Magic narrow GM search to three candidates
Oklahoma City Thunder assistant general manager Rob Hennigan has emerged as a surprising finalist for the Orlando Magic’s GM job, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Hennigan, 30, joins San Antonio Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey and former New Orleans Hornets GM Jeff Bower as three candidates who will travel to Michigan to meet with Magic ownership in the next several days, sources said.
Orlando wants to have a general manager hired within about 10 days of the June 28 NBA draft, a source familiar with the process said.
Hennigan has followed a similar path as his boss, Thunder GM Sam Presti: an Emerson College alum who was hired as an intern in San Antonio and rose through the ranks. Hennigan is finishing his fourth year in Oklahoma City, where he was promoted from director of college/international player personnel to assistant GM/player personnel two years ago.
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Lindsey has been an assistant GM with the Spurs for five years, moving over to work under Spurs general manager R.C. Buford after spending 11 seasons in the Houston Rockets' front office. Lindsey has been careful in considering GM opportunities and pulled out of searches with Minnesota, Phoenix and Toronto in previous years that would’ve likely resulted in offers.
Bower was third in the NBA Executive of the Year voting in 2008 when the Hornets won 59 games and eventually lost in the Western Conference semifinals in seven games to the Spurs. Bower has long been considered one of the league’s most resourceful executives, overseeing a small payroll and small staff in New Orleans with largely efficient results. He parted ways with New Orleans in 2010.
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