Longtime NBA executive Troy Weaver is joining the Washington Wizards' front office as senior adviser, sources told ESPN.
Weaver -- who most recently spent four years as the Detroit Pistons' general manager -- reunites with Monumental Sports/Wizards president Michael Winger and GM Will Dawkins, with whom Weaver worked for more than a decade as part of the Oklahoma City Thunder's basketball leadership.
Agent Andy Miller of Klutch Sports is finalizing a deal with the Wizards that will allow Weaver to onboard with the organization ahead of this week's NBA draft and the league's upcoming free agency, sources said. In the words of one top Wizards executive, Winger and Dawkins appreciate Weaver's knack for being a "truth-teller" and challenging them amid tough organizational decisions.
As the Wizards embark on a full rebuild, Winger, Dawkins and senior VP of player personnel Travis Schlenk also targeted Weaver for his expertise in amateur evaluation and a long history in high-level player development. Working with GM Sam Presti, Weaver held a significant role in the scouting and development of the Thunder's starry era of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson.
Weaver left the Pistons last month after ownership hired Pelicans executive Trajan Langdon as the franchise's new president of basketball operations. The Pistons had the league's losingest four-year run under Weaver, but he executed ownership's desire to gut the roster and reshape it with young talent --- which included first overall pick Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart and Marcus Sasser. Weaver cleared the books on bad contracts, allowing for a league-most $61 million in salary cap space.
"He took the pain of rebuilding head on, and he did the hard work to get us the flexibility we have today," owner Tom Gores said upon Weaver's departure. "He also assembled a great core of young men with tremendous skill and character to give us a path to the future.
Joining the Wizards is a homecoming for Weaver, a Washington native and a graduate of Archbishop Carroll High School. His years as a coach, with famed AAU program DC Assault, launched Weaver's career into college basketball and ultimately the NBA.