A new era is on the horizon for the New Orleans Pelicans.
After six disappointing seasons, David Griffin is out as the Pelicans’ Vice President of Basketball Operations.
Questionable draft decisions and underwhelming trades have defined his tenure in New Orleans. His inability to build a contender around star Zion Williamson was his biggest shortcoming, ultimately leading to his unceremonious dismissal from the organization.
However, many questions come with the hiring of all-time NBA great Joe Dumars as the next Pelicans Vice President of Basketball Operations. His most recent notable front-office position was as the President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons.
The New Orleans Pelicans have officially named Louisiana native and Hall of Famer Joe Dumars as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations! pic.twitter.com/AUz1TGOJyj
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 16, 2025
Let’s examine his tenure in Detroit and try to make sense of this unexpected move.
Early Success in Detroit
Dumars’ time in Detroit was both historic and underwhelming at the same time. In his 14 years with the Pistons, he led them to six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances and a championship in 2004.
Dumars made several key moves that paid off tremendously and ultimately led the underdog Pistons to their first championship since 1990. Arguably, his biggest move as the Pistons’ GM was trading superstar Grant Hill in a sign-and-trade with the Orlando Magic for a defensive anchor in Ben Wallace.
This proved to be an essential move for the Pistons as he contributed to the defense-first mentality they championed. He also made several other key moves, including trading for Rip Hamilton, signing five-time All-Star Chauncey Billups, and trading for versatile power forward Rasheed Wallace.
Dumars’ early success in Detroit shouldn’t be glossed over, but it was over two decades ago. The NBA is vastly different now, and he struggled to keep up with the game’s evolution.
Questionable Draft Choices
Dumars’ early success in Detroit eventually plateaued as he made a plethora of bad moves. Several questionable draft choices include selecting Austin Daye 15th overall in 2009 and selecting Brandon Knight eighth overall in 2011.
Austin Daye was a disaster of a pick. He played three uneventful seasons for the Pistons, never averaging more than ten points.
Brandon Knight was a fine player, but the players picked after him make his selection at eight even worse. Players selected after Knight include all-stars Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson, and Kawhi Leonard.
Hindsight is 20/20, but passing up on several All-Star players to pick a mediocre role player in Knight is not a good look.
Free Agency Mishaps and Bad Trades
Dumars also spearheaded several trades and free-agency signings that he probably regrets. In the 2008-09 season, Dumars facilitated a trade that sent Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for a couple of role players and legendary point guard Allen Iverson.
The massive deal was disastrous for the Pistons, as Iverson wasn’t the same player he had been earlier in his career. The Iverson-led Pistons failed to reach the playoffs that season. Adding insult to injury, Billups had one of the best seasons of his career, leading the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals.
Part of the reason they wanted to trade Billups was to clear out cap space to make a big splash. Multiple reports suggested that the Pistons were clearing up space to pursue the star players of the 2010 free agent class: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
The Pistons didn’t even wait until the 2010 offseason to sign three-point specialist Ben Gordon and versatile forward Charlie Villanueva to hefty long-term contracts in 2009. They were both solid role players in Detroit, but they didn’t give them the star power they needed to return to the top of the Eastern Conference.
The most notorious free agent signing during Dumars’ run with the Pistons was when he signed Josh Smith to a hefty four-year, $54 million deal in 2013. Smith was coming off a good run with the Atlanta Hawks, even making the 2010 All-Defensive Team.
Smith was a massive disappointment for the Pistons. He never lived up to his hefty contract and was a potential locker-room cancer. Smith became hated in Detroit and was eventually released with two years left on his deal.
Uncertainty Surrounding the Pelicans’ Future
The Pelicans’ hiring of Joe Dumars shows that they want to inject experience and professionalism into a franchise that has become the laughingstock of the NBA.
The timing of the deal was very odd, as they appeared to have the Dumars deal in place already when they fired David Griffin. Why did they rush into things so quickly? They should have done their due diligence and evaluated all possible options before making a decision, but they have done the opposite.
Dumars has succeeded as an NBA Executive, even winning the NBA Executive of the Year in 2003. But he must prove that he’s learned from his many mistakes during his tenure with the Pistons.
The Pelicans are reportedly keeping head coach Willie Green, who is in the last year of his contract. This indicates that Dumars has confidence in Green.
Pelicans head coach Willie Green is safe.
Pelicans star player Zion Williamson is also safe…for now.
Just my opinion, but I think new NOLA Executive Vice President Joe Dumars trades Zion this summer 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/kr6gdDqI9C
— Fletcher Mackel (@FletcherWDSU) April 23, 2025
The team is still young and has intriguing pieces such as sharpshooter Trey Murphy and lockdown defender Herb Jones. The time is now to capitalize on the Pelicans’ wave of young talent.
Will Dumars be able to get the most out of Zion? Will he be able to breathe new life into a lifeless organization?
One thing remains clear: New Orleans deserves a winner, and the pressure is on Joe Dumars to deliver that.
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