League sources say the Wizards are going for Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio or bust in May's 2009 NBA Draft Lottery.  They want an immediate contributor and difference-maker and do not believe any of the other players in the pool will be able to make the impact of those two prospects.

Should the Wizards end up with the third pick or worse, they are expected to trade the pick for a veteran.

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced on Wednesday that the team has named Flip Saunders as head coach.  

"We're very proud to bring a proven winner like Flip Saunders on board as our head coach," said Wizards Chairman Abe Pollin. "After going through what was a very difficult season, I know our fans share in my anticipation of what we can accomplish with new leadership, a healthy roster and a renewed commitment to excellence."

Saunders, who becomes the 22nd head coach in franchise history, owns a 587-396 (.597) record over 12-and-a-half seasons with Minnesota and Detroit.  

"We clearly identified Flip as the top candidate for the job and were happy to find that our situation proved to be a good fit for him as well," said Grunfeld. "We were able to move quickly as a result and we're confident that this is a major step towards putting this team back among the Eastern Conference contenders."    

"There were many factors that led to this being the right situation for me, but the most intriguing was the commitment of Mr. Pollin and Ernie to win a championship," said Saunders. "I look forward to enjoying the great support and homecourt advantage from Wizards fans that I?ve always seen from the opposing sidelines and to making each game at Verizon Center an exciting event."

Flip Saunders, the new coach of the Wizards, is confident that he'll be able to work with star guard Gilbert Arenas.

"I think we'll do great together," Saunders told ESPN.com in his first public comments since agreeing to a four-year deal worth $18 million.

Saunders reached a verbal agreement with Washington more than a week ago.

"The thing about Gilbert is, no coach is ever going to have a problem with how much he loves the game," Saunders said. "He puts in an unbelievable amount of time working on his game. He's a competitor and he wants to be great.

"If you look at my teams, I've had a point guard-oriented offense pretty much everywhere I've been. Myself and my point guard, we're usually joined at the hip."

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced on Friday that Ed Tapscott will not return as head coach next season, but that he will remain with the organization.
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?Ed has our sincere gratitude and appreciation for stepping up to lead this team through what turned out to be a very difficult season,? said Grunfeld.? ?He will continue to be a valued member of the organization.?
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The Wizards named Tapscott interim head coach on Nov. 24 after the team began the season with a 1-10 mark and subsequently relieved Eddie Jordan of his duties.? The Wizards finished the season with an 18-53 (.340) record with Tapscott on the sidelines (19-63 overall).?????
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?I appreciate the trust that Mr. Pollin and Ernie showed in me to lead this team during tough times and I?m very proud of my players and staff for how they responded to the challenges that we faced,? said Tapscott.? ?I?m also very thankful to the fans for their support throughout the season. I look forward to continuing to contribute to the very bright future of this franchise.?

Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas, who will reportedly have Flip Saunders as his new coach next season, has refuted the belief that he's hard to deal with.

"I know everyone thinks I'm going to be the big head case," Arenas said. "But I don't fight with anybody. I don't fight with the coaches. I don't fight with the players. I don't really say anything -- only to the media. I'm just a hype man. It's all smoke and mirrors with me."

Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas has warned some of his young teammates that they need to get serious this offseason in preparation for the 2009-10 season.

"We've just been a goofball team for a while. It's fun when you're winning. But when you're not winning, it's depressing a little bit," Arenas said. "To be honest, I'm a goofball. But when I step inside those lines, it's serious. Some of them don't know how to turn that on and off. I told them, it comes with time. You've got to put your work in in the summer because we're coming at you."

Washington was 19-63 this season, while Arenas missed a majority of the season with chronic knee issues.

"He said next year's going to be totally different, no playing around," Andray Blatche said. "Gil surprised me with it."

It appears to be just a matter of time before Flip Saunders officially becomes the newest coach of the Wizards, but there were other famous options.

David Aldridge of NBA.com wrote in a piece Tuesday that the team quietly inquired with Pat Riley and Rudy Tomjanovich, according to a league source.

Both Riley and Tomjanovich turned down an interview, citing no desire to return to the bench.

Despite a Yahoo report that the Wizards have an agreement with Flip Saunders to become their next coach, the team is denying any finality.

"Nothing done or agreed upon. Someone jumping the gun," the team said in a statement to the Washington Post.

The Wizards have zeroed in on Flip Saunders as their leading choice to coach the team next season, and a league source claims that an agreement is imminent.

Multiple sources confirmed that Saunders, a former coach of the Timberwolves and Pistons, has been in talks with with team officials.

"It's a done deal," said one league source.

"He's definitely [Washington's] top choice," an executive said. "He's the top candidate out there, so in this shrinking job market, I imagine that he and his agent will want to sit back and see what offers they get."

According to Ric Bucher from ESPN, the Washington Wizards appear to be favoring former Pistons coach Flip Saunders to take over the head coaching role.

According to Bucher, no deal is in place, but the two sides have had preliminary discussions about the job.

The Wizards fired coach Eddie Jordan during the season, with Jordan's name since being linked with the Sacramento Kings.