CLEVELAND — Sashi Brown likely believes the Browns would be in a better place if owner Jimmy Haslam’s allegiances had been different.

The former vice president of football operations might wish that Haslam had listened to chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta sooner.

Returning to Cleveland in his new role with the NBA’s Washington Wizards, Brown wouldn’t comment on those premises Thursday. But as Brown watches DePodesta lead a search committee that hired Kevin Stefanski as coach and is now bringing in a new general manager, Brown hopes the Haslams are finally committed to continuity.

"I hope they get the time to do it and that there’s true alignment throughout the building and some conviction and what I would say the organizational faith that maybe hasn’t been there across some of the rash of change that’s been spinning around here for the better part of the last decade," Brown said at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse before the Cavaliers lost to the Wizards.

Brown was promoted from his executive vice president/general counsel on Jan. 3, 2016, and fired on Dec. 6, 2017, as the Browns compiled a 1-27 record on his watch. There was an apparent rift and power struggle between Brown and coach Hue Jackson, who was 1-31 over those two seasons and 3-36-1 when let go at midseason in 2018. Brown supervised the teardown that enabled the Browns to stockpile draft picks and salary-cap space that since-ousted general manager John Dorsey used to restock the roster.

Brown understands that long-suffering fans and observers are optimistic about former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Stefanski, the fifth coach hired by owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam since they took over in October 2012.

"You have a good feeling; you get that immediate euphoria," Brown said of the change.

In his first season as chief planning and operations officer for Monumental Basketball, an arm of the franchise restructured by Wizards managing partner Ted Leonsis, Brown doesn’t always travel with the team. He said he remains in touch with DePodesta,

"I talk to a number of folks around the league, including Paul," Brown said of DePodesta, whom Haslam is now relying on in another reboot. "Paul’s extremely talented, he’s really bright. I would trust a lot of things to him, certainly an NFL franchise would be one."

Working for the Browns from 2013-2017 after eight seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Brown said he was reminiscing about Cleveland with his wife, Paige, via text.

"Cleveland was great people, great community. I was texting back and forth with my wife today ... We had two kids here; it will always be a part of what we consider home. Certainly wanted to deliver for the fans, the team they deserve."

A graduate of Harvard Law and Hampton University, Brown started his career in a Washington, D.C.-based firm. He’s excited by the opportunity to "build something special" with Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard and coach Scott Brooks, Mystics coach/general manager Mike Thibault and Leonsis’s ownership group.

Brown said part of his role will be creating synergy with the Wizards, the Mystics, the reigning WNBA champions, and the G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go.

"There’s certainly some sharing and looking across what are best practices," Brown said. "It allows us to do some things in support of our other franchises that may not have the same amount of resources. They weren’t linked in and living as roommates, so to speak, with our NBA franchise. That’s exciting. We certainly are pushing a lot of different things."

While he’s switching leagues, Brown said he’s loved basketball all his life. He said his family is from hoops-crazed Kentucky, living in Lexington and Frankfort.

Brooks, who finished his 10-year NBA career with the Cavs in 1997-98, said he interacts with Brown nearly every day.

"We’re excited to have him, we’re lucky to have him," Brooks said pregame. "I think he’s outstanding. I think he has a good way about him and he brings another level of expertise to our program. Our general manager Tommy, they’re with each other quite a bit. He’s one of our leaders that we’re going to lean on throughout these next couple years, how we’re going to rebuild and get our program where it needs to be."

Brooks said he got to know Brown better during the two days they spent together in New York this week for the memorial for late commissioner David Stern.

"He’s changing things," Brooks said of Brown. "Some things are real subtle, some things are not quite there yet, but it’s in the works. It’s hard during the season. But we have some things on board we’ve talked about and he’s definitely going to integrate with what we already have. I think he’s going to be a big part of our future going forward."

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/browns. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.