The Washington Wizards are moving head coach Wes Unseld Jr. to a front office role, the team announced Thursday.
They will replace him in the interim with assistant coach Brian Keefe, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“After several thoughtful conversations with Wes, we determined together that a change was needed for the benefit of the team,” team President Michael Winger said in the announcement. “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 towards our long term goals.”
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) January 25, 2024
The Wizards will do “a full offseason search” for a new head coach at season’s end, Wojnarowski reported.
The Washington Wizards are promoting top assistant Brian Keefe to interim head coach for the rest of the season, sources tell ESPN. He will replace Wes Unseld Jr., who will move into a front office role. Wizards will do a full offseason search for a new head coach. pic.twitter.com/do1A6h64mK
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 25, 2024
Unseld helmed a team squarely in rebuild mode after trading franchise cornerstones John Wall in 2020 and Bradley Beal in 2023.
He went 77–130 in his two and a half seasons with the team.
Washington has been one of the worst teams in the NBA this season, falling to 7-36 after a Wednesday night loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The future, however, looks bright. (RELATED: Team USA Excludes Draymond Green From Roster After Multiple Suspensions)
Recently acquired big man Marvin Bagley III is shining since the Wizards snagged him from the Detroit Pistons, averaging career highs in almost every stat category in his four games with the Wizards.
Plus the team has an absurd amount of second round picks from the Bradley Beal trade. In 2023’s draft, they used a pair of second rounders and moved up to select 18-year-old Bilal Coulibaly.
The young Frenchman was teammates with San Antonio Spurs’ big man Victor Wembanyama in France and looks to be a centerpiece for the Wizards to build around.