Dumars Near Deal to be Pelicans President

One of the original ‘Bad Boys’ is about to take charge in the ‘Big Easy’.

NBA Hall of Famer and current league vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars is joining forces with the New Orleans Pelicans as their next president of basketball operations, according to ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania.

Dumars is finalizing a deal to join the Pelicans just one day after the dismissal of former general manager David Griffin after six years on the job and an unacceptable 21-61 season. Dumars, a Louisiana native, was the top candidate on the list for New Orleans and the mutual interest led to the process moving at warp speed.

Dumars has a long, proud history and strong ties to Louisiana. A native of Shreveport, he went to high school in Natchitoches and college at McNeese State in Lake Charles.

Drafted by the Pistons in 1985, Dumars spent his entire 14-year playing career as a shooting guard and defensive specialist with the franchise, winning NBA titles with the “Bad Boys” in 1989 and 1990.

Dumars, 61, was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player back in 2006. A six-time All-Star guard,

Dumars is one of the most accomplished and respected names in the NBA as both a player and an executive. A six-time All-Star guard, a two-time back-to-back champion in 1989 and 1990 and former NBA Finals MVP as a player for the Detroit Pistons, Dumars joined Detroit as the president of basketball operations in 2000. He constructed the 2004 Pistons team that won the NBA title over the Los Angeles Lakers, before stepping down from the position in 2014. He became an advisor to the Sacramento Kings in 2019 before becoming the vice president of basketball operations for the NBA in 2022.

The Pelicans will lean heavily on Dumars’ experiences and expertise as the team looks to rebuild and move forward. While coach Willie Green remains with the team as of now, the organization is currently in the NBA Draft lottery and must make critical decisions about the futures of several players including Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum. Whether or not they are in a full rebuild, the team and organization will be restructured in Dumars’ vision, as the team attempts to restore their place in a stacked Western Conference.

Dumars now has the difficult challenge and responsibility of steering New Orleans back into a team that consistently competes for a championship, a goal, alongside renovating the Smoothie King Center, team owner and governor Gayle Benson has said she wants to reach and make happen sooner than later.

Dumar’s first big order of business will be what he wants to do with head coach Green. The Pelicans coach has reportedly drawn interest to fill the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets coaching vacancies.

Joe Dumars is joining the New Orleans Pelicans as the team looks for a fresh start and a clean slate.