The New Orleans Pelicans seem to be retooling, and they hired an experienced executive to help lead the rebuild.
At the end of a disappointing, injury-riddled 2024-25 season, the New Orleans Pelicans fired longtime executive David Griffin and immediately made it clear that they intended Joe Dumars as his replacement.
Dumars has worked in the NBA league office since 2022, but before that, he won three titles with the Detroit Pistons, two as a player, and one as the architect of the 2004 squad.
Dumars is one of the most respected executives in the NBA, but the Pelicans have a long way to go before they can turn around their reputation as a rudderless franchise.
In 23 seasons in New Orleans, the Pelicans/Hornets have never made it past the second round of the playoffs. They have only once been on the receiving end of a blockbuster trade (DeMarcus Cousins in 2017) and have never landed a top-tier free agent.
Before New Orleans competes in the Western Conference, it needs to finally establish itself as a respectable NBA team, and Dumars is the man for the job.
“I’m a fan of Joe Dumars, I do like that hire, but as far as the Pelicans go, I think they are at the bottom,” outlined Cousins. “I think they are in a situation where they’re trying to right this ship, to a complete makeover when it comes to how their organization is viewed.”
The Pelicans have their fair share of talented players like Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Dejounte Murray, although the franchise simply does not have a winning pedigree, which is a massive obstacle to overcome.
“Their first step is bringing in Joe Dumars, a guy that’s respected, Joe’s an established guy that’s worked all over this business, has had multiple positions,” Cousins continued.
“I don’t think this is, you know, the most pleasant destination for any free agent or player. They have a lot of things to figure out. They have a lot of things to right in that organization. I just think this is the first step to doing that.”
With Dumars being given the reins and with a track record of success, there is reason to believe that he can turn the team around, although Griffin, his predecessor, built the roster that brought the Cleveland Cavaliers their lone title in 2016.
Williamson has the physical tools and talents to be the face of a title-winning team. That much is not up for debate, but in six NBA seasons, he has appeared in more than half of the games only twice.
That’s not a player you can build around, although Dumars is presented with a catch-22.
“If I’m Joe Dumars, this is a tough decision to make, you see the numbers, you see the production when he is on the floor, the talent is there, this is a rare talent, this isn’t something you can draft and go and find again even if you get 10 first round picks back,” claimed Cousins.
“It’s a risk either way, what if you do trade him away and he becomes this MVP the next year, finally figures it out and remains healthy, you could lose your job from that, at the same time if you keep him and it doesn’t work, it’s also another bad situation. I don’t think it’s as simple as just trading him away.”
He’s right. The upside on Williamson remains, and he has more potential than almost anyone in NBA history. He is also only 24 years old, so there is a chance he either slims down or changes aspects of his game to remain on the court.
Dumars might be tempted to see what teams will be willing to offer for the young All-Star, but trading him away would be a very high-risk move.
