Potential candidates for the now-open Orlando Magic general manager job
By Ryan Doyle
Pat Garrity
According to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, former Magic forward Pat Garrity would be a likely candidate for general manager.
Garrity has spent the last three seasons with the Detroit Pistons front office and was promoted to assistant general manager in 2016. Garrity has been working with a familiar face in Stan Van Gundy and has obvious ties with Orlando, having played with the team from 2000-08.
After retiring from the NBA, Garrity got his MBA from Duke and was working for a consulting firm before he joined Van Gundy with the Pistons.
With his promotion to assistant general manager, Garrity has knowledge when it comes to the NBA salary cap. If his strength is in that department, the Magic could see that as a major plus with the ever-changing cap numbers in today’s NBA.
If Orlando is looking to keep head coach Frank Vogel, hiring a candidate that is rising fast like Garrity may be the right move. Without much reputation, the Magic may have the leverage to keep Vogel as compared to a front office executive who has had more success.
The one question about Garrity will be his relationship with the former Orlando brass. He has worked closely with former Magic general manager Otis Smith and Van Gundy and the Magic may not want to travel down that road again.
On the other hand, the Magic might want to try to revive the success they had almost a decade ago.
Garrity has the relationships, the basketball pedigree and cap knowledge to be a serious candidate in this general manager search.