New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president Joe Dumars outlined his vision for building an elite franchise while discussing his return to Louisiana in an interview with Andscape. The Louisiana native joined the Pelicans in April after serving as the NBA's disciplinarian from 2022-25.
Dumars, who previously won NBA Executive of the Year in 2003 with the Detroit Pistons, emphasized the unique opportunity to represent his home state. He declined similar positions with the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns before accepting the Pelicans role.
"A lot of times you're in these jobs and you get to represent the city that you're doing these jobs in. But in this particular job, you are a part of the state. You're not just representing a fanbase, you're representing the people that you came from," Dumars said.
The 62-year-old Hall of Famer identified Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones and Dejounte Murray as the franchise's core foundation. Dumars has focused on adding complementary pieces including Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and Kevon Looney.
"I felt the core guys like Zion, 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," Dumars explained.
Dumars revealed ongoing conversations with Williamson about embracing leadership responsibilities. The executive emphasized the importance of the 25-year-old forward accepting his role as the franchise centerpiece.
"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," Dumars said.
The Pelicans also drafted Jeremiah Fears fifth overall and traded up to select Derik Queen 13th in the 2025 NBA Draft, moves that drew criticism for sacrificing future assets.
