The Washington Wizards have fired Team President Ernie Grunfeld as reported initially by Marc Stein of The New York Times. Owner Ted Leonsis released a statement on the decision soon after.
The decision bookends a season marred by poor management on the Wizards' part. Their most notable moves have been signing Dwight Howard, who has dealt with injuries all year and was already a questionable fit in their combustible locker room, and trading youngster Kelly Oubre, who has since blossomed with the Phoenix Suns, for aging veteran Trevor Ariza in a desperate bid to get back into the playoff race.
That obviously did not happen, and the Wizards will miss the postseason for the second time in three years. According to Leonsis, that is what ultimately did Grunfeld in. The Wizards don't seem to have championship ambitions, but rather intend only to make the playoffs every year and field a competitive product. Now that they are no longer doing so, changes at the top were needed.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that the search for a new GM is already underway, and that their priority is figuring out "how to engage on a rebuild with John Wall’s massive long-term contract and serious injury looming over franchise." With four years left on one of the biggest contracts in basketball, the Wizards are stuck with Wall. If they want to truly rebuild, that might mean trading their only other star-level asset.
There were rumors earlier this season that the Wizards were open to dealing Bradley Beal, but nothing came of them and they were quickly denied. A new GM, sensing that having $65 million committed to a backcourt next season that includes only one All-Star, might try to move Beal in an attempt to furnish Washington's roster with young, cheap talent to put around Wall. If the Wizards are going to have any cap flexibility moving forward, it is a move that they will need to consider. They have no other major trade assets, and moving Wall seems like an impossibility.
