Wizards Owner Ted Leonsis "expressed satisfaction with the work done by the team's current administration" in the search for a new president of basketball operations, but "indicated he will not come to a resolution about the hire before next month," according to Candace Buckner of the WASHINGTON POST. Leonsis also "denied reports" that the Wizards pursued Raptors President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri. Wizards Senior VP/Basketball Operations Tommy Sheppard, who has led the team's basketball operations on an interim basis for the past 11 weeks, will "continue in the role" through tomorrow's NBA Draft and the start of free agency, which arrives June 30. Leonsis addressed the multiple published reports that he was "planning to offer Ujiri a package that included an annual salary" of nearly $10M as well as an "ownership stake in Monumental Sports & Entertainment." Leonsis: "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." Buckner notes as the Wizards "approach the most critical stretch of the offseason, Leonsis appears similarly at ease with his approach to the future of the franchise." Leonsis said, "I intend to create a leadership team when it feels exactly right and is in alignment with our findings and our final developed specifications" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/19).
