The New Orleans Pelicans have Joe Dumars as their new president of basketball operations, the staff introduced Wednesday. The transfer comes someday after the staff fired lead govt David Griffin. Dumars, a Corridor of Famer, led the Detroit Pistons’ entrance workplace from 2000-2014 and helped information the franchise to the 2004 title. Dumars, 61, has labored within the NBA’s league workplace as the manager vp and head of basketball operations since 2022.
“Joe’s achievements as a famend Corridor of Fame participant, NBA champion and entrance workplace govt are indeniable,” Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson mentioned in a press release. “I’ve quite a lot of respect for what Joe has already achieved as a participant and govt, however extra importantly I like his character and management. His huge expertise and relationships all through the NBA, alongside together with his sturdy management qualities, could have an incredible impression on our group and our aim of profitable an NBA championship. Whereas on the league, he was concerned in each facet of basketball operations and acquired unparalleled perspective and information of the simplest personnel, technique and techniques all through the league. That can profit our staff instantly as we transfer ahead. I’m delighted to welcome Joe, his spouse Debbie, and their kids Jordan and Aren to the Pelicans.”
A Louisiana native, Dumars was the NBA’s Govt of the Yr in 2003, and ESPN named him because the frontrunner for the Pelicans job shortly after Griffin’s dismissal. Dumars was a six-time All-Star as a participant and was a part of the Pistons’ back-to-back championship groups in 1989 and 1990.
Griffin, fired by New Orleans Monday, took over the Pelicans earlier than the 2019-20 season after profitable a championship with the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers. Nevertheless, a rash of accidents and a number of other teaching adjustments in the end doomed his once-promising tenure in New Orleans. The information of Griffin’s firing got here someday after the Pelicans completed the 2024-25 season with the fourth-worst report within the NBA at 21-61.
The Pelicans’ press launch saying Griffin’s ousting didn’t point out coach Willie Inexperienced. Inexperienced was thought of to be on the new seat after the dismal season, however his job seems protected for now.
“After appreciable thought and analysis, I’ve determined to alleviate David Griffin of his duties as govt vp of basketball operations,” Pelicans proprietor Gayle Benson mentioned in a press release. “This was a troublesome resolution, however one which I really feel is important right now to convey a contemporary strategy to our entrance workplace and construct a tradition that can ship sustainable success, on and off the courtroom. I’m dedicated to hiring the precise particular person to guide our basketball operations division and ship an NBA Championship to our metropolis. That’s what our followers deserve. I’m actually appreciative of David for his management and plenty of contributions to the Pelicans group and the New Orleans neighborhood during the last six years. We want David and his spouse, Meredith, and their household all the perfect shifting ahead.”
Griffin was some of the sought-after executives in basketball when he surprisingly turned accessible in 2018, following a breakdown in extension talks with Cleveland. He took over the Pelicans a 12 months later and instantly received the 2019 NBA Draft lottery, which gave New Orleans the prospect to draft Zion Williamson. As a participant, Williamson has principally lived as much as the billing. The difficulty is that he has barely ever been accessible to play for the Pelicans. He has performed simply 214 regular-season video games in six years in New Orleans and solely 30 in 2024-25. Williamson has three years remaining on his present contract, however his future with the group is a continuing query.
How one can construct round — or probably commerce — Williamson shall be one of many most-pressing questions going through Dumars as he takes over the job. The Pelicans are hoping for extra luck in subsequent month’s Draft Lottery. New Orleans has a 12.5% likelihood at touchdown the No. 1 decide and the prospect to draft Duke phenom Cooper Flagg. The Pels have a 48.1% likelihood of touchdown a top-four decide.
Accidents have been a persistent theme in New Orleans even outdoors of Williamson. Brandon Ingram, the centerpiece of the Anthony Davis commerce, had additionally struggled to remain wholesome. The Pelicans had been compelled to commerce Ingram for a meager return at this 12 months’s deadline moderately than let him stroll for nothing in free company. Dejounte Murray, this 12 months’s main addition, tore his Achilles halfway by means of the 12 months.
Griffin additionally cycled by means of coaches in his function in New Orleans. When he took over the staff, he inherited Alvin Gentry as his head coach. He fired him after one season, employed Stan Van Gundy, and after which fired him after just one 12 months. Inexperienced has been his head coach ever since, and in that point, the Pelicans haven’t received a playoff collection.
Griffin usually constructed proficient rosters in New Orleans. He drafted extraordinarily properly, touchdown key gamers like Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado and Yves Missi outdoors of the lottery. Nevertheless, he not fairly acquired the combo proper, and he by no means constructed a staff able to surviving Williamson’s frequent absences. The result’s a tenure with the Pelicans that after appeared like it will yield constant rivalry, however in the end amounted to far much less.
