Pelicans Front Office Shakeup Is Deeply Concerning

The New Orleans Pelicans are making sweeping changes up-and-down the organization, raising eyebrows among the fanbase.

Pelicans GM Troy Weaver | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans' top brass got to work immediately after the conclusion of the disappointing 2025-26 season. Even before the offseason officially began, the Pelicans' front office has been busy. The organization has been in the midst of a top-down shakeup, and this should scare Pelicans fans for the future.

Last week, it was reported by multiple sources that the Pelicans were beginning a restructure of their basketball operations. Team insider Shamit Dua revealed that "the restructuring and reorganizing efforts across multiple departments" involved changes in the business side, the coaching staff, and the medical personnel.

Per Dua, the employees were informed via email that they were being let go. On Monday, Dua added more concerning details to the situation with the organization.

There are reportedly "at least 25 vacancies across basketball operations and business departments so far. Medical and performance teams, along with the analytics department, were "completely gutted."

Pelicans' Organizational Shakeup Could Be Signaling a Big Problem

On paper, it makes some sense that there would be some restructuring when there is a new regime in an organization. After Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver took over last year, their desire to put their stamp on the Pelicans is understandable.

At the same time, this radical shakeup is rare. When entire departments are gutted, organizations can lose important know-how. Now, the Pelicans will be almost entirely made up of new faces, presumably ones who have worked under Weaver or Dumars before.

If we weren't familiar with the Pelicans' ownership, this might not be that big of an issue. The problem is that the Bensons have proven themselves to be one of the cheapest team owners in the league. The Pelicans have never paid the luxury tax in their history, and they have never invested in the team as much as other owners have.

Therefore, it's difficult to look at this reorganization from anything other than a cost-cutting perspective. In his article, Dua quotes a person with knowledge of the Pelicans' thinking, who mentioned "an emphasis on efficiency," which could be interpreted as management-speak for cost-cutting.

When the Pelicans hired Dumars last season, there wasn't a process in place. He was handpicked by Gayle Benson without a real search. Weaver and Dumars spent the entire season behind the scenes, never talking to the press or addressing the fans, highlighting a lack of transparency with the franchise. This justifiably leads to speculation and expecting the worst from a franchise that has disappointed its fans at every turn.

Unfortunately, this may be another addition to the long list of frustrations with ownership and the front office.