Orlando Magic prepared to invest in returning pride to the team

The Orlando Magic’s front office moves do not appear to be the only investment the team is ready to make. The Magic say they are ready to invest more.

The Orlando Magic sent plenty of signals they were not going to sit idly by or try a repeat of what did not work in the Rob Hennigan era.

In hiring Hennigan, the Magic bought into the idea of a process of rebuilding and a specific plan from a hot shot, young executive who believed he had the answers. By all accounts, many around the league believed Hennigan was ready for the lead chair. His work with the Oklahoma City Thunder spoke for itself.

Ultimately, though, Hennigan proved unable to adjust to the plan. With the resources the Magic provided, he was unable to adjust. Fortune did not favor him the same way it had with the Thunder and things did not work.

The Magic made a lot of mistakes themselves — both with Hennigan and with team CEO Alex Martins — during the last five years.

In hiring Jeff Weltman, the Magic seem like they are trying to correct those mistakes. Both in finding a leader with decades of experience in the NBA and in investing at the top of basketball operations.

For as much criticism as Martins received for the Magic’s run the last five years, he deserves some credit for turning face and putting the Magic out there this time around. It would seem he learned from some of his mistakes and, with the DeVos family’s blessing, is preparing to make a significant investment in the Orlando Magic’s basketball operations future.

It starts with the hires at the top. But it appears the Magic are willing to do even more.

"“We have made a recommitment to our basketball operations with our resources, with our commitment to the approach,” Martins told Orlando Magic Daily. “I can confidently say we are investing in our basketball operation at a level this organization never had before with the intent of getting back into contention and giving Jeff and his team and John as well the tools to do that.”"

Hiring Weltman as the president of basketball operations came at a somewhat steep cost to get him out of his contract — one of the Magic’s two second round picks from next year. The title itself is distinguished from the general manager role seemingly only by salary.

But that title, and the vacant general manager role, also enabled the Magic to go after John Hammond. Without that investment in Hammond as the general manager (and yes, he still gets paid that salary), Orlando likely would not have gotten him either.

Already at the top, Orlando has made a pretty big financial commitment. But also a big basketball commitment. This is not the Magic throwing around money. They have hired two of the most experienced executives in the league.

"“The difference is we have got incredible firepower at the top of our basketball operation,” Martins told Orlando Magic Daily. “We have two individuals who have spent their life in the game. Two individuals who have worked every position in a basketball operation and have that experience. In this situation, we have two individuals who have worked together before and understand and have like-mindedness on how to build a championship and contending roster. More than anything, this is about bringing the highest level of experience and talent to our organization to get back to contention. I have the utmost confidence in both of these individuals as well as the rest of our basketball operation staff that they will be able to do that.“More than anything, this is about bringing the highest level of experience and talent to our organization to get back to contention. I have the utmost confidence in both of these individuals as well as the rest of our basketball operation staff that they will be able to do that.”"

One of Weltman’s beliefs, as Martins described at his introductory press conference, is that he needs to hire people smarter than him. And Weltman has expressed his leadership style is to trust his staff and let them argue and debate out every course of action.

In order for this kind of style to be successful, the team will need to bring in some of the best people they can to inform those decisions. And that is where the next phase of the Magic’s investment is likely to come in.

Keith Smith of RealGM reports the Magic were rumored to have one of the smaller basketball operations staffs in the league.

The team has always spent plenty on players. Throughout the last decade, the Magic have always operated near the tax level. The early years of Hennigan’s tenure when the Magic were at the salary floor are an oddity. The Magic dipped deep into the luxury tax when they were fighting to win the NBA title in the late 2000s.

It would appear some of that did not translate to other parts of the basketball operation. Often the Magic are described as having one foot in and one foot out of using analytics to inform decisions. And there are indeed rumors the Magic have kept a tight budget on its basketball operations staff.

That appears to be no more.

Martins said Weltman asked Martins why they were giving him the title of “president” rather than a general manager. Martins explained that in, and of itself, is a statement of the team’s commitment and added expense. Weltman said there was no way he could have pried John Hammond from the Milwaukee Bucks without the title.

The Magic are spending a lot at the top of their basketball operations. But that expense is going to spread across the rest of the department.

Martins estimated in the past the Magic had about 50 people working in their basketball operations department — this would be coaches, scouts, support staff, analytics, etc. Martins said he expects that number to increase. The Magic are likely to expand their health and wellness, analytics and other departments within the basketball operations. It could mean even more. Although, Martins was not ready to put a number on it yet.

Making hires alone is not going to change the Magic much of course. Orlando is not going to be able to throw money at the problem and, all of a sudden, make better decisions. The Magic will need to get the right people. But re-allocating those resources will certainly open up the doors to bring in some talented executives to the team’s basketball operations.

Next: Last six sixth overall picks should give Orlando Magic hope

The Magic are providing additional resources to their basketball operations. It does represent a recommitment and a willingness to invest. It is the kind of investment needed to return the team back to the Playoffs.