Report: Pelicans considering Joe Dumars for front-office role

Former Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars has been out of work for just over a year, having stepped down from his position with Detroit last April. 

The hiatus may not last much longer, though, as Dumars, a Louisiana native, is being considered for a front-office role with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Fletcher Mackel of WDSU News.

While nothing is imminent, Dumars has reportedly grown close with Mickey Loomis, the Pelicans head of basketball ops. A Pelicans source told Mackel that Loomis is "carefully evaluating the basketball side and is taking his time, carefully evaluating all aspects of basketball operations."

Dumars accompanied Loomis, who's also the New Orleans Saints president and general manager, to multiple Saints games in 2014, during which Dumars was asked to assess the state of the Pelicans, John Reid of the Times Picayune reports.

The Pelicans have a team option on the contract of general manager Dell Demps for next season, and there's been no indication yet as to whether they plan to exercise it.

Bleacher Report's Howard Beck claims to have heard from a different team's executive that Dumars will be announced as the new Pelicans president within two weeks, though Pelicans spokesman Greg Bensel quelled the rumors. 

"With so many questions surrounding the end of the successful Pelicans season and now Joe Dumars in particular, no job offer or position has been dicussed with Joe regarding the Pelicans," Bensel said in a statement Wednesday night.  

Dumars spent 15 years as Pistons president, winning Executive of the Year in 2003 and an NBA championship in 2004.