Veteran NBA executive Danny Ferry is taking over as the Pelicans‘ general manager on an interim basis, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The team has confirmed the move in an official announcement. The press release also confirms that New Orleans has parted ways with longtime GM Dell Demps, which was reported earlier today.
“We will immediately begin the process of restructuring our basketball operations department,” team owner Gayle Benson said in a statement. “This will include a comprehensive, but confidential, search aided by outside consultants to identify a new leader of our basketball operations, directly reporting to me.”
A former general manager in Cleveland and Atlanta, Ferry did excellent work reshaping the Hawks’ roster, but saw his time with the team come to an end after he read an offensive comment from a scouting report on Luol Deng out loud during a conference call. Ferry subsequently took a leave of absence from the Hawks and eventually reached a buyout agreement with the club.
In recent years, Ferry has served as a special advisor to the general manager in New Orleans.
The Pelicans are expected to aggressively pursue a high-level executive to be the club’s next head of basketball operations, with former Cavaliers GM David Griffin and current Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren among the candidates already mentioned. New Orleans’ search figures to take some time though, opening the door for an in-house exec like Ferry to take the reins for the time being.
Fletcher Mackel of WDSU in New Orleans (Twitter links) hears that Joe Dumars, who has long been linked to the Pelicans, isn’t expected to be a target for the permanent GM job. However, Mackel suggests that Ed Stefanski, who is currently the head of basketball operations for the Pistons, may be a candidate.
Mackel adds (via Twitter) that president Mickey Loomis, who is primarily a football executive for the Saints, will continue to have oversight within the NBA franchise, but is expected to take a step back and focus nearly exclusively on football. That lines up with Benson’s statement, which suggests that the basketball operations department will be reworked and that the new GM will report directly to her.
Pelicans will be smart to keep Ferry as GM…may have been a part of the plan along. Did a great job with Hawks while he was here.
Yeah he did. It was extremely stupid of him to not show any discretion while reading that report but at the end of the day, those weren’t his own words. I’d say he deserves another shot.
He was reading and it slipped. I met him and Danny Ferry is class. He father helped intergrate the NBA. He knows his stuff. But Griffin is a great catch too.
Ex-Cavs Ferry or Griffin, wow. I’ve made a few posts about both in years past. Well they’re not horrible choices.
Clearly a change was needed; hopefully, Ferry can bring about some respect. Demps was so far over his head, but still it’s somewhat amusing to see how he further embarrassed a once proud franchise like the Lakers. Dr. Jerry must be beside himself.
Even if NO gets Tatum, they dont compete vs GSW, Houston or even LAL.
I’d be looking for further into the future unprotected picks. If you dont want any of the LAL players, have LAL flip them for future 1st(s). Same with Tatum. I mean there’s no package they get that makes them a contender I’m sorry. Top-5 player couldn’t get them there with an All Star caliber PG. They’d need to hold on to Jrue, draft really well and lure a top FA.
To be clear an LAL + AD or another superstar.
Depending on where the Knicks pick is that could be the way to go. I hate the Knicks btw just thinking NOP should draft someone good with their own pick which should be top 10. Then w the Knicks pick draft Zion,Ja or Barrett and get DSJ and maybe Knox in the deal too. Them trade Jrue to a contender for future picks, resign Randle and they would be on the rise
terrible choice. ferry in philly signed a bunch old players and sucked ever since.
Ferry was GM of Cavs and Hawks
Ferry said something that made him look racist, apologized for it, paid the price, but he’s a good GM. Certainly better than Demps. Watch out for NO