Having moved through the first phase of their head coaching search, the Wizards are identifying finalists and are zeroing in on a handful of assistant coaches from around the NBA, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Jamahl Mosley (Mavericks), Darvin Ham (Bucks), Charles Lee (Bucks), and Wes Unseld Jr. (Nuggets) are among the candidates who remain in contention for Washington’s coaching job and who will meet with the team again, Wojnarowski reports. Sources tell Wojnarowski that Mosley and Unseld are also serious candidates to fill the Magic‘s coaching vacancy.
While some clubs that have sought a new head coach this offseason have made it a priority to land a candidate with previous head coaching experience, it appears the Wizards are very open to the idea of hiring a first-timer. Virtually all of the candidates linked to Washington throughout the process – including those listed above – lack head coaching experience.
As we’ve noted in previous stories, hiring Unseld would perhaps be the best story for the Wizards, since his father was a D.C. legend who played for the team and held various positions with the organization following his retirement. However, Mosley, Ham, and Lee are all also accomplished assistants who have worked for multiple NBA teams and who have received head coaching interest in the past.
In addition to the Wizards and Magic, the Pelicans also continue to search for a new head coach, as our tracker shows.
Darvin Ham?! Didnt he win some type of dunk contest back in the day? Another “baby Jordan” that didn’t live up the the hype. I guess none of them did but Kobe amd Vince. Either way, glad to see he’s coaching now
“Ham Slamwich” was not drafted and had a career PER of 9. He looks like the kind of guy you hire if you have a Giannis, so to stay on-vibe. Which, WAS does have a Rui.
Boylen pulled off the highway after signaling his intentions and looked again at the map on his phone. He must have missed a turnoff somewhere. How could he still be on the Beltway?
He had to get to Wizards HQ before they make a serious mistake. If there was any team that needed toughness, it was the Wizards. If only he could figure out how to get there, certainly seeing him in the flesh would make them realize that he is the perfect fit. He also wanted to make sure Leonsis had gotten his LinkedIn request.
Brilliant my friend, always lookin’ forward to your new installment of the Boylen coaching search saga… Absolutely brilliant, makes my day! Keep up the good work!!!
If the Wizards are lucky there will be traffic, road construction AND Boylen’s phone will run out of juice. He of the 39-84 record would be a colossal hiring mistake.
But, I think this is a joke, right? I’m outta the loop. Ha ha