The Pacers have intriguing young talent with Caris Levert, Domantas Sabonis, and Malcolm Brogdon, but have struggled in recent years.
Then you have Washington.
The team has always been on the bubble of the postseason and has had plenty of playoff berths but little success. Bradley Beal is one of the premier guards in the game, but he hasn’t been able to put this team over the top.
With all that being said, the top candidates who could become the next Wizards coach are as follows:
Wes Unseld Jr.: The son of the late Wes Unseld, the most iconic player in team history, has been an assistant in the league for over a decade and has been mentioned in the head coach conversation for some time. Unseld has been the lead assistant for Michael Malone in Denver since 2016.
Sam Cassell: A Baltimore native, Cassell spent time with the Wizards coaching staff from 2009-14, but hasn’t been given a chance to be a head coach. The 3-time NBA champion has many relationships with players around the league as well. Former Wizards star John Wall credited Cassell, calling him a “big part” of his growth in the NBA after being named to his first All-Star team in 2014.
Kara Lawson: Lawson getting the opportunity to coach the Wizards would be groundbreaking, making her the first female head coach in NBA history. Currently the head coach of Duke University’s women’s basketball team, the VA native was the Wizards television analyst for NBC Sports Washington from 2017-2019, also serving as an assistant for the Boston Celtics during the 2019 season.
There are plenty of candidates who would excel in Washington, and time will tell who gets the job.