Rumors

If the Warriors don't acquire Antetokounmpo, there isn't anyone on the current trade market who will force this level of asset aggression from them, team sources said. They've maintained a level of interest in New Orleans Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III, but have been stonewalled in conversations by a Joe Dumars-Troy Weaver front office that has so far voiced an unwillingness to move most of their young core, league sources said.

ESPN

Sam Amick: The Pelicans are putting up a good face saying no on trade inquiries for Herb Jones, no on Trey Murphy - well, not completely 'no' on Trey, but they have a pretty high price tag on him. Even Zion Williamson, I can't remember a year where we got so many high-profile stars, players, who you feel might be available for trades, right now, we got Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball, all the way down the lion, and Zion, to me, should be at the top of the list. The Pelicans should be really open to listening to move him, and I do think, in the right situation, he could be a difference-maker, there's not much talk on Zion getting traded at this point. It's a little bit quiet, though a possibility, I think. Joe Dumars told teams he wanted to really get a good look at Zion, and I don't know how long that look needs to be before he makes up his mind, but if I got to handicap right now, it probably won't happen before the trade deadline.

x.com

Jordan Dumars, the 34-year-old son of Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars, has been a constant presence on team planes, in practices, and in high-level meetings. Yet his name was absent from the staff directory and his role was never announced, leaving employees and the league to speculate about his influence. This situation occurs within a unique front-office power structure. Multiple sources describe a hierarchy where owner Gayle Benson, who hired Joe Dumars without a formal search, has taken a hands-off approach. Benson has publicly stated her philosophy, telling The Times-Picayune, “I hired Joe Dumars... When he makes a decision, that’s up to him. That’s why I hired him. I trust Joe... I’ve left that in his hands.”

In the NO

According to team sources, Jordan Dumars is a recent but constant presence, accompanying the team on its plane, attending practices, and being in meetings. Officials from rival teams have also noted his conspicuous presence within the Pelicans’ traveling party on the road. Sources describe Joe Dumars, Troy Weaver, and Jordan Dumars as being “attached at the hip,” forming an insular leadership circle that operates separately from the rest of the basketball operations staff. This isolation, they say, has fostered a culture with no clear, established lines of communication from management downward, leaving many employees in the dark about the team’s direction and decision-making processes.

In the NO

Joe Dumars was hired after no real search took place, with multiple league sources saying his is among the league’s most generous executive contracts despite the otherwise extremely tightfisted Pelicans operation under Benson. Yet as far as front-office gigs go, his appears only slightly more demanding than Kawhi Leonard’s endorsement contract with Aspiration. Instead, Dumars seems to have outsourced nearly the entire job to former Detroit Pistons exec Troy Weaver. The only notable New Orleans move that appeared to have Dumars’ imprint was Saturday’s firing of coach Willie Green.

New York Times

In particular, Dumars bringing in Weaver and handing him the general manager job has left rival executives utterly baffled. The Pistons went 74-244 in Weaver’s four years at the helm in Detroit, and while there were some factors beyond his control, there wasn’t exactly a bidding war to get him back at the helm of a franchise. Sources in Detroit say nobody from New Orleans called to vet Weaver before he was hired.

New York Times

MrBuckBuck: Joe Dumars on "Is there a level of concern? "No, we don't have the pick, so there's no sense in me being concerned about it now. It's done. I can sit here and be concerned all I want but we still don't have the pick."

x.com

Ohm Youngmisuk: Joe Dumars says he has great respect for Willie Green but also says "tough decisions have to be made." He says everyone has "a responsibility to show up and perform and that Pels will lean into that, taking responsibility and accountability and not shying away from it."

x.com

Pelicans Film Room: "We start losing the same way over and over again. That's not improvement... We have to establish that we are going to play hard every night... It was that judgement more than identity, the offense, the defense, the W/L record" -- Joe Dumars on the team's lack of identity

x.com

"After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at head coach," Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement. "I have the utmost respect for Willie Green, and I'm sincerely appreciative of his contributions to the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community. We wish him and his family all the best in the future."

ESPN

Question: The Pelicans are 150-188 (.444) and have not won a playoff series in Willie Green’s four-plus seasons as head coach. There have been national reports that the organization is “monitoring” his job status. How do you assess the job he’s done so far as head coach? Benson: "I hired Joe Dumars because we needed a change in leadership at that top level of the Pelicans. I believe in Joe, and Joe knows exactly the stats you noted. We need to improve immediately. Our roster is built for success right now. I will rely on Joe to make these decisions and changes as he sees fit."

New Orleans Times-Picayune

Question: Specifically as it pertains to Willie Green, how do you feel about the job he has done? Benson: “I really like Willie Green, but I hired Joe Dumars to assess our basketball operation. And that’s what he is doing. He is assessing Willie and all the players. He and I spent the entire halftime (of the Portland Trail Blazers game on Wednesday night) talking. When he makes a decision, that's up to him. That's why I hired him. I trust Joe, because I feel like he knows people. He's known Willie since he was a child, so they know each other. And if he can fix that problem, then he'll fix it. If he can't, then that'll be his decision, not mine. I've left that in his hands.”

New Orleans Times-Picayune

It wasn't the first October where this concept emanated from New Orleans, but Williamson backed it up by saying he felt the best physically since his jaw-dropping lone season at Duke in 2018-19. Now, less than three weeks into the season, he is missing time with the fifth significant hamstring injury of his career. "Joe is smart, he knew the only rational move was to motivate Zion," another executive said. "He's still only 25. With a player like that, you have to exhaust all options to try to make it work."

ESPN

Pelicans Film Room: "Joe and I talk pretty much everyday. We all echo the same sentiment. We'll continue to work at it. We're all frustrated, want to be better. We're all a part of making sure that we do everything we can to be better" -- Willie Green on his conversations with the Front Office

x.com