The Washington Wizards and head coach Scott Brooks couldn’t come to an agreement on a new deal and are agreeing to part ways, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
Brooks’ deal expired after the playoffs this season.
Brooks, 55, led the Wizards to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, but eventually lost in the first-round in five games (4-1) to the No. 1 seed Philadelphia 76ers.
After starting 17-32, the Wizards ended the season on a 17-6 run to reach the play-in tournament and then ultimately, the playoffs.
In his five seasons with the Wizards, Brooks went 183-207 with three playoff appearances, including reaching the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2016-17.
Possible replacements for Brooks have not yet been identified, but stars Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook figure to have a say in who gets hired next.
“We have been committed to taking the proper steps over the last two seasons to develop our young players, bring in pieces to complement Bradley Beal and build a winning environment that will ultimately lead to sustained on-court success,” said general manager Tommy Sheppard. “Our organization will always be grateful to Scott for his dedication and work both on the court and in the community over the past five years and I personally admire and respect how he helped keep our team together during the unprecedented events of the last 15 months.”
The Wizards are now the sixth team with a head coaching vacancy in the NBA, after the New Orleans Pelicans just parted ways with Stan Van Gundy after one year.
The other openings include the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and Portland Trail Blazers.
