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Report: Ernie Grunfeld to be Washington Wizards GM in 2016-17

By John Buhler

WASHINGTON, DC January 24: Wizards General Manager Ernie Grunfeld holds a press conference introducing Randy Wittman as the interim head coach on January 24, 2012 in Washington, DC (Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC January 24: Wizards General Manager Ernie Grunfeld holds a press conference introducing Randy Wittman as the interim head coach on January 24, 2012 in Washington, DC (Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images) /
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Washington Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld is expected to stay with the organization for a 14th season, even if other changes are going to be made.

While the Washington Wizards will almost certainly experience some sort of organizational changes after a disastrous 2015-16 NBA campaign, it seems that long-time general manager and former NBA player Ernie Grunfeld will remain the Wizards in the same role for a 14th season.

According to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post, a league source close to the Wizards front office situation believes that Grunfeld is likely to stay with the organization for a 14th year, while current head coach Randy Wittman is probably on the way out after the Wizards fail to reach the 2016 Eastern Conference Playoffs.

In Castillo’s column, he writes that while “Coach Randy Wittman’s future is uncertain…President Ernie Grunfeld is under contract next season…which strongly suggests that he will return for his 14th season as the franchise’s general manager.”

This has more to do with Wizards owner Ted Leonsis’ reluctance to eating dead money with both his coaches and front office members. With Wittman being in the final year of his three-deal with the Wizards, it seems that he will likely take the fall of the Wizards lack of success in 2015-16 after winning two playoff series the previous two postseasons.

Over the years, Grunfeld has made both strong and questionable decisions as the Wizards general manager. Drafting point guard John Wall No. 1 overall was a no-brainer. Washington seems to have a decent core in Wall, shooting guard Bradley Beal, small forward Markieff Morris and power forward Marcin Gortat going forward, but depth has limited what Washington can do once it reaches the NBA Playoffs.

While Wittman remains the team’s head coach for now, it seems that Grunfeld will be on a short leash with Leonsis and whatever new head coach comes to town in 2016-17. Grunfeld has essentially one year to get the Wizards back into the Eastern Conference Playoffs as a top four or five seed to feel good about getting a contract extension beyond 2016-17.

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