Breaking: Pelicans to Hire NBA Legend Joe Dumars for President

The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly reaching a deal with NBA legend Joe Dumars for their new front office opening

Joe Dumars talks with reporters on May 25, 2010, in Auburn Hills. Joe Dumars | Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The New Orleans Pelicans concluded their 2024-25 season with a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, and it did not take them long to start making major changes.

On Monday morning, the Pelicans announced that they are parting ways with executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin, as they look to head in a different direction in preparation for the 2025 offseason and 2025-26 season.

To replace Griffin, the Pelicans are reportedly finalizing a deal to hire NBA legend Joe Dumars to become the new president of basketball operations, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

"Hall of Famer Joe Dumars is finalizing a deal to become the new president of basketball operations of the New Orleans Pelicans, sources tell ESPN. Dumars was president of the Pistons from 2000-14, building the 2004 Detroit championship team. Now returns home to Louisiana," Charania reports.

Hall of Famer Joe Dumars is finalizing a deal to become the new president of basketball operations of the New Orleans Pelicans, sources tell ESPN. Dumars was president of the Pistons from 2000-14, building the 2004 Detroit championship team. Now returns home to Louisiana. pic.twitter.com/SrgfHBbHTP

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 15, 2025

Dumars' first major front office role was with the Detroit Pistons, the team he became a Hall of Fame player with. Dumars spent 14 years as Detroit's president of basketball operations, leading them to an NBA championship in 2004.

Dumars has spent the last few years of his career as the executive vice president and head of basketball operations for the NBA, but now the Hall of Famer is expected to get back into a team's front office in his home state of Louisiana.

July 9, 2009; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons president Joe Dumars during the press conference to introduce their new head coach John Kuester at their practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Leon Halip-Imagn Images | Leon Halip-Imagn Images

Dumars will have some significant decisions to make this offseason, especially centered around head coach Willie Green and star forward Zion Williamson, but it is only up from here after a disastrous 21-61 season.