The Washington Wizards have tried and failed to find the right people to run their front office since firing longtime president Ernie Grunfeld at the end of the season, following a 16-year tenure with the franchise. Team owner Ted Leonsis has now eyed Portland Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey and Golden State Warriors assistant GM Larry Harris as potential poaches for his organization, according to Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington.
Leonsis recently made a run at Denver Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, something that was only possible due to Connelly's sensitive family situation back in the Washington D.C. area. Connelly flew to Washington to interview for the job, but eventually declined the offer, as Nuggets president Josh Kroenke eventually reeled Connelly back in, hoping to finish what he started when first hired to take the position in 2017.
The Wizards previously interviewed former Atlanta Hawks GM Danny Ferry, Oklahoma City Thunder assistant GM Troy Weaver and their own interim front office head Tommy Sheppard.
While the three are great candidates, it seems Leonsis is aiming at the true and tried, hoping to poach an executive from another front office to help him in his quest to solve a myriad of issues with this Wizards franchise.
Washington has a dilemma in its hands, as supermax player John Wall is bound to cash in big this upcoming season (a whopping $38.15 million in 2019-20 after signing a four-year, $191 million extension) while likely missing the entire season with an injury.
Adding to the problem, shooting guard Bradley Beal will enter the penultimate season of his current five-year deal, which has brought forward the idea of a potential trade to keep the team under the luxury tax and start a rebuild after having the Wall-Beal formula fall short of expectations in recent seasons.
Beal's value is at an all-time high and at 25 years old, he's one of the best values in the league, given his upside.
Leonsis is hopeful either Olshey, the architect of the Western Conference finalist Blazers or Harris, the young Padawan of two-time Executive of the Year Bob Myers, can be potential solutions for his front office dilemma.
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