Naismith Hall of Famer Joe Dumars is finalizing a deal to become the new president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
Dumars — a two-time NBA champion as a player and a title-winning executive with the Detroit Pistons — returns to his home state of Louisiana and replaces David Griffin as the head of basketball operations for the Pelicans.
Dumars served as the chief strategy officer of the Sacramento Kings from 2019-22 and has been the NBA league office’s executive vice president of basketball operations since 2022.
Dumars ran the Pistons from 2000-14, winning the executive of the year award in 2003 and building the 2004 championship team. He made a series of moves that propelled the Pistons to seven straight seasons of 50 wins or more from 2001-02 to 2007-08 — signing Chauncey Billups, trading for Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and Rip Hamilton, and drafting Tayshaun Prince.
The Pistons have 14 50-win seasons in franchise history — half of them coming under Dumars’ leadership.
Drafted by the Pistons in 1985, Dumars spent his entire 14-year playing career as a shooting guard and defensive stopper with the franchise, winning NBA titles with the “Bad Boys” in 1989 and 1990.
In New Orleans, Dumars is expected to soon immerse himself with the current basketball staff, led by well-regarded general manager Bryson Graham, and head coach Willie Green. In terms of the Pelicans’ roster, the franchise will assuredly have candid conversations with star forward Zion Williamson on his direction with the team.
Williamson has played in just 45% of his possible games with the Pelicans since being the No. 1 overall pick in 2019 — and has never played in the playoffs after he suffered injuries prior to both of the team’s postseason appearances in 2022 and 2024.
The Pelicans finished this season at 21-61 — the fourth-worst record in the league, ahead of only the Utah Jazz (17-65), Washington Wizards (18-64) and Charlotte Hornets (19-63).
