The Magic are losing a longtime member of their front office, the Orlando Sentinel confirmed on Thursday.
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The Bulls are finalizing a deal to hire Magic assistant general manager Stephen Mervis as senior vice president of basketball operations under new Chicago executive vice president Bryson Graham, a league source confirmed to the Sentinel.
Mervis, a native of Winter Haven, has spent the last 12 years with Orlando and was promoted to assistant general manager in July 2024. In this role, Mervis assisted with “all facets of basketball operations, with an emphasis on salary cap management, strategic planning, and collective bargaining agreement matters,” according to the team’s media guide.
Additionally, Mervis helped “manage components within the Magic’s scouting department, including amateur and professional evaluation processes,” the role description said.
The Bulls cleaned house in their front office with only a week left in the regular season, firing executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas and general manager Marc Eversley. Those two led the franchise for six years, with Chicago only making the playoffs just once in their tenure.
Chicago hired Graham to lead its front office on May 4 after he spent one season as senior vice president of basketball operations for the Hawks. Prior to joining Atlanta, Graham spent 15 seasons with the Pelicans (2010–25).
Similar to the Bulls, the Magic are also in need of a new coach.
Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman dismissed Jamahl Mosley after five seasons at the helm roughly 10 days ago. The Bulls announced on April 21 that coach Billy Donovan decided to resign after six years in Chicago, opting to step aside rather than work with a new front office.
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In addition to finalizing a deal with Mervis, the Bulls are also reportedly hiring Nets executive Acie Law as vice president of player personnel. ESPN first reported the pair of moves Thursday.
Before serving as assistant general manager for the Magic, Mervis spent two years as the vice president of basketball strategy and evaluation.
Mervis joined Orlando in October 2014 as the special assistant to the general manager. He was then promoted to assistant director of basketball strategy and later named director of basketball strategy. Prior to joining the Magic, Mervis was a basketball operations intern with the Pacers during their run to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2013-14 season.
Mervis earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Florida and his juris doctor from Nova Southeastern University School of Law. He was admitted into the Florida Bar in 2013.
Considered a rising star in the league, he was named to The Athletic’s NBA 40 Under 40 List in August 2024.
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Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected]