New Orleans Pelicans Add Another Former Detroit Pistons Exec

The Detroit Pistons, New Orleans Pelicans front office connection grew stronger this week.

Jun 24, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weaver during the Detroit Pistons 2022 NBA Draft Introductory Press Conference. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-Imagn Images | Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans are revamping their front office this offseason and started by adding Joe Dumars to oversee the entire operation. The Detroit Pistons' connection grows stronger, as it’s been reported that the Pelicans are hiring Troy Weaver for a role.

According to Marc Spears, Troy Weaver will join the front office with the title of Senior Vice President. He heads to New Orleans fresh off a run with the Washington Wizards.

The New Orleans Pelicans have hired Troy Weaver to be their Senior Vice-President under new President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars, a source told Andscape. The former Detroit Pistons general manager is departing the Washington Wizards where he was a senior advisor.

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) April 23, 2025

Weaver’s time with the Pistons ended after the 14-68 run in 2023-2024. The Pistons brought over Trajan Langdon from the Pelicans to take over as the President of Basketball Operations.

While it was reported that Weaver was offered a different position as his final say in decision-making power was revoked, the former Pistons GM declined a change in role.

Shortly after leaving Detroit, Weaver was hired as a Senior Advisor for the Wizards. After one season in DC, it seems Weaver could be in New Orleans long-term.

The Pelicans’ decision to hire Weaver was met with mixed reviews. Considering he finished with a 54-192 record as the Pistons’ GM, Weaver’s performance in the numbers isn’t exactly something to applaud.

However, it wouldn’t be fair to overlook the fact that Detroit has a solid young core, which was put together by the new Pelicans executive.

Two men who have shaped the Pistons, past and present, now running the Pelicans.

Troy drafted most of the Pistons’ current core, and cleaned up the books. Identified Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson as cornerstones for what’s become one of the top defenses in the league. https://t.co/Of2BFSxT4i

— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) April 23, 2025

Under Weaver’s management, the Pistons drafted Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, and Isaiah Stewart. While Weaver’s ability to find the right veterans to surround those guys wasn’t exactly worthy of praise, the Pistons seem to have a few franchise cornerstones, whom Weaver identified, and just one of those picks (Cunningham) was an obvious selection where they were drafting.

Weaver and Dumars’ past is the past, however. They now enter a tricky situation with the Pelicans, who have disappointed throughout the Zion Williamson era. The big question is whether they’ll continue building around Zion or use him as the big piece to start something new.