For the first time in 20 years, the Washington Wizards will bring someone in from the outside to run their basketball operations, as the franchise fired GM Tommy Sheppard earlier this offseason (who had been elevated from his longtime post as assistant GM in 2019).
On Wednesday, word broke from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Wizards had filled that hole at the top of their front office by bringing Clippers general manager Michael Winger in to serve as President of Monumental Basketball, overseeing not only the Wizards but also the Mystics (WNBA) and Capital City Go-Go (G League).
ESPN Sources: Los Angeles Clippers GM Michael Winger has agreed to become the President of Monumental Basketball, which delivers him full leadership of the Washington Wizards. Winger will also oversee the WNBA Mystics and G-League Go-Go. pic.twitter.com/3ldnt8DhtZ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 24, 2023
Winger has been in L.A. since 2017 when he joined the Clippers to serve as GM under team president Lawrence Frank after seven years with the Thunder under Sam Presti. The task for Winger is not an easy one, as he steps into a team that hasn’t finished above .500 since the 2017-18 season and has a number of key decisions to make this summer. Kyle Kuzma is set to enter free agency and could be joined by Kristaps Porzingis, who has a player option for next year, and Winger will have to decide if he wants to make those two part of his long-term core alongside Bradley Beal (who is on a supermax with a no-trade clause) or make some substantial roster changes this offseason.