The Washington Wizards have reportedly narrowed their head coaching search down to “several” assistant coaches around the league, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski tweeted Monday that the Wizards have zoned in on several assistants, including Dallas Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley, Milwaukee Bucks assistant coaches Darvin Ham and Charles Lee and Denver Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr.
According to the report, the team will interview candidates again this week.
Mosley has worked his way through the basketball coaching ranks, beginning with the Nuggets in player development before becoming an assistant coach with the team for three years. He also was an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2010-2014 before becoming an assistant in Dallas in 2014.
The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native became the Dallas Mavericks’ defensive coordinator in 2018.
Ham, a former Wizards forward from 1997-1998, has been with the Bucks since 2018. He previously was on staff with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks as an assistant. Ham also won an NBA title with the Detroit Pistons as a player in 2004.
Lee, a District native, has also been with the Bucks as an assistant since 2018. He coached alongside Ham with the Hawks from 2014-2018 as well.
The Quince Orchard High School graduate played professionally for four teams in Europe from 2006-2010 before entering coaching as an assistant at his alma mater, Bucknell.
Unseld Jr.’s name is very familiar with the Wizards organization, as his father, Wes Unseld, spent his entire Hall of Fame playing career with the Washington Bullets and head coach of the team from 1988-1994.
The younger Unseld has made a name for himself in the coaching ranks, serving as an assistant coach with the Wizards for six years before working with the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and currently the Nuggets.
“I’ve been reaching out to different people with these job openings, trying to really pump him up because he’s not a self-promoter,” Nuggets coach Mike Malone said of Unseld Jr. in June. “And unfortunately, you see all these other people being interviewed, having their name plugged and getting jobs, and it seems like Wes is never one of those guys. And I have a feeling that’s going to change this summer. That would be a huge loss for me, but I couldn’t be more happy for Wes … He’s more than paid his dues.”
The Wizards let head coach Scott Brooks go in June after the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement on a new contract.
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