The New Orleans Pelicans announced earlier today that they had parted ways with David Griffin, the organization’s executive vice president of Basketball Operations, after six seasons with the team.
“After considerable thought and evaluation, I have decided to relieve David Griffin of his duties as executive vice president of basketball operations,” said New Orleans Pelicans and New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson in a statement. “This was a difficult decision, but one that I feel is necessary at this time to bring a fresh approach to our front office and build a culture that will deliver sustainable success, on and off the court. I am committed to hiring the right person to lead our basketball operations department and deliver an NBA Championship to our city. That is what our fans deserve. I am truly appreciative of David for his leadership and many contributions to the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community over the last six years. We wish David and his wife, Meredith, and their family all the best moving forward.”
Griffin was hired as the Pels’ EVP of Basketball Operations on April 17th, 2019. While the organization’s leader, Griffin led the Pelicans to a 209-263 record and two playoff appearances. This season, New Orleans was the second-worst team in the Western Conference, ahead of only the Utah Jazz.
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
According to sources who spoke to ESPN’s Shams Charania, NBA Hall of Famer and former Detroit Pistons executive Joe Dumars is “a serious frontrunner” to become the next head of the Pelicans. Sources also said that Dumars and the Pels are expected to finalize a deal by “the end of the week.”
“While our focus is a championship on the court, we are also making sure that we do the same off the court, by continuing to prioritize the fan experience, and ensuring our games are easily accessible across our entire Gulf South region on multiple convenient platforms,” Benson added. “In addition, we are working to determine the best path forward to transform the Smoothie King Center into the best arena in the NBA. We look forward to delivering on these priorities for our fans.”
Dumars, who led the Pistons to an NBA Championship in 2004 as the team’s lead executive, is a native of Shreveport, Louisiana. Currently, he serves as the NBA’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations.
