When Michael Winger was hired by the Washington Wizards, sources told The Athletic that Ted Leonsis autonomy to rebuild the roster if that’s the direction he decides is best for the franchise.
The Wizards have long resisted embarking on a rebuild and have been firmly in the middle of the NBA since John Wall’s injuries in the 18-19 season.
“We spent hours and hours and hours together on the phone, on Zoom, in person,” Winger told The Athletic of Leonsis. “I was really moved by Ted’s vision for the team. And I thought to myself, ‘He is all about the right things and he’s proven he’s all about the right things because he’s done it with the Caps.’ There’s a real potential here to be great. There’s a real potential here to help these players grow. There’s a real potential here to give the fans an enjoyable team.”
Many rival executives expect Winger to engage on a full rebuild either this offseason or within the next year. At this time, Winger says he doesn’t know which direction he’ll go.
Bradley Beal has four years remaining on his five-year, $251 million contract signed last offseason. The deal contains a no-trade clause, which would mean partnering with Beal on a trade if the Wizards decide to take that route. Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma are free agents this offseason.
“The raw, unfiltered truth is, I haven’t yet crafted the immediate vision for the franchise,” Winger said. “There are a lot of talented and high-character players on the team. I want to get to know them a little bit. The construct of a team isn’t just a matter of what is demonstrated on the court. It’s not just a matter of the box score. Team dynamics are personal, and I think that I need to understand those things before hatching an actionable plan. And I know that that’s not necessarily measurable in this moment. But it is the truth.
“Then the question is, well, are you going to trade Brad? Are you going to keep Brad? I don’t know. I would like to meet with Brad. I haven’t yet met with Brad. What are you going to do with K.P.? What are you going to do with Kuz? I don’t know. They have choices. They have the power of choice, as does Brad. So, what I really want to do is I want to get to know these guys. If the visions align for being competitive and doing things the right way with a little bit of patience, absolutely there’s a path forward with them.
“I don’t think we’re going to be an overnight title contender; that I’m pretty confident about. And so, if they would rather pursue immediate winning, then they probably do have to pursue that somewhere else. But I think that there’s a very open dialog, a very open invitation to talk about the future of the team – the near-term future and the long-term future – and see where goals align and see where they don’t align.”
