Washington Wizards Nearing Deal for Next General Manager

The Washington Wizards and their owner Ted Leonsis are close to completing a massive front-office overhaul. According to the Athletic's David Aldridge and Josh Robbins, the team is wrapping up a deal to make Oklahoma City Thunder executive Will Dawkins their next general manager.

Will Dawkins' title in Washington will be general manager, per @davidaldridgedc. https://t.co/uEkgcN8hqZ
— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) June 5, 2023

The Wizards recently announced that former Los Angeles Clippers general manager Michael Winger would take over as president of Monumental Sports, which includes overseeing the Wizards, the WNBA's Washington Mystics, and the G-League's Capital City Go-Go. Winger and Dawkins worked together on the Thunder from 2010 to 2017, so clearly a relationship is already in place.

Dawkins has served as one of the Thunder's vice presidents of basketball operations over the past three seasons and has been with the team for over 15 years. During his tenure, the Thunder successfully drafted and developed Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden into some of the NBA's biggest stars.

Due to the stature and scope of Winger's position in the front office, Dawkins may not quite have the unilateral power of a typical general manager and will likely serve as a glorified number two. Still, his arrival indicates the Wizards are serious about stacking their organization where they can and returning the franchise to relevance. The Wizards haven't advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs since 1979; before they can win on the court, they need to win in the front office.