Report: Thunder executive Will Dawkins joining Wizards front office
An ex-Thunder contingent is forming in the nation's capital.
Thunder vice president of basketball operations Will Dawkins, who's spent the last 15 years in Oklahoma City, has been hired by the Washington Wizards as their new general manager and No. 2 executive behind Michael Winger, another Thunder alum.
The Athletic's Josh Robbins and David Aldridge broke the news.
Dawkins had been with the Thunder since its inception in 2008. For the last three years he's been vice president of basketball operations, sharing the title with Rob Hennigan.
Before that, Dawkins worked three years as the Thunder's vice president of identification and intelligence, overseeing the Thunder's scouting departments.
Dawkins joined the front office as an intern, and he also worked as an assistant video coordinator, a scouting coordinator and director of college player personnel.
In Washington, Dawkins will work under Winger, who was hired last month as the president of Monumental Basketball, which oversees the Wizards, the WNBA's Washington Mystics and the G League Capital City Go-Go.
Winger joined the Wizards after a general manager stint with the Clippers. Before moving to Los Angeles, Winger spent seven years in Oklahoma City, where he worked with Dawkins in the
Thunder front office.
Winger and Dawkins are two of five assistants under Thunder general manager Sam Presti who went onto become general managers Hennigan, who has since rejoined the Thunder, originally left to become general manager of the Magic. Troy Weaver is general manager in Detroit, and former Thunder executive Rich Cho went onto become a general manager in Portland and Charlotte.
There's been a flurry of moves this NBA offseason involving former Thunder personnel.
Former Thunder assistant Monty Williams took the Detroit head coaching job after being fired by Phoenix.
Adrian Griffin, another former Thunder assistant, was named head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Former Thunder guard Kevin Ollie was hired as a Nets assistant.
Darko Rajakovic, who coached the G League Tulsa 66ers before becoming a longtime Thunder assistant, is reportedly a finalist for the Raptors' head coaching job. Rajakovic is currently a Grizzlies assistant.