Magic general manager Rob Hennigan reportedly will be given the opportunity to finish the rebuild that he started when he traded Dwight Howard three years ago.
The team is planning to extend the contract of the NBA's youngest GM as soon as this season ends, according to the Orlando Sentinel. His current deal, which he signed in June 2012 at age 30, has a team option for a fourth year that would expire after the 2015-16 season.
The report said progress under Hennigan's tutelage has impressed team management, which is intent on doing what it can to provide Hennigan with a sense of job security during what would otherwise be a contract year.
Hennigan, 33, inherited a tenuous situation when he was hired three seasons ago. Tasked with trading Howard, the franchise cornerstone, Hennigan was selective through the process and avoided a deal with the Lakers that would have brought Andrew Bynum to Orlando. Bynum is now out of the league.
The Magic have developed talent via some of the draft picks acquired for Howard. But this season has been a disappointment, leading to some questions about Hennigan's future.
Third-year head coach Jacque Vaughn, hired by Hennigan, was fired after a 15-37 start. The team has floundered to its current 22-52 record since, good for third worst in the Eastern Conference.