ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Magic fired general manager Rob Hennigan on Thursday after the team failed to make the playoffs during his tenure, the worst five-year stretch in team history.
The Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday to complete a 29-53 season. The team went 132-278 under Hennigan's watch.
Hennigan was the hired by the Magic at the age of 30, becoming the youngest GM in the NBA.
"We appreciate Rob’s efforts to rebuild the team, but feel we have not made any discernible improvement over the last few years specifically," Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins said. "It’s time for different leadership in basketball operations. We certainly wish Rob and his family well."
Hennigan made several questionable moves that didn't pan out during his tenure. His most recent move, trading Victor Oladipo to Oklahoma City for veteran power Serge Ibaka last summer, failed nearly from the start as the Magic went big in a small-ball era.
Ibaka was under contract for only this season. Once it became clear he would not re-sign with the team, he was traded in February to Toronto for Terrence Ross.
Matt Lloyd has been named interim GM and will be a candidate for the permanent position, the team said.
"Matt brings solid experience, and his appointment as general manager on an interim basis will allow us to seamlessly continue our preparations for the upcoming draft," Martins said.
The team also dismissed assistant general manager Scott Perry.
Orlando’s last playoff berth came in 2012, weeks before Hennigan was hired as GM and Perry was brought aboard as his assistant.
"It was a very tough year and we didn’t deliver," said center Nikola Vucevic, one of the first players acquired by Hennigan in August 2012 and the longest-tenured player on the Magic. "We didn’t meet the expectations that we had, and it shows."
Players acquired by Hennigan and his staff include (19th pick) Andrew Nicholson and (50th pick) Kyle O’Quinn in 2012; (second pick) Victor Oladipo and (51st pick) Romero Osby in 2013; (fourth pick) Aaron Gordon, (10th pick) Elfrid Payton and (56th pick) Devyn Marble in 2014; (fifth pick) Mario Hezonja and (51st pick) Tyler Harvey in 2015; and (41st pick) Stephen Zimmerman in 2016.
Gordon, Payton, Hezonja and Zimmerman are the only Magic-drafted players still on the roster.
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