Tuesday’s firing of longtime Washington Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld brings to an end a 16-year tenure marked by failure on the court, chaos in the locker room and embarrassment and frustration among a shrinking base of fans.
Grunfeld had been with Washington since 2003, compiling a 568-724 record. He oversaw multiple rebuilds, but owner Ted Leonsis decided he wouldn’t let Grunfeld be in charge of another.
The Wizards have a pivotal offseason ahead with major issues to address. The next general manager will be tasked with having to rebuild Washington’s roster with John Wall’s supermax contract on the books and their star point guard recovering from a torn Achilles.