With Larry Bird stepping down as President of Basketball Operations of the Indiana Pacers, the Orlando Magic’s search firm is inquiring about his interest.
The Orlando Magic’s general manager search has taken a quiet turn of late as the team awaits team personnel to become available with the end of the season. Not a lot has leaked that is confidently firm other than the team hiring a search firm to help with the search process.
Friday’s report from Adrian Wojnarowski that Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird is stepping down has stirred the pot. Keeping no stone unturned, Wojnarowski reports the Magic’s search firm has inquired about Bird and his interest in joining the Magic.
Larry Bird is stepping down as Pacers president, league sources tell @TheVertical. Kevin Pritchard will take over basketball operations.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 28, 2017
Sources: For now, Bird's plan is consulting, but Orlando's search firm has been asking around about him as possible candidate for president.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 28, 2017
Wojnarowski reports the Magic’s search firm has asked about Bird. But for now, Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin remains the team’s top candidate. The Magic have not asked for permission to speak with Griffin because of the Cavaliers’ playoff run. Griffin’s contract expires at the end of the season and negotiations for a new contract have stalled. Wojnarowski previously reported the Magic’s interest in Griffin.
Of note too, Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard was promoted from general manager to president of basketball operations. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders previously reported the Magic were interested in pursuing Pritchard to be their president of basketball operations, leaving current interim general manager Matt Lloyd in place.
Larry Bird and Magic coach Frank Vogel have a history from their time in Indiana. Notably, though, Bird declined to renew Vogel’s contract after last season, allowing Vogel to enter free agency as a coach.
It does seem chasing Bird is a bit of a pipe dream. But it is a stone to unturn and something to explore, even if it leads nowhere.
There are a few trends that seem to be emerging in these early rumors about the Magic’s general manager search.
Orlando Magic
The first is Orlando is still going after a wish list and winnowing down its candidates. The team is very ambitious hoping it can chase after someone like Bird or even Griffin to come to Orlando. At some point, the team will have to winnow a list down to more realistic targets and bring someone in to help guide the team through the draft and free agency.
The second is the team seems set on creating a president of basketball operations role with a general manager beneath him. The Magic have had a general manager reporting directly to team CEO Alex Martins for the last five years after having a president of basketball operations during the Otis Smith era. It appears the Magic are interested in returning to this organizational structure.
And the third thing is the Magic appear to be seriously considering keeping interim general manager Matt Lloyd on as the full-time general manager beneath that president of basketball operations. Wojnarowski previously reported other teams have been reluctant to help the Magic without giving Lloyd serious consideration. But this appears to be the case anyway.
Next: Coaching continuity could be big for Orlando Magic
The process searching for a new general manager has certainly been a slow one. And it still appears the team is in its early stages. But things should pick up soon as teams get eliminated from the Playoffs and the Magic buckle down ahead of the Draft.