The New Orleans Pelicans wasted no time in replacing their top executive this week after the firing of David Griffin.
The team has agreed to terms with NBA Hall of Famer and Louisiana native Joe Dumars to take over as president of basketball operations, according to a report from Shams Charania of ESPN. The move had not officially been announced by the Pelicans as of 10 a.m. They announced the firing of Griffin Monday morning, a day after the final game of the regular season.
Dumars, 61, tenure will officially begin his tenure on April 21. A native of Shreveport, Dumars starred at Natchitoches Central and McNeese State before a 14-year NBA career with the Pistons as a combo guard. Dumars' teams won two NBA titles (1989 and 1990) and he was a six-time All Star. Dumars went on to be Detroit's president of basketball ops for 14 years starting in 2000. He was named Executive of the Year in 2003 and presided over a Pistons title run the following year.
Dumars stepped down from that role after the 2014 season, returning to the NBA as an advisor for the Kings for three seasons, before spending the past two as the executive VP and head of basketball operations for the league.
"His last few years in the NBA has been in a role where he’s meted out discipline in the league office and I think that’s not by happenstance that he’s getting this job," said NOLA.com's columnist Jeff Duncan on WWL Radio. "I think his role as a, you know, known disciplinarian, I think they want that approach badly in the basketball operations for the Pelicans. I think they feel like it hasn’t quite been there and it has led to some of the disappointment and frustration on that side of the building.”
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As of Tuesday there have been no additional firings, with GM Bryson Graham, head coach Willie Green and the rest of the staff remaining in place. Dumars, or whomever else lands the job, is expected to make a decision on whether to retain Green, who led the Pelicans to increased win totals in each of his first three seasons before an injury plagued Year 4.
Griffin's firing continues a season of tumult across New Orleans' two major teams, with the Saints opting to fire head coach Dennis Allen midway through the 2024 season, but keeping GM Mickey Loomis in place as they hired Kellen Moore to take over.