WASHINGTON — The Washington Wizards will hire Oklahoma City Thunder executive Will Dawkins as the franchise’s No. 2 basketball operations executive, reporting to Michael Winger, a league source told The Athletic on Monday.
Dawkins, 37, recently completed his third year as one of the Thunder’s two vice presidents of basketball operations and his 15th year overall with the organization. Dawkins’ title with the Wizards will be general manager, said the league source, who was granted anonymity because Dawkins’ forthcoming hire has not been announced yet.
In Washington, Dawkins will reunite with Winger, who on May 25 was named the president of Monumental Basketball, overseeing the Wizards, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics and the G League’s Capital City Go-Go.
Winger and Dawkins worked together in Oklahoma City from 2010 until 2017, when Winger left Oklahoma City to join the Clippers as L.A.’s general manager.
One of Winger’s first priorities in his new role in Washington has been to hire a No. 2 executive, and Winger chose Dawkins.
When Winger left the Thunder, he knew Dawkins was an up-and-coming fast riser who only needed an opportunity to blossom and grow on his own. After Winger’s departure, and after Oklahoma City’s then-vice president/general manager Troy…
