After dropping a four-game playoff sweep to the Cleveland Cavaliers - and with Paul George's impending free agency a year from now making things tense around the organization - it was clear Larry Bird needed to make big changes.The Indiana Pacers president was going to have to find a new direction to make things run smoothly going forward for the franchise.Well, he's made his decision, and it's a surprising one.Bird will step down as president of the Pacers, as reported first by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, a position that Bird has held since 2003.

Kevin Pritchard will assume control of basketball operations for the Pacers. Pritchard, who played at Kansas and with five teams over a six-year NBA playing career, developed a reputation as a willing trade partner during his time running the front office with the Portland Trail Blazers.

After being let go by Portland, Pritchard became director of player personnel in Indiana and then later became general manager under Bird.

Wojnarowski also reported that Bird will stay with Pritchard and the organization as a consultant.

Woj also added that the Orlando Magic are interested in talking to Bird about their opening for president of the club.

Other candidates, such as Los Angeles Clippers coach and president Doc Rivers, have also been tied to the Orlando job.

Bird, the Boston Celtics Hall of Famer and Indiana native who led Indiana State to the 1979 NCAA Championship game, is also a former coach for the Pacers.

After three years as coach of the Pacers, Bird spent the next 17 years in the Indiana front office.

The Pacers have lost in the first round in each of the last two seasons, missing the playoffs the year before that. This run comes on the heels of qualifying for the Eastern Conference finals for two consecutive seasons, falling to LeBron James and the Heat in each of those runs.

The Pacers appeared to be a young team on the rise during that stretch, as George, Roy Hibbert and Lance Stephenson formed the core.

Hibbert moved on and Stephenson did too. However, Lance found his way back to Indiana this year after a couple rough years at several NBA stops. It didn't matter against Cleveland though, and now the Pacers are in a bit of a no-man's land.

George has turned into a bonafide star but his future is uncertain as the rumor mill has him connected with the Los Angeles Lakers as a long-term destination.