Scott Brooks Reportedly Hired as Washington Wizards Head Coach

With the Washington Wizards having fired Randy Wittman as head coach, the team has reportedly found his replacement in former Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks. 

Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported Brooks agreed to a five-year, $35 million contract with the Wizards on Thursday. USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt confirmed the deal.  

On Wednesday, Wojnarowski reported Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld was in California and made Brooks a contract offer.

On April 13, Wojnarowski reported Brooks was among the early favorites to land the Washington job. Wojnarowski reported April 15 there were "tentative plans" for the Wizards and Brooks to meet. 

Brooks, 50, did not coach in the NBA during the 2015-16 season after the Oklahoma City Thunder fired him last offseason.

Brooks' value is obvious. The Wizards are expected to put on a full-court press to bring Kevin Durant back to his hometown this offseason. Brooks coached Durant for parts of seven seasons in Oklahoma City, where the two had a good relationship. ESPN.com's Ian Begley, reporting about the New York Knicks' chance of landing Durant, wrote that hiring Brooks would "influence" a team's chance of landing the former MVP.

As a coach, Brooks' resume is a bit shaky. He posted a 338-207 record with the Thunder, earning a reputation for his strong work in player development. Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka each made huge leaps as players thanks in part to Brooks. However, he's generally viewed as an average (at best) tactical mind who was unable to push a talented OKC core to the next level.

Brooks wasn't the only coach who drew interest from the Wizards. On April 13, Wojnarowski reported Jeff Hornacek was among the contenders to land the job.