The Washington Wizards are offering Denver Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld, Jr. the franchise’s head coaching job, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Contract talks will begin tomorrow and those are expected to result in an agreement that’ll make him the franchise’s next head coach, sources tell ESPN.
Unseld, who has served as a Nuggets assistant since 2015, was an assistant coach for the Wizards from 2005 to 2011. He was considered a top contender to coach the Orlando Magic, though they hired Jamahl Mosley from the Dallas Mavericks earlier this week, and was a runner-up for the Chicago Bulls job last offseason.
He is the son of Wes Unseld Sr., a Hall of Famer and former player with the then Washington Bullets.
After his playing career, Unseld Sr. served as the franchise’s vice president for six years before being named head coach in 1988. he resigned after the 1994 season before becoming the team’s general manager in 1996, a role he held for seven years.
The Wizards decided not to bring back Scott Brooks last month, with general manager Tommy Sheppard saying the team is looking for a “great communicator” in its next coach.
The next Wizards coach will also have to help navigate the future of star Bradley Beal, who is entering the final year of his contract next season.