Report: Wizards trying to beat Rockets to punch, ramping up pursuit of Brooks

The Washington Wizards really, really want Scott Brooks to be their next head coach.

Brooks has been on several teams' radars, but the Wizards and Houston Rockets have emerged as his most arduous suitors. Washington, though, has the inside edge, if for no other reason than their season is over and they don't have a coach.

General manager Ernie Grunfield is meeting with Brooks on Wednesday to try to a close a deal with the 50-year-old bench boss, The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reports, citing sources.

The Rockets, meanwhile, are still alive (if only as a formality) in the NBA playoffs, with interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff at the helm. They can't start interviewing candidates until their season ends.

So the Wizards, in a bit of gamesmanship, are actively intensifying their pursuit of Brooks, reports ESPN's Marc Stein. In other words, they're putting in a bully offer in the hopes he'll agree to sign before the Rockets even have a chance to begin their courtship in earnest.

The Rockets, though, reportedly remain hopeful Brooks will wait for them. Which, given the way their first-round series with the Golden State Warriors is going, shouldn't be much longer.

Brooks remains close with Kevin Durant, who he coached for seven years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and both the Rockets and Wizards are expected to be in the hunt to sign him.