After six years at the helm, the New Orleans Pelicans have officially fired executive VP David Griffin, the team announced Monday.
This comes on the heels of a 21-61 season — the fourth-worst record in the NBA — and a failed experiment built around Zion Williamson and a revolving door of injuries, missed opportunities, and unfulfilled potential.
📉 Griffin’s Pelicans Tenure:
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Record: 209–263
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Playoff Appearances: Just 2 (Zion didn’t play in either)
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Key Moves:
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Traded Anthony Davis to the Lakers in 2019 for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks
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Drafted Zion Williamson No. 1 overall in 2019
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But Zion has played just 45% of available games since being drafted and hasn’t appeared in a single playoff game due to injuries.
This season was especially brutal:
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Dejounte Murray fractured his hand in Game 1
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Zion, Ingram, Trey Murphy III, Jose Alvarado, CJ McCollum — all missed major time
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Ingram was traded to Toronto midseason
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The highly touted Big 3 of Zion, Ingram, and Murray never played a single minute together
🧨 The Fallout:
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Griffin’s vision unraveled due to injuries and missed development windows
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The Pelicans are now set to reset their front office leadership
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A full roster overhaul may follow — depending on how they handle Zion, Murray, and the upcoming draft
🔍 What’s Next?
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Is Zion Williamson still the face of this franchise?
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Do the Pelicans pivot toward a rebuild or try to compete with a retooled core?
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Who replaces Griffin in the front office?
The next GM has big questions to answer — and no room for error.
