Is this a summer of change for the Wizards?

The Wizards eject Tommy Sheppard. Are they bringing in the tanks next? PLUS: Dillon Brooks pokes an old bear.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

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The Last of England; Ford Madox Brown; 1855

The Wizards have dismissed Tommy Sheppard, who has been with the franchise forever and has run the front office since 2019. The world has not been particularly kind to the Wizards or Sheppard since 2019. Wizards franchisee Ted Leonsis has a reputation as someone for whom personnel change is a last resort, and Sheppard’s old boss Ernie Grunfeld hung on in D.C. longer than many analysts and fans expected. As such, there didn’t seem to be a very strong sense that Sheppard’s job was in danger. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski includes an interesting anecdote to that effect in his story on the move:

Early last week, Sheppard met with reporters to wrap up the season. After about a half-hour of fielding questions, he was asked whether he'd officially met with Leonsis to confirm that he'd be back. He seemed surprised by the question.

"Myself?" Sheppard said. "That's never been part of a conversation."

Welp.

Sheppard inherited a really tough situation, taking over while Bradley Beal was ascendant but John Wall was in decline due to injury. Wall’s massive contract limited what the Wizards go do around Beal, forcing higher-risk moves like the Russell Westbrook trade, the Spencer Dinwiddie signing and later the Kristaps Porzingis deal. Of course, no one forced Sheppard to make those specific deals; the initial Westbrook deal, of course, was quite obviously a major risk when it happened, and made more of a risk when he asked for a trade after a single season.

All that said, that Sheppard inherited a really tough situation is partially due to Sheppard’s own work in the front office before taking the lead job. By all accounts, he was a major part of the decision-making all along.