Danny Ferry takes over on an interim basis in New Orleans
Pelicans general manager Dell Demps has parted ways with the team after eight seasons in the position, the team announced on Friday. Former Hawks GM Danny Ferry, who has been consulting with New Orleans since leaving Atlanta after reading a scouting report that suggested a free-agent target “had a little African in him,” will take over on an interim basis.
“We will immediately begin the process of restructuring our basketball operations department,” Pelicans 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.”
The Demps firing was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The firing comes amid ongoing drama surrounding Pelicans star Anthony Davis, who made a trade request before the deadline.
New Orleans owner Gayle Benson has been angry over the Davis trade demand and her belief that “outside forces” are trying to push the franchise into decisions that don’t make sense for it, league sources said.
According to Woj, ownership was upset with Davis leaving the arena before the team’s game against the Thunder ended on Thursday night after he was ruled out following a shoulder injury.
Ownership was livid with an injured Anthony Davis leaving arena during Thursday night’s game, sources say. Gayle Benson is telling associates she wants an overhaul of Pelicans and a search for a GM to take command of Davis trade talks and the reshaping of team’s future.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 15, 2019
What happened with Davis leaving early?
This part is a bit unclear. Davis suffered an injury in the second quarter of the Pelicans win over the Thunder and was ruled out for the night. Then he left the game with his agent, Rich Paul.
Anthony Davis's shoulder injury and video of him leaving the arena from TNT pic.twitter.com/krlMKTr1dt
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) February 15, 2019
What’s unclear is if Davis left in anger, or to go and directly get an MRI. (Davis was eventually ruled with a shoulder contusion.)
After the game, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry refused to feed into the drama.
“I’m going to talk about the guys who played the game,” Gentry said before walking off. “They did a great job. We found a way to win the game. That’s what’s important.”
Alvin Gentry mentioned Anthony Davis left the building after injuring his shoulder. Asked if that bothered him, he said: “I’m going to talk about the guys who played the game. They did a great job. We found a way to win the game. That’s what’s important.” pic.twitter.com/pvvQCOq6QW
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 15, 2019
Why now?
Davis’ departure on Thursday night was the last straw in the ongoing stand-off between him and the franchise following his trade request in early February.
The Pelicans declined to negotiate with the Lakers on a potential trade offer for Davis, opting to keep Davis on the roster and wait to get a better offer in the summer. Since then, Davis has been pulled early from some games and played through others before leaving the arena on Thursday.
Davis said he wanted to continue playing if he wasn’t traded, even though that isn’t in his team’s best interest. Should Davis get seriously hurt, that could ruin the Pelicans’ possible return in a trade. But if they sat Davis, New Orleans ran the threat of receiving fines and other penalties from the league for benching a healthy superstar.
However, Demps’ was already in jeopardy before the Davis saga due to the current state of the roster, according to local reports.
What people have to realize is Dell Demps was already on shaky ground and their was a good chance he was going to get fired this summer (and a new GM would handle trade when AD passed on extension).
— Fletcher Mackel (@FletcherWDSU) February 15, 2019
The current AD fiasco DID NOT cause this firing...it simply sped up the process.
Benson said in a statement, “While we still have many more critical decisions to make when this season comes to an end, I am focused on making sure we are properly positioned to succeed and that we are headed in the right direction.”