Larry Bird is stepping down as the Indiana Pacers' president of basketball operations, prompting speculation that the Orlando Magic will gauge his interest in joining their franchise in the same role.
Bird's departure from the Pacers was reported by The Vertical, which also reported that the search firm helping the Magic gather a list of candidates already had asked league executives about Bird's availability.
The Magic have shown interest in Bird before.
In 2012, after the Magic parted ways with general manager Otis Smith, team officials spoke with Bird about joining the franchise.
It's unclear how far those talks progressed, and the Magic ultimately hired Rob Hennigan as general manager.
On April 13, the Magic fired Hennigan after five seasons.
The Vertical reported that Bird's current plan is to serve as a consultant for the Pacers.
But the Magic intend to cast a wide net for their executive vacancies, and league sources believe the team intends to hire a big name to head their basketball operations department.
Bird and Magic coach Frank Vogel have a long history together.
Bird hired Vogel as the Pacers' interim coach during the 2010-11 season. But Bird decided not to keep Vogel after Vogel's contract expired following the 2015-16 season.
The Magic hired Vogel last May.
Bird's contract with the Pacers will expire at the end of this season, according to The Vertical, allowing him to join another team.
