Who Should Be the Next GM??

[payitforward]

Assuming Ted can attract quality candidates, who do you think should be the next Wizards GM?

But, maybe we can leave out Masai Ujiri. Please. He's not coming here -- just NOT.
&, I'm sorry to say, I doubt that Bob Myers is either.

Here's who I've heard are some candidates for a GM, or President of Basketball Operations, position:

Tayshaun Prince
Trajan Langdon
Landry Fields
Adam Simon (ass't gm miami heat)

Anyone on your radar?

[Jay81]

Id like to give Ernie Grunfeld another chance

[badinage]

Har har.

I have a sense Langdon could be good. I like the idea of someone who is young and ambitious, and who had his hand in the drafting of recent talent. Herb Jones. Trey Murphy. Dyson Daniels. Marshall. All good finds. I know he’s got a lot of respect in the league.

Myers would be incredible. But I doubt it happens.

I think a lot of people could be good.

The main thing — by a mile — is drafting. Everything else is secondary. Trades become easier when you draft well.

I also want someone who is a flexible, open thinker, who doesn’t get locked into a certain kind of player or system. But I do want someone who has a clearly articulated philosophy — and I hope that philosophy is worth articulating clearly.

[payitforward]

Does anyone know who is the assistant gm for Memphis? Working for Zach Kleiman...?

Landry Fields would be my first choice. That interview I linked to yesterday was extremely impressive. But, I don't think he's on the market: I think he now runs the Atlanta franchise.

[Dat2U]

I'm the only correct answer but I'd bring along my Wizards RealGM staff

First order of business: Set the plan

Tell Ted unless a unicorn like Wemby is walking through that door a rebuild is absolutely necessary.

Second order of business: Explain the sometimes painful process to Ted.

Explain a rebuild by changing the focus to prioritzing the process and development over results and clarify its not tanking.

Let him know there's a wrong way & a right way. A proper rebuild is not a roster of 15-17 young guys. You still need two or three SOLID vets to set examples and be a hub your team can play through on offense to complement the development of young guys, establish professionalism & maintain confidence. These guys need to be productive, the Anthony Gill's of the world are nice but can't make an impact on the court and thusly their influence on the court is a bit muted. Nothing wrong with having one or two of those as well but those can't be your only vets. That's where Houston went wrong this year and where the Wizards went wrong in past rebuilds.

Third order business: Clean house in the scouting department.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/06/23/wizards-nba-draft-johnny-davis/

Tommy Sheppard, the Washington Wizards’ president and general manager, had just three adjectives earlier this week to describe the type of player his team was looking for in the NBA draft: aggressive, assertive and relentless. Sheppard was clear that player’s position mattered less than general talent and overall mind-set.

This is where my realgm staff comes in. What we look for first is basketball skill. Secondly, ability to process the game, see the floor and not have the game be too fast for you. Thirdly, do you have the requisite athleticism to play your projected position & do you have the versatility to slide and play/defend multiple positions? The best wings & bigs are usually versatile and can do so.

Work ethic shows in a player's skill level. It takes an incredible work ethic to have an extremely high skill level. More importantly I would focus on who has high basketball character? Who cares about the game enough to put their best effort out there every night. Where winning is all that matters and its not just about putting on a show. Who wants to play every game and you literally have to hold them back vs someone who you consistently have to push harder.

I also wouldn't have a 'no jerks' policy. Its not daycare center. Losing should make things uncomfortable. Now you don't want more than one or two on your team but I think every good team has a guy that guy that plays on edge, walking that fine line. When properly channeled, that energy can fuel everyone else on the roster to raise their energy.

Fourth order of business: The 'medium' 3:

Thank Beal for his contributions, advise him & his agent a rebuild is planned and have him provide a list of a teams he won't play for.

Advise Kuz's agent we'd happily work on a S&T if a team is willing to provide some compensation for doing so.

Attempt to re-sign KP to a 3 yr deal in the $100 to $110 range to be that vet offensive hub.

Fifth order of business: The rest of the roster.

Delon Wright, Monte Morris and Daniel Gafford.

I wouldn't give these guys away but I would try pairing them or adding them to other deals to get additional assets back.

I'd lean to giving Deni Avdija another year but would not be against moving him in the right deal. Same with Corey Kispert. While they may develop into nice role players, developing & extending role players into expensive long term deals is not a sustainable process to build a championship roster, hitting on your core pieces is (i.e. your 1st, 2nd, 3rd options). Resetting assets or trading recent draft picks for future picks is something I'd like to look more into doing in some situations where the ceiling of a young player is pretty clear cut.

Johnny Davis returns, if only because he has no value. He would have to show major improvement this offseason to even guarantee future years of his rookie contract.

Jay Huff & Quenton Jackson are ok candidates (placeholders) for two-ways next year but I wouldn't hestitate to upgrade.

Jordan Goodwin should return but to be honest I don't know if he has the playmaking to be more than a 3rd guard.

Isaiah Todd gets dumped in any Beal deal. Probably Xavier Cooks too. I don't care how cheap the deal is, I think a non-skilled non-center is a waste of a roster spot.

There may not be enough available roster spots for Anthony Gill to return after Beal is dealt.

We wish the best to Taj Gibson & Kendrick Nunn on their future endeavors.

6th order of business: Next years roster

Theoretical deal: Beal for 10th pick, (2) future 1sts, Hardy, Hardaway, Bullock & Kleber.

KP 3 yrs - $110 mil

Draft:
8 - Gradey Dick (if Whitmore is off the board)
10 - Taylor Hendricks
42 - Drew Timme (if Julian Strawther is gone)

Sign: UDFA Jelly Walker to an exhibit 10 deal.

C Porzingis ... Gafford ... Kleber ... Huff (TW)
F Avdija ... Hendricks (10th pick) ... Timme (42nd pick)
F Dick (8th pick) ... Hardaway ... Bullock
G Kispert ... Hardy ... Davis ... Jackson (TW)
G Morris ... Wright ... Goodwin

Prime roster for a top 6 draft pick in 2024. Still alot of good trade candidates as well. No defense anywhere to be found on the perimeter but offense should be fun. Deni gets to play point forward surrounded by shooters. Dick & Hendricks are both high volume & versatile 3pt shooters so I'd want to see alot of sets used to get those guys free along with Kispert & Hardy.

Thoughts?

[FAH1223]

Does anyone know who is the assistant gm for Memphis? Working for Zach Kleiman...?

Landry Fields would be my first choice. That interview I linked to yesterday was extremely impressive. But, I don't think he's on the market: I think he now runs the Atlanta franchise.

Rich Cho is there as Assistant VP of Basketball Strategy.

Tayshaun Prince is VP of Basketball Affairs.

[Jay81]

I'm the only correct answer but I'd bring along my Wizards RealGM staff

First order of business: Set the plan

Tell Ted unless a unicorn like Wemby is walking through that door a rebuild is absolutely necessary.

Second order of business: Explain the sometimes painful process to Ted.

Explain a rebuild by changing the focus to prioritzing the process and development over results and clarify its not tanking.

Let him know there's a wrong way & a right way. A proper rebuild is not a roster of 15-17 young guys. You still need two or three SOLID vets to set examples and be a hub your team can play through on offense to complement the development of young guys, establish professionalism & maintain confidence. These guys need to be productive, the Anthony Gill's of the world are nice but can't make an impact on the court and thusly their influence on the court is a bit muted. Nothing wrong with having one or two of those as well but those can't be your only vets. That's where Houston went wrong this year and where the Wizards went wrong in past rebuilds.

Third order business: Clean house in the scouting department.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/06/23/wizards-nba-draft-johnny-davis/

Tommy Sheppard, the Washington Wizards’ president and general manager, had just three adjectives earlier this week to describe the type of player his team was looking for in the NBA draft: aggressive, assertive and relentless. Sheppard was clear that player’s position mattered less than general talent and overall mind-set.

This is where my realgm staff comes in. What we look for first is basketball skill. Secondly, ability to process the game, see the floor and not have the game be too fast for you. Thirdly, do you have the requisite athleticism to play your projected position & do you have the versatility to slide and play/defend multiple positions? The best wings & bigs are usually versatile and can do so.

Work ethic shows in a player's skill level. It takes an incredible work ethic to have an extremely high skill level. More importantly I would focus on who has high basketball character? Who cares about the game enough to put their best effort out there every night. Where winning is all that matters and its not just about putting on a show. Who wants to play every game and you literally have to hold them back vs someone who you consistently have to push harder.

I also wouldn't have a 'no jerks' policy. Its not daycare center. Losing should make things uncomfortable. Now you don't want more than one or two on your team but I think every good team has a guy that guy that plays on edge, walking that fine line. When properly channeled, that energy can fuel everyone else on the roster to raise their energy.

Fourth order of business: The 'medium' 3:

Thank Beal for his contributions, advise him & his agent a rebuild is planned and have him provide a list of a teams he won't play for.

Advise Kuz's agent we'd happily work on a S&T if a team is willing to provide some compensation for doing so.

Attempt to re-sign KP to a 3 yr deal in the $100 to $110 range to be that vet offensive hub.

Fifth order of business: The rest of the roster.

Delon Wright, Monte Morris and Daniel Gafford.

I wouldn't give these guys away but I would try pairing them or adding them to other deals to get additional assets back.

I'd lean to giving Deni Avdija another year but would not be against moving him in the right deal. Same with Corey Kispert. While they may develop into nice role players, developing & extending role players into expensive long term deals is not a sustainable process to build a championship roster, hitting on your core pieces is (i.e. your 1st, 2nd, 3rd options). Resetting assets or trading recent draft picks for future picks is something I'd like to look more into doing in some situations where the ceiling of a young player is pretty clear cut.

Johnny Davis returns, if only because he has no value. He would have to show major improvement this offseason to even guarantee future years of his rookie contract.

Jay Huff & Quenton Jackson are ok candidates (placeholders) for two-ways next year but I wouldn't hestitate to upgrade.

Jordan Goodwin should return but to be honest I don't know if he has the playmaking to be more than a 3rd guard.

Isaiah Todd gets dumped in any Beal deal. Probably Xavier Cooks too. I don't care how cheap the deal is, I think a non-skilled non-center is a waste of a roster spot.

There may not be enough available roster spots for Anthony Gill to return after Beal is dealt.

We wish the best to Taj Gibson & Kendrick Nunn on their future endeavors.

6th order of business: Next years roster

Theoretical deal: Beal for 10th pick, (2) future 1sts, Hardy, Hardaway, Bullock & Kleber.

KP 3 yrs - $110 mil

Draft:
8 - Gradey Dick (if Whitmore is off the board)
10 - Taylor Hendricks
42 - Drew Timme (if Julian Strawther is gone)

Sign: UDFA Jelly Walker to an exhibit 10 deal.

C Porzingis ... Gafford ... Kleber ... Huff (TW)
F Avdija ... Hendricks (10th pick) ... Timme (42nd pick)
F Dick (8th pick) ... Hardaway ... Bullock
G Kispert ... Hardy ... Davis ... Jackson (TW)
G Morris ... Wright ... Goodwin

Prime roster for a top 6 draft pick in 2024. Still alot of good trade candidates as well. No defense anywhere to be found on the perimeter but offense should be fun. Deni gets to play point forward surrounded by shooters. Dick & Hendricks are both high volume & versatile 3pt shooters so I'd want to see alot of sets used to get those guys free along with Kispert & Hardy.

Thoughts?

I would try to trade Deni. I think some other teams probably think they can turn him into something special and would probably give up perhaps a late lottery pick for him. He had some more wow moments this year than he had shown before but i just dont think its going to happen in DC. But i would need a lottery pick for him...not 2 2nds and kendrick Nunn.

I also would really look at BIlal especially if we are rebuilding. There is no rush on him and it may help us tank for the 2026 draft where 2 All NBA Type players might be available.

I wouldnt draft a point guard in the draft unless you plan on running it back lol. But if thats the case, the GM is as bad as ernie/tommy. We need to draft the player with the best upside as possible and swing for the fences.

Now if we win the lottery and get Wemby....then i think you may have to try to run it back because that team can probably get to 50 wins

[TGW]

I love Dat's proposal. I agree with pretty much every principle laid out.

[badinage]

Trade Deni, and in seven years you will be seeing that trade the way we all saw the Ike Austin-Ben Wallace swap.

[Jay81]

Trade Deni, and in seven years you will be seeing that trade the way we all saw the Ike Austin-Ben Wallace swap.

he may do it but it may not be in Washington...especially if KP is traded away or not resigned.
It will be fascinating to see what the GM thinks about denis potential. But we are heading into year 4 and he is still not a realiable offensive player. he is another effective role player like Kispert,etc

[Frichuela]

Trade Deni, and in seven years you will be seeing that trade the way we all saw the Ike Austin-Ben Wallace swap.

he may do it but it may not be in Washington...especially if KP is traded away or not resigned.
It will be fascinating to see what the GM thinks about denis potential. But we are heading into year 4 and he is still not a realiable offensive player. he is another effective role player like Kispert,etc

Hopefully the new GM sees that Deni needs the ball in his hands. For example, if we keep Kuzma I think Deni won't work with the Wizards, as Kuzma amasses a lot of the ball.

[nate33]

I'm the only correct answer but I'd bring along my Wizards RealGM staff

First order of business: Set the plan

Tell Ted unless a unicorn like Wemby is walking through that door a rebuild is absolutely necessary.

Second order of business: Explain the sometimes painful process to Ted.

Explain a rebuild by changing the focus to prioritzing the process and development over results and clarify its not tanking.

Let him know there's a wrong way & a right way. A proper rebuild is not a roster of 15-17 young guys. You still need two or three SOLID vets to set examples and be a hub your team can play through on offense to complement the development of young guys, establish professionalism & maintain confidence. These guys need to be productive, the Anthony Gill's of the world are nice but can't make an impact on the court and thusly their influence on the court is a bit muted. Nothing wrong with having one or two of those as well but those can't be your only vets. That's where Houston went wrong this year and where the Wizards went wrong in past rebuilds.

Third order business: Clean house in the scouting department.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/06/23/wizards-nba-draft-johnny-davis/

Tommy Sheppard, the Washington Wizards’ president and general manager, had just three adjectives earlier this week to describe the type of player his team was looking for in the NBA draft: aggressive, assertive and relentless. Sheppard was clear that player’s position mattered less than general talent and overall mind-set.

This is where my realgm staff comes in. What we look for first is basketball skill. Secondly, ability to process the game, see the floor and not have the game be too fast for you. Thirdly, do you have the requisite athleticism to play your projected position & do you have the versatility to slide and play/defend multiple positions? The best wings & bigs are usually versatile and can do so.

Work ethic shows in a player's skill level. It takes an incredible work ethic to have an extremely high skill level. More importantly I would focus on who has high basketball character? Who cares about the game enough to put their best effort out there every night. Where winning is all that matters and its not just about putting on a show. Who wants to play every game and you literally have to hold them back vs someone who you consistently have to push harder.

I also wouldn't have a 'no jerks' policy. Its not daycare center. Losing should make things uncomfortable. Now you don't want more than one or two on your team but I think every good team has a guy that guy that plays on edge, walking that fine line. When properly channeled, that energy can fuel everyone else on the roster to raise their energy.

Fourth order of business: The 'medium' 3:

Thank Beal for his contributions, advise him & his agent a rebuild is planned and have him provide a list of a teams he won't play for.

Advise Kuz's agent we'd happily work on a S&T if a team is willing to provide some compensation for doing so.

Attempt to re-sign KP to a 3 yr deal in the $100 to $110 range to be that vet offensive hub.

Fifth order of business: The rest of the roster.

Delon Wright, Monte Morris and Daniel Gafford.

I wouldn't give these guys away but I would try pairing them or adding them to other deals to get additional assets back.

I'd lean to giving Deni Avdija another year but would not be against moving him in the right deal. Same with Corey Kispert. While they may develop into nice role players, developing & extending role players into expensive long term deals is not a sustainable process to build a championship roster, hitting on your core pieces is (i.e. your 1st, 2nd, 3rd options). Resetting assets or trading recent draft picks for future picks is something I'd like to look more into doing in some situations where the ceiling of a young player is pretty clear cut.

Johnny Davis returns, if only because he has no value. He would have to show major improvement this offseason to even guarantee future years of his rookie contract.

Jay Huff & Quenton Jackson are ok candidates (placeholders) for two-ways next year but I wouldn't hestitate to upgrade.

Jordan Goodwin should return but to be honest I don't know if he has the playmaking to be more than a 3rd guard.

Isaiah Todd gets dumped in any Beal deal. Probably Xavier Cooks too. I don't care how cheap the deal is, I think a non-skilled non-center is a waste of a roster spot.

There may not be enough available roster spots for Anthony Gill to return after Beal is dealt.

We wish the best to Taj Gibson & Kendrick Nunn on their future endeavors.

6th order of business: Next years roster

Theoretical deal: Beal for 10th pick, (2) future 1sts, Hardy, Hardaway, Bullock & Kleber.

KP 3 yrs - $110 mil

Draft:
8 - Gradey Dick (if Whitmore is off the board)
10 - Taylor Hendricks
42 - Drew Timme (if Julian Strawther is gone)

Sign: UDFA Jelly Walker to an exhibit 10 deal.

C Porzingis ... Gafford ... Kleber ... Huff (TW)
F Avdija ... Hendricks (10th pick) ... Timme (42nd pick)
F Dick (8th pick) ... Hardaway ... Bullock
G Kispert ... Hardy ... Davis ... Jackson (TW)
G Morris ... Wright ... Goodwin

Prime roster for a top 6 draft pick in 2024. Still alot of good trade candidates as well. No defense anywhere to be found on the perimeter but offense should be fun. Deni gets to play point forward surrounded by shooters. Dick & Hendricks are both high volume & versatile 3pt shooters so I'd want to see alot of sets used to get those guys free along with Kispert & Hardy.

Thoughts?

I agree with almost all of this except I have no opinion yet on the draft.

The one area I differ slightly is on Kispert. I'd be pretty disinclined to trade him because I think he has a bit more upside than a mere role player. His last 10 games when he upped his usage and put the ball on the floor were pretty impressive. I think he has a bit more Wally Szczerbiak/Bojan Bogdanovic potential rather than merely being a catch-and-shoot guy who defends poorly. I also think his defense can improve a bit more. He really has quick feet and good strength. His main issue is the short wingspan.

[NatP4]

Taking the 8th, 10th, and 42nd pick and turning it into Dick, Hendricks, and Timme is……something.

That roster looks even more mediocre somehow.

[closg00]

Re: The Scouting Department, I don't know who has come and gone, but over the years Wiz scouts HAS identified correctly talent that we "should" have selected, Curry, Leonard, and many others.

[Dat2U]

Taking the 8th, 10th, and 42nd pick and turning it into Dick, Hendricks, and Timme is……something.

That roster looks even more mediocre somehow.

Its a rebuild genius. I said as much. As for the draft prospects, your entitled to your opinion and in the past I've agreed with you on guys like Wagner, Giddey, etc. This year we do not see eye to eye at all. I do like Podz & Bilal but not to extent you do. I completely disagree on your fascination with these other low usage, role playing types in the late 1st & 2nd and find the notion that hardly any of the lottery prospects are appealing ... feels pretty lazy to say they ALL will suck. Likely a few will but its unlikely that all will disappoint.

[daSwami]

A few Future Unprotected Firsts would look great in Wizards jerseys imo.

[NatP4]

Taking the 8th, 10th, and 42nd pick and turning it into Dick, Hendricks, and Timme is……something.

That roster looks even more mediocre somehow.

Its a rebuild genius. I said as much. As for the draft prospects, your entitled to your opinion and in the past I've agreed with you on guys like Wagner, Giddey, etc. This year we do not see eye to eye at all. I do like Podz & Bilal but not to extent you do. I completely disagree on your fascination with these other low usage, role playing types in the late 1st & 2nd and find the notion that hardly any of the lottery prospects are appealing ... feels pretty lazy to say they ALL will suck. Likely a few will but its unlikely that all will disappoint.

They won’t all “suck”. Guys like Wallace, Sensabaugh, Black, Dick, Walker, maybe even Hendricks will all be solid rotation players.

The wizards need foundational pieces though. Cissoko/Podziemski/Coulibaly have that kind of upside IMO. None of those guys are low usage role players or even close to it. The fascination with the high usage “star” upside types can lead to misses like Sharife Cooper.

Look back at every draft in the 7-15 range, it’s a lot of meh and 1 maybe 2 hits each year. Guys like Haliburton&SGA&Wagner. It’s your “he was bad in college but he was a bigtime recruit out of high school so let’s roll the dice on the upside” range. You get the Cole Anthony, Cam Reddish, Kevin Knox, Moses Moody types.

Agree with the overall plan, just not the picks in particular, and that’s the most important part of any rebuild, but that’s a discussion for the draft thread I guess.

[penbeast0]

Sam Hinkie. Commit to the Process. Get lucky and get a Joel Embiid and some other young prospects around him. THEN try to get the solid roleplayers on reasonable deals.

[pancakes3]

the problem w memphis's talent-laden roster is that those dudes have built a corny af player culture - and that's with super cool dude steven adams as the vet. memphis's FO might be able to identify talent but they're drafting a bunch of dorks over there.

[badinage]

the problem w memphis's talent-laden roster is that those dudes have built a corny af player culture - and that's with super cool dude steven adams as the vet. memphis's FO might be able to identify talent but they're drafting a bunch of dorks over there.

What do you mean? And are you saying dorkitude = never gonna really compete?