Orlando Magic Rumors: Rob Hennigan’s job in jeopardy and some replacements emerge
In the first sign of trouble, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports Rob Hennigan’s job is in jeopardy and the Orlando Magic may make a change this summer.
The Orlando Magic season is just a bit more than three weeks from its completion and a busy offseason that will almost certainly bring with it change. Especially after a disappointing season where it appears the Magic will miss the Playoffs for a franchise-record fifth straight season and fail to match last year’s win total.
It is a major step back for a team that pushed all its chips into making the Playoffs this year after four painful seasons in a rebuild.
It is the kind of season that can only be classified as a failure and necessitates change.
There has been a lot of change in Orlando for the last three years. The team has burned through their original rebuild coach Jacque Vaughn and then went a year with Scott Skiles before he resigned.
Despite all this, Orlando at least improved the team’s win total year over year. The Magic had reason to feel optimistic. This season seemed to halt all progress.
There was some thought the Magic might spare general manager Rob Hennigan and give him a second chance.
But as the season winds to a close and the Magic continue to struggle, the writing is increasingly on the wall. The Magic may not be able to hold off anymore. The team may need to make a change just to save face and recognize the direction that culminated in this season is not working, nor can it be fixed.
At this point, everyone is expecting the Magic to fire Hennigan after the season. The Magic are not quite there yet. Team CEO Alex Martins said the team will evaluate his standing after the season.
But it is also increasingly clear Hennigan is in hot water. In the first sign of some fracturing and the first sign Hennigan may, in fact, be relieved of his duties this summer, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports Hennigan’s job is “under threat.”
That may seem relatively obvious statement to make. Hennigan himself acknowledged the pressure involved in his job and the struggles his team has faced. But this report is the first public reporting of Hennigan’s job being in jeopardy.
And where there is smoke, there is usually fire. The flames are now stoked as the team heads toward the end of the season.
The report this weekend the Magic have an interest in reuniting with Doc Rivers in some fashion somewhere down the line has plenty of people thinking a change with the Magic is imminent. Stein seemed to suggest the timing might be right for it to happen this summer (although there is no evidence a Rivers reunion would happen so suddenly).
Orlando Magic
It does also appear an early short list for the general manager position has emerged should the Magic job open.
Stein suggested the Magic could chase after former player and current Detroit Pistons executive Pat Garrity should the position open up. Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel also suggested the Magic might look at Golden State Warriors assistant general manager Travis Schlenk. Stein also reported Schlenk’s name in connection to a potential Magic opening.
It is also possible, Robbins suggests, the team could also look at current Magic assistant general managers Scott Perry and Matt Lloyd. It seems unlikely the Magic would stay in-house considering the difficulty the team has gone through.
Considering there are only 30 general manager jobs available, the Magic certainly will be able to pick from several qualified candidates.
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Of course, the decision starts with the choice on whether to retain Rob Hennigan. That will not come until after the season ends.