Report: Wizards Won't Hire New President Before NBA Free Agency Begins

Wizards managing partner Ted Leonsis reportedly said he plans to take his time in forming the team's new leadership.

The Washington Wizards will not be hiring a new president of basketball operatings before the start of free agency, The Washington Post's Candace Buckner reported on Tuesday.

According to Buckner, managing partner Ted Leonsis told the Post that he plans to take his time in forming the franchise’s new leadership team. Leonsis is reportedly satisfied with the Wizards' current administration and its work, giving him no immediate reason to hire a president before next month.

"I am very happy with the work and preparation Tommy Sheppard, Coach [Scott] Brooks and our staff have done and I’m confident we’ll execute both the draft and free agency in an expert manner," Leonsis said in a statement, per the Post. "Having that confidence has given me the freedom to continue the conversations I’ve been having on how to build a great organization and, as a result, I don’t expect to make any decisions before the start of free agency."

Leonsis also denied reports that the Wizards were planning to offer Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri a package that included an annual salary of nearly $10 million. Ujiri was responsible for the roster that led the Raptors to their first NBA title win in franchise history last week.

"We have not commented on the many rumors surrounding potential candidates during this process, but I wanted to make an exception in this case out of respect to the Raptors organization as they celebrate their well-deserved championship," Leonsis’s statement said. "Any reports that we have interest in Masai Ujiri as a candidate are simply not true, and we have never planned in any way to ask for permission to speak to him during our process."

Sheppard will remain the Wizards' interim head of basketball operations through Thursday’s NBA draft and the start of free agency, which begins June 30.