The New Orleans Pelicans finished their 2024-25 regular season with a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, capping off a seven-game losing streak.
The next morning, the Pelicans made a huge decision to part ways with executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin. Griffin spent six seasons with the franchise, but after a disastrous 21-61 season, the Pelicans have decided to move on.
Now, the Pelicans are reportedly eying an NBA legend to replace Griffin. ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Hall of Famer Joe Dumars is a “serious frontrunner” to replace Griffin as the Pelicans’ lead basketball executive.
Hall of Famer Joe Dumars is a serious frontrunner to become the lead basketball executive with the New Orleans Pelicans, sources tell ESPN. The 2003 exec of the year and 2004 championship exec with the Pistons is a Louisiana native. Dumars is currently heading NBA basketball ops. pic.twitter.com/Du0Be1LrFS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 14, 2025
Dumars first spent 14 years as the president of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons from 2000 to 2014, winning Executive of the Year in the 2002-03 season and leading the franchise to an NBA championship in 2004.
The Pistons legend has been the executive vice president and head of basketball operations for the NBA since 2022, but could now be looking to get back in a team’s front office.
Charania also reports that the Pelicans and Dumars are expected to engage in conversations about the new opening in hopes to finalize a deal by the end of the week.
The Pelicans and Dumars are expected to engage in conversations to finalize a deal by the end of the week, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/Dgzvaanwkd
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 14, 2025
The Pelicans were just 209-263 under Griffin, so getting a new face in the front office is not a bad idea by any means. The Pelicans are coming off one of their worst seasons in franchise history, and while injuries plagued the team, they certainly needed to make some changes.
