Washington Wizards fire GM Tommy Sheppard after missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, but will appoint head coach Wes Unseld Jr.
- Washington went 35-47 in 2021-22 and set the exact same record in 2022-23
- Sheppard made multiple headline-grabbing trades that didn’t work out
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The Washington Wizards fired general manager Tommy Sheppard on Wednesday after the team missed the postseason for the second consecutive season.
Washington is shaking up the organization, but it’s not a complete overhaul as head coach Wes Unseld Jr. looks set to stay in place for a third season.
Sheppard’s sacking comes less than two years after he was awarded a contract extension in November 2021.
Washington went 35-47 in 2021-22 and posted the same record this season.
“Not making the playoffs the last two seasons has been very disappointing for our organization and our fans. A search for new leadership will begin immediately for an executive from outside the organization,” owner Ted Leonsis said in a statement.
The Wizards fired general manager Tommy Sheppard after he again missed the playoffs
Head Coach Wes Unseld Jr. returns to the team for its third season despite the move
Sheppard and the Wizards re-signed superstar Bradley Beal(C) for a maximum extension last year
“I want to thank Tommy for his dedication to the Wizards organization and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
The Wizards signed star guard Bradley Beal to a maximum-value contract last season, but the team still showed no marked improvement.
Early last week, Sheppard met with reporters to wrap up the season. After answering questions for about half an hour, he was asked if he had officially met Leonsis to confirm that he would be back. He seemed surprised at the question.
‘Myself?’ Sheppard said. “That was never part of a conversation.”
Sheppard said that day that the team hoped to bring back Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma, who both have player options.
While the Wizards were clearly upset about the way this season turned out, there didn’t seem to be any major changes imminent, but now it’s clear there could be a major new direction.
Sheppard spent 20 seasons with the organization.
He served as vice president of basketball operations from 2003-13 and senior vice president of basketball operations from 2013-2019.
He became the interim general manager when Ernie Grunfeld was fired late in the 2018–19 season, after which he had the interim tag removed.
Sheppard’s tenure as GM was eventful. He traded John Wall for Russell Westbrook, eventually doing away with Westbrook in the deal that brought Kuzma to Washington. Porzingis also came to the Wizards in a trade.
Through it all, however, Washington has failed to shed its status as a borderline playoff team at best.
Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma could both leave the team in free agency this summer