The Washington Wizards and Scott Brooks have agreed to part ways after the two sides couldn't come to terms on a new contract, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Brooks just finished up a five-year contract with the Wizards and was looking for a new deal. While the two sides talked about a new contract and there had previously been reporting suggesting he would be back, there was no agreement struck and Brooks is gone.
Russell Westbrook went to bat for Brooks after the Wizards lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs, but now he and Bradley Beal will be playing for a new coach in 2021-22 … assuming both players are still around.
Washington and coach Scott Brooks couldn't come to an agreement on a new deal and are agreeing to part ways, sources tell ESPN. Brooks' deal expired after the playoffs.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 16, 2021
Washington just went through a rather crazy season. After an awful start to the 2020-21 campaign had the Wizards looking dead in the water, they went on a massive run to get into the play-in tournament with a 34-38 record. Beal's scoring exploits and Westbrook's triple-doubles led the way for the explosive offensive team.
Washington lost to the Boston Celtics in the first play-in game and then dominated the Indiana Pacers in the second game to secure the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. The Wizards were no match for the Sixers, though, falling in five games.
Brooks was hired in 2016 after a year off following his seven-year stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Washington went 183-207 under Brooks and made the playoffs three times, including a trip to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in his first season.
In addition to now needing a new coach, the Wizards will try to work out another deal with Beal so he sticks around for the long haul. Beal has stayed loyal to Washington despite the lack of team success in recent years, and he'll surely have some input on the next coach.
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