Wizards turning page on Wes Unseld Jr. is latest step in rebuild

The Washington Wizards have officially moved on from Wes Unseld Jr. as head coach. The team announced Thursday that Unseld Jr. will transition into an advisory front-office role. Brian Keefe has been promoted from assistant to interim head coach for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

The Wizards will conduct a comprehensive search for a new head coach in the offseason.

“After several thoughtful conversations with Wes, we determined together that a change was needed for the benefit of the team,” Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger said in a statement.

Unseld Jr. grew up in the Washington Bullets/Wizards franchise. His father, Wes Unseld Sr., played 14 seasons with the franchise before transitioning to a front-office role and ultimately to head coach with the team and eventually the team’s general manager.

Unseld Jr. started his NBA coaching career with the Wizards as an assistant. After 16 years as an assistant through various stops, he returned in 2021 as the head coach, replacing Scott Brooks.

Wes Unseld Jr. coached 207 games with the Wizards through three seasons, winning 77 for a .372 win percentage.

The Wizards embarked on a franchise reset, firing general manager Tommy Sheppard, who hired Unseld, before bringing in Winger, the team president, and Will Dawkins as GM.

Washington traded three-time All-Star Bradley Beal and star big man Kristaps Porzingis to spearhead a rebuild under the regime. Dawkins and Winger built this season’s roster around Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole. However, the Wizards have had little success going 7-36 under Unseld.

What’s next for the Wizards after moving on from Wes Unseld Jr.?

Unseld felt coaching the Wizards was a dream come true, following in his father’s footsteps. Yet, the franchise has still not recovered from John Wall’s Achilles injury in 2019.

Sheppard tried retooling to no avail. Like Brooks, Unseld couldn’t steer the team during the Bradley Beal era. The arrival of Winger and Dawkins signaled a new direction, and while expectations were low, the Wizards didn’t have enough progression to justify Unseld coaching.

Recent reports suggested every player on the roster is tradeable except 2023 first-round pick Bilal Coulibaly. Winger and Dawkins will look to bring in their choice for a head coach this summer.

Until then expect the Wizards to have a firesale, sending tradeable pieces such as Kuzma, Poole, Tyus Jones, and Daniel Gafford for assets to aid the team’s long-term vision. In turn, the Wizards will position for a top lottery pick in hopes of landing a cornerstone piece to build the franchise around.