Pelicans must fire GM Demps before Anthony Davis trade

Dell Demps with Anthony Davis
Photo credit USA TODAY Sports

The Anthony Davis era in New Orleans was almost always going to end with a proverbial thud, instead of a whimper.  The complete dysfunction within the front office, along with unacceptable levels of on-court futility, has made the Davis era a slow motion train wreck nearly seven years in the making.

The day of reckoning for the Pelicans franchise finally arrived, with Davis informing his teammates, then the front office, over the weekend that he won't sign any contract extension in New Orleans.  He also requested an immediate trade to a contender.

Davis' decision effectively ends any speculation about whether this version of the Pelicans could be salvaged.  The Pelicans are six games under .500 (22-28) and a half-dozen games back of the final playoff spot.  Anybody hoping for a repeat of last year's remarkable second-half run, where they vaulted to the sixth seed in the Western Conference and then swept the Blazers in the opening round of the playoffs, watched those hopes evaporate as Davis informed the team of his decision.  With the trade deadline (Feb. 7) quickly approaching, the Pelicans must act quickly and decisively to garner the most possible value when dealing the 25 year-old superstar. 

Dell Demps cannot be allowed to be the person overseeing any Anthony Davis trade. If the Pelicans organization is committed to being viewed as a serious, credible NBA franchise then you don’t let the GM who traded Chris Paul then helped squander 7 years of AD continue on the job

— Seth Dunlap (@sethdunlap) January 28, 2019

The first decision the franchise must quickly, and decisively, make is to relieve General Manager Dell Demps of his duties and begin an immediate search for his successor.  Regardless of level of fault -- Demps certainly holds the lion's share of blame here -- the Pelicans cannot allow the man who traded Chris Paul and incinerated the six-plus seasons he had with Davis to now run point on any Davis trade.  That's not only incomprehensible, it would be inexcusable.  Demps isn't solely responsible for the Pelicans' on-court futility with Davis, but his poorly constructed rosters, mismanaged salary cap, and Bird Box approach to the trade market have been the main contributors to the franchise's futility.   If the Pelicans want to be viewed as a credibly run NBA franchise then Demps must go.  He must go now.

The Pelicans front office has long been viewed as something analogous to the Frankenstein's monster of professional sports management.  Owner Gayle Benson, President Dennis Lausha, Senior VP of Communications Greg Bensel, Executive President of Basketball Operations Mickey Loomis, and many others have double-duty running the New Orleans Saints.  An NBA franchise can't be run like afternoon day care, where those in charge leave the franchise to fend for itself while they focus on bettering their NFL product.   Does anybody really think Lausha, Loomis, or others had a meaningful level of commitment to the day-to-day operations of the Pelicans while the Saints were in the midst of their run to the NFC Championship game?

Ask anybody involved at the top levels of both franchises about how their split-duties could harm the Pelicans on-court product and they'll inevitably respond with something about market size, profitability, and what they'll frame as the realistic dynamics of professional basketball in New Orleans.  They aren't completely wrong -- having some management crossover between two professional sports franchises run by the same owner makes sense.  The dynamics of small-market basketball and keeping the Pelicans profitable means that, perhaps, some executive level positions can co-exist with their Saints duties without harming the Pelicans on-court product. 

The basketball operations department, however, should be isolated from this.  Loomis has proven himself to be a very gifted, and successful, NFL general manager.  He hasn't proven that success translates to running the Pelicans.  His oversight of Demps has been futile at best, incompetent at worst. 

If Loomis wants to show he can competently run Pelicans' basketball operations then his next move is clear -- fire Demps and begin an immediate search for his replacement.  Meanwhile, use an army of basketball consultants, those who understand the intricacies of the NBA trade market and salary cap, to field offers for Davis before the trade deadline.   The worst case scenario during this process would be for the Pelicans to make an inferior trade while in their transition from Demps while rushing to get a deal done before the trade deadline.

Hebert: The Brow may feel like he has no choice but to go somewhere else https://t.co/xDgVV7sNIn via @wwlamfm

— WWL Radio (@WWLAMFM) January 28, 2019

This summer will provide plenty of opportunities to field blockbuster offers from multiple teams.  The slight value you'll lose by not trading Davis now will likely be offset by the importance of having he franchise's next general manager pull the trigger on any deal, with the ability for that new GM to begin to construct the roster how they see fit.  In fact, hiring a new general manager while dangling the A.D.-trade carrot might be a brilliant move. 

How many brilliant NBA minds would jump at a chance to orchestrate one of the biggest trades in modern league history, while getting a king's ransom of assets back to rebuild the Pelicans on-court product?  More candidates will assuredly be interested in taking the job pre-trade than would be interested in cleaning up Demps' mess after he jettisons Davis in some last act of general manager seppuku.

The Pelicans wasted nearly seven years with one of the best basketball players on the planet.  Their introspection and self-autopsy should begin by immediately firing Demps, and taking steps to reorganize the franchise's basketball operations department before trading Anthony Davis.  Anything less will show an unfortunate lack of serious commitment to professional basketball success in New Orleans.