Orlando Magic executive Alex Martins will assume a new role as vice chair within the organization, signaling a major change in the Magic's organizational structure.
Martins will be stepping away from a day-to-day role and will advise the team's board of directors, headed by the children and grandchildren of former owner Rich DeVos and led by chairman Dan DeVos.
As part of the change, Ryan DeVos will assume a larger role as managing director after spending eight years as an executive with the team. Charlie Freeman, the team's president of business operations, will lead the team's business efforts.
President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman, the team's basketball decisionmaker, will report to the team's board of governors, led by chairman Dan DeVos, as part of the team's organizational restructuring.
"We thank Alex for his exemplary service to the Magic organization as CEO," Orlando Magic Chairman Dan DeVos said in a press release. “Since joining the team in 1989, Alex’s commitment to excellence has distinguished him as an extraordinary leader in our organization and the Orlando community. When Alex communicated his intention to retire several years ago, our family decided to create a new role leveraging his experience. We are pleased he has agreed to continue our partnership and congratulate him on his new role as Vice Chair."
Martins has been with the team since its beginning, serving as the team's public relations manager before moving to other parts of the organization and briefly spending time with the New Orleans Hornets. He has served as the team's CEO since the 2012 season and was essentially the day-to-day chairman for the franchise and representative for the DeVos family in Orlando.
He returned to the franchise as an executive in the summer of 2005 and was instrumental in many of the team's business ventures since then before taking over as the team's CEO.
He was a key figure in helping the team secure the funding to build the Kia Center (nee Amway Center). That came in a package deal to build the Dr. Phillips Center and renovating Camping World Stadium (nee Citrus Bowl).
Martins also serves as the chair of the board of trustees at UCF.
"It has been an honor leading the Magic alongside the DeVos family, and I welcome the opportunity to continue working closely together in this new role," Martins said in a press release. "I offer my gratitude to the family for their dedication to the Magic organization and trust in me to serve as its leader for the past 14 years. Leading the Magic as CEO has been one of the greatest blessings of my life."
This is a major reorganization of the Magic's front office. Most of it will happen in ways fans do not see. And it should not affect basketball operations where Weltman runs fairly independetly.
But the restructuring should be one that fans are familiar with.
The structure the Magic are going is reminiscent of the team's most successful years when Otis Smith ran basketball operations and Alex Martins ran the team's business, reporting to Bob Vander Weide as the day-to-day chairman and representative for the DeVos family.
That structure broke down for several reasons and occurred during the tumultuous season when the team was debating how to respond to Dwight Howard's trade request. Martins took over as the team's CEO during that time and had to navigate the team through trading one of its greatest players and a frustrating rebuild.
Martins certainly took a lot of fans' ire as the highest-ranking forward-facing person involved with the organization during the team's worst period on the court. But he also advanced the team in significant ways.
He hired Weltman and approved the construction of the AdventHealth Training Center, one of the best training facilities in the league.
The Magic have moved slowly to build out the next phase of their arena with the Westcourt entertainment district. After several delays, the Magic appear set to have a groundbreaking soon.
Now, the Magic are moving forward with a new organizational chart. One that has worked for them in the past. And one that should continue the success the team is experiencing now.