More than two-thirds of the NBA season remains, but with the firing of coach Flip Saunders last week, it won’t be long before Wizards majority owner Ted Leonsis starts looking for his long-term replacement. With president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld also in the final year of his contract, front office changes could be sweeping. The Wizards’ next general manager will be tasked with attracting talent, and the coach will need to instill discipline and get the players to buy in. Here are some possible candidates for both jobs: General manager
Troy Weaver » The Wizards have professed their desire to replicate what the Oklahoma City Thunder have done, and what better way than to snatch their vice president/assistant general manager? Weaver is also a native of the District, where he got his start as an AAU coach.
Chris Mullin » Mullin has been with ESPN the last two years after getting let go by Golden State, where he rose from special assistant following a 16-year playing career. Both he and Weaver reportedly have been considered as possible hires by Portland.
Jeff Bower » Bower helped usher the New Orleans Hornets through the difficult Katrina years and was considered for NBA executive of the year after they won 56 games in 2008 en route to their first division title. Since being let go in 2009, Bower was a leading candidate to take over in New Jersey in 2010 before withdrawing his name, and he was also considered in Phoenix and Portland.
Coach
Brian Shaw » Considered the coach-in-waiting after six years as a Lakers assistant coach under Phil Jackson, Shaw was passed over in favor of Mike Brown and instead became the top assistant in Indiana under Frank Vogel. At 45, Shaw could grow along with a young team.
Melvin Hunt » The 42-year-old is in his second season on George Karl’s staff in Denver, where the Nuggets have been built around solid contributors instead of superstars. Hunt also spent five years each with Houston and Cleveland.
David Joerger » It might be difficult to pry Joerger away from Memphis, where he became the lead assistant this season for the Grizzlies. Joerger was a championship coach in the NBA Development League before joining Memphis in 2007.
– Craig Stouffer
