The Pelicans’ new executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars has already made a number of eye-opening moves. He gave up CJ McCollum in a trade with the Wizards that brought Jordan Poole to New Orleans. He also traded up in the draft, giving up an unprotected 2026 pick in the process, to nab Maryland big man Derik Queen at the No. 13 spot.
Dumars took heat for those decisions, especially the latter. He told ESPN’s Marc J. Spears in an Andscape interview he doesn’t care about the backlash.
“I don’t mind the criticism. People say they don’t mind. But I really don’t mind,” Dumars said. “When you’re running a franchise, you make a determination of what you think you need to start growing your franchise. The opportunity presented itself that we could get two lottery picks, and to do that, you’re going to have to give up something. We gave up what we thought it would take to get these two lottery picks and we did.”
Dumars chose to return to his home state and take on the task of running a Pelicans franchise stuck in mediocrity. Dumars declined the vice president of basketball operations jobs with the Kings and Suns, according to Spears, but felt the New Orleans offer was “right place, right time, right people.”
Dumars addressed a wide range of topics in the interview. Here’s some of the highlights:
On the Poole acquisition:
“If you look around the league now, it’s almost a requirement to have high-level guard play, dynamic guard play. Jordan has a skillset that matches the most dynamic guards in this league. We’ve also seen him be a part of a championship team and contribute at a high level. So, with his skill set, he’s a dynamic guard and I know we have proof that he’s helped teams win championships.”
On how he approached the roster after taking the job:
“I felt the core guys like Zion (Williamson), Trey Murphy, Herb Jones and Dejounte Murray, I thought that was a really good group of guys all around the age of 25 years old. I looked at it from there and said, ‘OK, we need to build out and how do we complement each other?’ I thought the core was really good there and I thought if you have a good core, let’s build out around that core with the type of players that we need.
“And I thought Jordan Poole was a dynamic guard. I thought that Saddiq Bey was the perfect guy to come off the bench and add depth to your team. I thought that (free agent acquisition Kevon) Looney was the perfect guy for a team full of guys who were 25, 26 years old.”
On his relationship with Williamson:
“He and I have had some incredible conversations. We are in constant contact with each other. I’ve talked to him about the responsibility of being great and the responsibility of being a leader, of being a captain, of being the best player, of being the face of a franchise. I’ve talked to him about how all of those things come with responsibility and how it’s time now at 25 years old to embrace those responsibilities.”
On why he left his job with the league office to become a team executive again:
“I loved my job at the NBA. I didn’t like it. I loved it. And I always said it would have to take something special for me to leave, otherwise I wouldn’t. And so, this was what I considered special to be able to come back, run the Pelicans in New Orleans with quite frankly a lot of people I knew in the organization and outside the organization. That’s what made it special for me to say that I would leave the NBA and take this job because I really enjoyed working at the league office.”
Probably my 2 fav prospects in this class, DQueen & Hansen Yang going at each other in Vegas right now & Queen is giving Hansen the biz so far. Probably the marquee matchup of the summer league tbh. Both these guys are future all-stars.
I love Scoot/Shaedon/etc but these couple of nice plays by Hansen late in the 2nd show why he’s the future of the Blazers franchise.
Dude Yang is sooooo slow. The competition in the summer league is a step below the G, so not sure if he can keep up with real NBA players rather than all these dudes about to go to EU.
Queen has a chance to be special. A real 4 who can play today.
I definitely agree that should be a 4. Could be something special if done right but Zion is a 4 too
Can Queen defend ? Is he just a glen big baby davis, or more ?
Is Hansen a Wang ZhiZhi plus ?
Had to break out the Wang zhizhi reference
Wang ZhiZhi launching 3s and the crowds always gasping haha. I forgot about him until this. A rich man’s Wang ZhiZhi
He can shoot threes wide open. That will serve him well.
You can’t be a basketball fan !!!!
I don’t know him personally. I know he’s been working on his weight and conditioning. If He is serious like Barkley was in the beginning. He can change the game. A real 4 in today’s game. You have to know ball to understand that. He is nothing like Big baby ….
link to google.com
JOE, Dump the name “PELICANS” and get the name “JAZZ” back!!
That is a step away from mediocrity and towards respectability.
Jazz music’s never been heard in utah, most probably
They used to hire a band to play Jazz during home games…
They should buy it back. Makes no sense in Utah .
Hate to break it to you but pretty much no team makes sense. The biggest offender is the Lakers. There isn’t a lake in LA… Minnesota should just take the name back out of principle.
How many Raptors live in Toronto? Miami should be named Humidity, not Heat. It goes on and on.
On and on for what??. Your interpretation.
All sports teams are localized. They represent their city, state. Not about what you think of it.
Life goes on so the naming of a team. Might-not carry the significance today. It explains its origin as a team in its home city, state. Inform yourself.
The Lakers have achieved their fame, recognition, status. As the LA Lakers. Playing 13 seasons in Minny. When the sport wasn’t yet popular.
The Jazz have has only meaning in NO. Utah shouldn’t even want the name. Like the Hornets.
The Grizzlies don’t belong in Memphis. Why would they want that name. When cities, states have strong ties to the naming of the team. That name shouldn’t travel with team.
The NBA had 11 teams when Lakers were in Minny.
No need to buy the name, just a trade. Gunnison Island on the Great Salt Lake has historically been one of the largest breeding colonies for American White Pelicans in North America.
The last good move Dumars made was trading for Rasheed 20 plus years ago.
That was a hell of a team. Only 6 man rotation but still a great team.
Because Ben was short and Sheed was lean, Elden Campbell was signed for the sole reason of guarding massive centers, and he wouldn’t play many nights. And in the finals, for about 12-15 minutes a game, Campbell twisted Shaq into an absolute knot.
He just had one of best drafts on any team.
No ordinary Joe ………. we got you.
As long as he is committed to sticking w Zion as the face of the franchise, his fate/failure is assured
Searching for Darko 2.0
B-b-but he’s a HOFer, that means he’s a great front office decision maker!!11!!!1!
Now Joe needs to sign the youngest SG, SF and C on two way contracts he can find. (Queen is the young PF)
New Orleans Jazz and Utah polygamists.
I like the core of Murray Poole Trey and Herb but not Zion. Unsure on Missi and Queen aswell.
But as for Zion, He’s a great player when fit and healthy but that’s less than 50% of the time. Plus since entering the league he still hasn’t learn to shoot threes or free throws and he’s still iffy on defence.
Murray and Poole together sounds absolutely terrible. The Pelicans aren’t winning anything with them as key factors.
It could work as a duo- Murray’s a good defender and Poole had his best season in his career as the leading scorer and playmaker on a much worse Wizards team.
I can already see it now. Zion will stay healthy for a season and Dumars will reward him with a guaranteed extension. Only for him to go back to his old ways.
Seems like Joe is surrounding himself by friends so he can have a longer road to build upon…
As pong as Zion is on the team it’s going to be a hard road for the Pelicans
Thinking Jordan Poole is a good player should already be grounds for instant termination.
I dig what Joe Dumars has to say here
HE is wearing the pants here and making the decisions….let him be judged on the results!!!!
If the injuries are minimal, the Pelicans should be much better. They migh even make the 7-10 spot.
Being unfazed is probably the problem. So he is delusional.
Dumars is awful