Ranking the Wizards' Potential Head Coaches Next Season

Michael Malone is a proven championship coach, with a ring in 2023 with the Denver Nuggets. He is experienced and knows what it takes to win it all and make a run in the playoffs. Right now, he is not coaching as the Nuggets let him go last season after a disappointing season. If Malone is available, the Wizards need to do everything they can to hire him.

The problem, though, is whether Malone will be willing to take a chance on the Wizards. It is a big ask for him to come in and lead this team on a playoff run. It is also a risk for him: if he comes in with a revamped Wizards team with playoff aspirations and misses the playoffs, it could be a career killer. Still, Malone is the top coach on the market right now and would be a good decision to bring him in.

Tier 2: Brian Keefe

Some fans might be mad about Keefe being in tier two, but he is the second-best option behind Malone at the moment. No other coach out there can come in and show they have more success or experience than Keefe. Plus, Keefe is a great coach in development, and it has clearly worked with Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly as of late, and Riley.

Also, we have yet to see Keefe serve as the head coach of a team with playoff aspirations. He was brought into a tanking team after Wes Unseld was fired, and no clear guideline for what success looks like during a tank. With what will be the best Wizards team since the John Wall and Bradley Beal era, it is worth giving him a chance to lead this squad.

Tier 3: Billy Donovan, Doc Rivers, Tom Thibodeau

All of these options are the bottom of the barrel and last resorts, while still holding out hope. Billy Donovan was a great college coach, winning back-to-back national championships with Florida. In the NBA, though, he has not had that kind of success. He was the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder during their Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook era, but never won it all.

Doc Rivers does have that championship, yet he is clearly losing a step. Rivers is not the coach he was when he led the Boston Celtics to the title in 2008. It is not the right choice with a coach who is not at the top of his game, despite having some of the best players in the league on his team.

Then you have Tom Thibodeau, who was fired by the New York Knicks last season. He is available, as the other two tier-three options are on the hot seat with their respective teams. The problem with Thibodeau is that his style does not match this Wizards team. He rarely goes deep into his bench, but the Wizards could have the deepest and best bench unit in the NBA next year. The team needs a coach who will utilize it, and Thibodeau won't.