LAS VEGAS — There’s no such thing as an off-day during the NBA offseason for Tommy Sheppard.



That’s true days after the NBA Draft and with free agency no longer moving at a breakneck pace. Even when the daily Summer League schedule provides the Wizards a respite, the interim president of basketball operations keeps grinding. He sets up shop inside the two gyms on the UNLV campus. Sheppard holds court with numerous friends and colleagues, relationships developed from over 25 years in the NBA.



The primary mission — searching for talent — remains the same. That began well before the April 2 dismissal of longtime president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld. That continues even after Washington’s significant roster makeover this summer.



With an eye on the game action on the Thomas & Mack hardwood, Sheppard took a few minutes Wednesday for a wide-ranging 1-on-1 interview with The Athletic. Portions of that chat are...