Report: Wizards “99 percent” likely to fire Randy Wittman on Thursday

Once the regular season ends, the offseason starts 14 teams that don’t make the playoffs, and with that may come coaching changes. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst in an appearance on The Tony Kornheiser Show, the Wizards are all but set to part ways with Randy Wittman on Thursday. Windhorst’s comments start at the 10-minute mark of this segment, and here’s a transcript:

“The Wizards...look, Randy’s probably 99 percent going to be fired on Thursday morning. There were people who legitimately make the case that the Wizards would have finished with the No. 2 record in the east this year, and they had all of the weapons required to go to the Eastern finals and make a run. Granted, they had so many injuries, I think three-quarters of the way into the season they had the most games missed. But their complete collapse defensively and their inability to execute despite having a lot of weapons at their disposal was just embarrassing.”

It’s hard not to look at this season as a complete waste for the Wizards, coming off two straight second-round appearances. Coming into the year, they were viewed around the league as having a legitimate shot to lure Kevin Durant away from Oklahoma City due to his roots in the area and talented young core of John Wall and Bradley Beal. But after missing the playoffs, it’s hard to see them as a real option for Durant, and it’s hard to see Wittman as their best option to coach going forward.