Sam Cassell Retires - Assistant Coach Washington Wizards (Image: Zuma Press)

On Thursday, Cassell retired from the NBA and took a job with the Washington Wizards to become an assistant coach. The Wizards also hired Randy Wittman on Thursday as an assistant coach. Both Cassell and Wittman will be on new head coach Flip Saunders staff.

Over the years, Cassell has made no secret of his ambition to eventually be a head coach in the NBA. This opportunity with Washington is a good first step.

During his playing days, Cassell won three NBA championships — two with the Houston Rockets and his third last year with the Boston Celtics. He also played for the Phoenix Suns, New Jersey Nets, Milwuakee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Clippers. In 993 career games, Cassell averaged 15.7 points, 6.0 assists and 3.2 rebounds per contest.

Post from: EveryJoe

Sam Cassell Retires, Joins Wizards Staff

Flip Saunders, Washington Wizards (Image: Newscom)

Saunders will reportedly sign a deal that will pay him an estimated $18 million over the next four years. Expect the hiring to become official shortly after the season comes to an end on Wednesday. Currently, the Wizards are being coached by Ed Tapscott. Tapscott will likely return to his position within Washington’s front office.

The Wizards and Saunders have been linked for many months. With Washington equipped with a veteran roster, the team is obviously in a win-now mode. Saunders has a long track record of helping his teams put victories on the board.

Beginning his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Saunders eventually moved on to coach the Detroit Pistons. Over a span of 13 season, Saunders was able to advance to the conference finals four different times. All told, he has a 587-396 career record.

The Wizards currently have a record of 19-61 — the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

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Flip Saunders is the New Coach for Wizards