Joe Dumars Leaving NBA League Office to Run Pelicans

Hall of Fame player and executive Joe Dumars could be back at the helm of a team in his home state of Louisiana.

The Pelicans are reportedly in talks with Dumars to hire him away from the NBA front office to run their basketball operations. The last time Dumars ran basketball operations for a team, he led Detroit, where he had spent his entire playing career, to the 2004 NBA title.

Dumars is a “finalizing” a deal for the job in New Orleans, according to ESPN, which first broke the news Monday.

Dumars has been serving as the NBA’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations since 2022. One of the Pistons’ infamous “Bad Boys,” Dumars oversees discipline, conduct, and rules. His name usually comes up when players get suspended, such as after the recent alteration between several players at a Timberwolves–Pistons game.

Before working for the league, Dumars held several roles for the Kings, but ultimately never took the reins of basketball operations.

From 1985 to 2014, Dumars won two titles as a player and one as an executive, and was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2003.

The Pelicans fired David Griffin earlier Monday following a dismal 21–61 season. Dumars would be stepping into a Pelicans roster headlined by Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Trey Murphy III. But the team was riddled with injuries to those players and several more, leading to the second-worst record in franchise history.

“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,” team owner Gayle Benson said in a statement announcing Griffin’s departure. “I am committed to hiring the right person to lead our basketball operations department and deliver an NBA Championship to our city.”

This developing news story has been updated.