Rob Hennigan, Magic Agree to New Contract: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

The Orlando Magic announced a contract extension Thursday for general manager Rob Hennigan that will keep him with the franchise through the 2017-18 season.

Orlando confirmed the new contract on its official site. A statement from team CEO Alex Martins about the decision was included in the announcement.

"Under the leadership of Rob (Hennigan), we feel that we are positioning ourselves to be able to contend in a long-term, sustainable fashion," Martins said. "We are proud of the work that Rob and our basketball operations department has done to this point and we look forward to taking the next steps in the process."

In another quote provided by the release, Hennigan also focused on the long-term outlook of the team.

"It's an honor to be a member of this organization and a privilege to work for the DeVos Family under Dan and Alex's leadership," Hennigan said. "I am extremely grateful for the unwavering trust and support that our entire organization demonstrates as we continue building our team for competitive longevity and one in which all of Central Florida can be proud."

Nick Gryniewicz of ESPN Orlando provided some insight into the re-signing:

Hennigan worked for the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder before being hired by the Magic in 2012. He's led a rebuilding process that began shortly after his arrival and coincided with the departure of Dwight Howard.

Orlando has failed to qualify for the playoffs in each of past three seasons despite playing in the weaker Eastern Conference. It has tallied just 68 combined wins over that span. The positive spin on that is the opportunity to pick high in the draft.

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The Magic have added Victor Oladipo and Aaron Gordon with top-five selections over the past two years. They are currently slated to pick fifth heading into the draft lottery, which they hope will land them the top overall pick (8.8 percent chance).

With the rebuilding process moving forward, the Magic clearly believe Hennigan remains the right person to lead the effort. Eventually, the long-term plan will need to start yielding results, though.