Scott Brooks addresses contract situation with Wizards originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Head coach Scott Brooks is entering the final year of his five-year contract with the Wizards and on Monday, the first day of individual workouts around the NBA, he addressed the elephant in the room.
Brooks praised the team and spoke positively of the situation he's in despite the looming questions about his future.
"It's no secret how much I love this team, the community, the ownership group. Those things will be taken care of at the right time. I'm excited, I'm fired up about coaching this team," he said.
Brooks also mentioned the two key figures who will ultimately decide his fate in Washington; team chairman Ted Leonsis and general manager Tommy Sheppard. Brooks feels he is right in line with where the organization is heading.
"[They've] given me all the resources I need to build this team the right way and I'm excited about that. I'm proud to be working for the organization, it's a progressive and forward-thinking organization," Brooks said.
"I think what we've done in the community, it's championship-level. I think it's our job to improve the team on the court to parallel what we do off the court."
Brooks was referring to the team's efforts involving social justice issues and voter mobilization. They worked together with the WNBA's Mystics to open Capital One Arena as a polling station in November, and marched together through Washington on Juneteenth.
As Brooks notes, he will have to oversee an improved team on the court to secure his future with the franchise. The Wizards have missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons after qualifying in each of the first two years of his contract.
It's worth noting Brooks has been in this type of contract situation before, having coached out the final year of his deal when he was in Oklahoma City coaching the Thunder. So, he has experience in handling what can often become a distraction, especially if the team doesn't play well.
Brooks joined the Wizards in the summer of 2016 on a five-year contract worth a reported $35 million. As for what's next after this season, Brooks isn't overly concerned about it.
"I'm excited about being here. That's something I'm not really focused on," he said.
