Brian Keefe Named Wizards HC After Replacing Wes Unseld Jr. on Interim Basis

The Washington Wizards announced they hired interim coach Brian Keefe as the full-time replacement for Wes Unseld Jr. on Wednesday.

"We are excited for Brian to become our next head coach. Brian is a proven motivator and connector of people," general manager Will Dawkins said. "As a leader in the organization, he will continue to positively grow and invest into the development of our players. His wealth of experience will help move our team forward as we build for long-term sustained success."

The Wizards fired Unseld in January after less than three seasons. Unseld went 77-130 in Washington, failing to make the playoffs during his tenure.

Keefe replaced Unseld, going 8-31, a record that was far from great but marked an improvement from Unseld's performance with the same roster. Keefe was in his first season as an assistant after previously spending time with the Brooklyn Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks.

In his first full-time job as a head coach, Keefe will have his work cut out with this Washington roster. The Wizards had the NBA's second-worst record last season but were also a dreadfully unserious team. Their games were rife with bad shot selection, questionable body language and an overall ethos that screamed a lack of care.

Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole, who are set to make around $53 million in salary in 2024-25, were often the main culprits of the head-scratching plays. It's likely the Wizards will explore trading one or both players this offseason, but odds are few teams will be willing to take on their salaries.

Washington will have the No. 2 overall pick in next month's NBA draft, but this is not considered a strong class. It's unlikely the Wizards will find a foundational piece that can help turn their fortunes around quickly.

More likely, this job will require years of patience. It's a job for a coach who is given a long leash to experiment and grow with the roster, not one where instant improvement can be expected.

With a stronger class of potential stars coming in the 2025 draft, though, the Wizards could be a little more lottery luck away from some hope.