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Magic President Jeff Weltman, GM John Hammond Reportedly Sign New Contracts
January 10, 2022
Orlando Magic president Jeff Weltman and general manager John Hammond have each signed extensions to remain with the team through 2025-26, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
"Ownership is pleased with the direction of team's rebuild," Wojnarowski reported.
The decision comes despite Orlando entering Monday with the worst record in the NBA at 7-34. The Magic's current nine-game losing streak is also the longest in the league.
Weltman and Hammond both joined the organization in 2017 after previously working together with the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons.
The Magic improved under the new front office, reaching the postseason in 2018-19 and 2019-20. However, they went just 75-80 combined those two seasons and lost in the first round both times in five games.
It was clear Orlando needed to rebuild to avoid topping out as a seventh or eighth seed, and the team did just that in 2020-21, trading veterans Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier on the way to a 21-51 season.
The team has expectedly gone through more growing pains this season, but the Magic have some exciting young pieces, headlined by Jalen Suggs (20), Franz Wagner (20), Cole Anthony (21), Wendell Carter Jr. (22) and Mo Bamba (23). Ownership is also reportedly happy with the hiring of first-year head coach Jamahl Mosley, per Wojnarowski.
With a projected high pick in the 2022 NBA draft, the Magic could soon have a roster full of impact players.
