OAKLAND, CA – JANUARY 05: Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder talks to head coach Scott Brooks of the Oklahoma City Thunder during their game against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena on January 5, 2015 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Washington Wizards have filled their head coaching vacancy hiring former Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The contract is reportedly a five-year, $35 million deal.

Brooks was a hot candidate on the coaching market, as multiple teams showed interest in the 50-year-old. The Houston Rockets were optimistic he would wait until their series against the Warriors was over to speak to him, but Washington worked quickly to get a deal done.

Washington gets a quality head coach.

Brooks posted a 338-207 record (.620 winning percentage) in his seven seasons with the Thunder, guiding the team from the lottery to the 2011-12 Finals. OKC was a powerhouse under his guidance, being both an efficient offensive and defensive squad. Brooks was fired in 2014-15 after Oklahoma City missed the playoffs, finishing 9th in the West at 47-35 – largely due to Kevin Durant appearing in only 27 games due to injury. Brooks wasn’t an amazing offensive coach, but he had some great offensive players with Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. A criticism often thrown his way, is he didn’t manage to win a championship with elite talent. That’s true. Still, he represents a huge upgrade over the fired Randy Wittman, who underachieved greatly in five seasons behind the bench.

The enticing aspect of the Wizards job is that they’re not a broken team or in need of a rebuild. They have a star point guard in John Wall, a good (yet oft-injured) shooting guard in Bradley Beal, and a solid, young wing in Otto Porter. There are impactful pieces which suggest Washington should have no problem returning to the playoffs next season with a competent coach behind the helm. Perhaps most importantly, Washington is going to have a ton of cap-space to play with this offseason as multiple big contracts are coming off the books. What could the Wizards do with the money? A Durant/Brooks reunion may be possible.

There’s been speculation for years now that Durant, a Washington native, could come to the Wizards once he hits free agency at the end of the season. While Wojnarowski reports the “hire isn’t expected to have a significant impact on Durant’s ultimate decision-making process,” it doesn’t hurt that his former coach (who he likes) is coaching in his hometown. Durant’s been fiercely loyal to OKC, but he could make a LeBron-like move and join his hometown team. It adds an interesting wrinkle to the offseason.

Adding the 27-year-old would obviously be a game-changer and would give the Wizards a talented, young(ish) core for years to come. The potential move might seem like a pipe-dream, but Durant joining the Wizards isn’t outside the realm of possibility.

It’s a big bonus if the hiring of Brooks even slightly impacts Durant’s decision. Durant or not, Washington did extremely well to hire one of the top coaching candidates on the market.

About Liam McGuire

Social +Staff writer for The Comeback & Awful Announcing. Liammcguirejournalism@gmail.com