Thunder, Spurs executives among strong candidates for Magic's GM

The Orlando Magic's search for a general manager is centering on the Western Conference finals, where top Oklahoma City and San Antonio executives have emerged as serious candidates for the opening, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Thunder vice president and assistant general manager Troy Weaver and Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey have been targeted, and Orlando has been granted permission to talk with Weaver, sources said. The Spurs' OK of permission for Lindsey is imminent, sources said.

Orlando has also been granted permission to speak with Oklahoma City's assistant GM Rob Hennigan, who came into the league with the Spurs.

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The Magic have strong interest in ex-New Orleans GM Jeff Bower, whom they're expected to interview in the near future, the Orlando Sentinel reported on Friday.

Magic CEO Alex Martins plans to hire a GM and let him conduct a search to replace fired coach Stan Van Gundy. Martins and Orlando officials will start meeting with candidates next week.

Weaver is considered one of the league's elite young executives, rising from a personnel director with the Utah Jazz to the No. 2 spot in Oklahoma City under GM Sam Presti. Weaver has a strong track record as an evaluator of talent, and is well-connected on every level of the game. He pushed hard for the Thunder to draft point guard Russell Westbrook out of UCLA with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft, significantly higher than most NBA executives would've selected the future All-Star guard. Weaver has worked closely with Presti on constructing one of the most talented, cost-efficient rosters in the NBA.

[Video: Westbrook-Parker faceoff to decide West finals]

Lindsey has been an assistant GM with the Spurs for five years, moving over to work under team president R.C. Buford after spending 11 seasons in the Houston Rockets' front office. Lindsey has been careful in considering GM opportunities, and pulled out of searches with Minnesota, Phoenix and Toronto that would've likely resulted in offers of the general manager title.

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