The New Orleans Pelicans reportedly fired head of basketball operations David Griffin on Monday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Griffin joined the franchise ahead of the 2019-20 NBA season. His first couple months with the team altered the direction of the franchise. A month after hiring Griffin, the team won the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Advertisement
Just before the draft, Griffin traded a disgruntled Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers for a number of players, including Lonzo Ball, and the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. With the top pick, the Pelicans took Duke big man Zion Williamson. After trading the fourth pick, the Pelicans took Jaxson Hayes at No. 8 overall.
Those decisions came to define Griffin’s tenure with the franchise. Davis put up excellent numbers with the Lakers before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks at the trade deadline. Hayes failed to develop into a consistent starter with the Pelicans and left the team after four seasons.
When healthy, Williamson has performed like a No. 1 overall pick. Over his career, he averages 24.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
But injuries have interrupted his promising career. Williamson played in just 24 games as a rookie due to meniscus surgery. He then missed the entire 2021-22 NBA season with a foot issue. He returned the following season, but again struggled with injuries, playing in just 29 games.
Advertisement
Williamson played a career-high 70 games during the 2023-24 NBA season. He averaged 22.9 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Injuries once again limited Williamson this season. He played in just 30 games due to hamstring and back issues.
While the Pelicans started slowly under Griffin — going 97-129 in his first three years — New Orleans found its stride in time. The Pelicans finished just above .500 in 2022-23 before going 49-33 last season. The team failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs, however.
With things looking up, the team couldn’t capitalize this season. The Pelicans crashed to 21-61, leading to Griffin’s firing. He compiled a 209-263 record in six seasons with the franchise.
Advertisement
Prior to joining the Pelicans, Griffin served as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ president of basketball operations from 2010 to 2017. In 2014, he took over as the team’s general manager. He held both roles when the team won the NBA championship during the 2015-16 NBA season.
This story will be updated.
Read the full article here