The GM of the Milwaukee Bucks is departing for Orlando.
The Orlando Magic have announced that John Hammond has signed a five-year deal with the team.
Back in 2016, the Bucks hired assistant GM Justin Zanik to reportedly be the GM-in-waiting. As of early Tuesday afternoon, they had not made an official announcement of a succession plan.
Hammond has served the Bucks since 2008 and has been the leader of making moves to lead the Bucks’ resurgence, picking Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker among others in recent draft moves.
The Bucks have made the playoffs twice in the last three years, all under Hammond’s player personnel moves and the coaching of Jason Kidd.
In 2010, Hammond was named NBA Executive of the Year in constructing a team that returned to the playoffs for the first time in four years at that time.
The Bucks offered a statement later Tuesday:
“John Hammond has been an incredible asset to the Bucks organization these last nine years and a true professional in every sense of the word. His keen eye for talent and relentless drive to build one of the finest teams in the league has helped the Bucks become a championship-caliber organization on and off the court. We wish John and his family nothing but the best in Orlando.
“We remain very excited about the prospects of our team and anticipate further announcements about the front office staff to be made in the near future.”