Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans dominated the rumor mill prior to the NBA trade deadline. While that date passed and Davis remains on the Pelicans, he is almost certain to be moved in the offseason.
On Friday, the Pelicans fired general manager Dell Demps. Team owner Gayle Benson was reportedly unhappy with Davis' January trade demand and how everything has played out, and now she will look to hire a new top executive for basketball operations.
But who will replace Demps? There are a few preliminary candidates, including former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Former Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks GM Danny Ferry, a consultant for the Pelicans, and assistant GM David Booth are candidates to become interim GM, league sources said.
…Benson has been adamant with the organization to find a pathway to sustainable winning in one of the league's smallest markets, and plans to be aggressive in pursuing the best available candidates to oversee basketball operations, league sources said.
Among preliminary possible candidates, league sources tell ESPN: former Cleveland GM David Griffin.
Griffin, 45, spent 17 seasons with the Phoenix Suns' front office before joining Cleveland in 2010. He was named the Cavaliers' full-time general manager in May 2014.
The Cavs were very successful under Griffin. He placed second in NBA Executive of the Year voting in 2014-15 after making big moves to add LeBron James and Kevin Love, among others. He also made key moves to help the Cavs secure their 2016 NBA Finals victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Following the 2016-17 season, Griffin and Cavs owner Dan Gilbert could not come to a contract agreement. As a result, Griffin left the team and has not been with another team since.
Despite another great year from Davis, the Pelicans are out of the playoff race. At 26-33, they hold the 13th seed in the Western Conference, six games behind the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers.
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