Denver Nuggets: How to replace Wes Unseld Jr.

Wes Unseld Jr has officially been named the head coach of the Washington Wizards. He’s breaking into his very first head coaching role after spending a few years as an assistant coach and more recently, the associate head coach for the Denver Nuggets.

While it’s never great to lose an experienced member of the organization, it’s well deserved and, looks great to see the Nuggets excellence spread around the league.

Head coach Michael Malone said in his end of season press conference that Unseld Jr. doesn’t get enough credit for the team’s recent success:

"“It will be a huge loss for me, but I wouldn’t be more happier for Wes. Wes has a tireless work ethic, he’s in the office at 6am and he’s the last one to leave. I’m not saying that to make him sound good. If you ask anyone around the building, they will agree with that.“He’s very educated, great communicator, knows his stuff, and has a unique way of relating to players.”"

Washington GM Tommy Sheppard, in a statement, said that Wes is one of the most highly-regarded assistants in the league.

"“Wes clearly separated himself from the large and diverse group of candidates we considered.”“His strong record as an in-game tactician along with his attention to detail on both sides of the ball, combined with his reputation for player development and outstanding character during his 20-plus years of coaching left no doubt that he was the best choice to guide our team to the next level.”"

But with Unseld Jr.’s departure, an opportunity opens up with the Denver Nuggets as the team has to find a new top assistant for Malone as the team looks to compete for a title in the upcoming seasons.

Denver Nuggets: Replacing Wes Unseld Jr. with a veteran coach

The NBA coaching carousel has rotated again, as with every offseason, and there are plenty of new coaches in new places, this time before the NBA Finals are even finished.

Some of the more high profile names out there for Denver include Terry Stotts, Steve Clifford, Jacque Vaughn, Mike D’Antoni, and Scott Brooks among others.

It’s safe to say that this season’s crop of free agent coaches is among the best and Denver should be at the top of their list if they choose to take a back seat on the sidelines.

The only issue with signing one of these highly-regarded coaching options is that with experience comes a price tag. Coaching hires don’t count against the team’s salary cap, nor do they have their own salary limit, meaning it’s simply what the ownership group is willing to pay.

Denver Nuggets: Replacing Wes Unseld Jr. with an internal option

The assistant coach with the most experience behind Michael Malone is currently Ryan Bowen. Bowen has been with the team for six years now, similar to Wes Unseld Jr. who was an assistant for five seasons before being promoted to associate head coach.

Some may remember Bowen from his on-court action as he played for the Nuggets between 1999 and 2004. If there are no external options out there, keep an eye out for Bowen to be elevated to the lead assistant role.

Another candidate is Jordi Fernandez, an assistant coach who has been on the sideline since 2016 after a stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers and as the head coach of the G-League’s Canton Charge before then.

If the front office’s rationale for keeping playing talent in-house is similar to their coach philosophy, both of these assistants will surely be considered.

Denver Nuggets: Replacing Wes Unseld Jr. with a coaching prospect

Similar to what the initial hiring of Unseld Jr. was, Malone and the front office might see this as a new opportunity to sign the next coaching prospect. This approach goes hand-in-hand with promoting internally.

Maybe Bowen is promoted to the lead assistant job and then a season from now, he’s the one interviewing for open positions across the league.

What makes this approach easier is now with the Grand Rapids Gold, a Denver Nuggets affiliate G-League team, there’s a pipeline of coaching talent to move in and out of the major club.