The New Orleans Pelicans' President of Basketball Operations, Joe Dumars, has had an interesting first offseason in charge. Many fans and members of the media have called Dumars out for some of his questionable moves this summer. However, when looking at these moves closer, it's clear they were heavily influenced by his right-hand man, Troy Weaver.
During Troy Weaver's tenure in the NBA front office, he has consistently shown a fondness for players from the DMV. Which happens to be something Derik Queen, Saddiq Bey, and Hunter Dickinson all have in common. Both Bey and Dickinson played high school basketball in the DMV area, and Queen was born and raised there.
Weaver's connections to the DMV obviously had a significant influence on New Orleans' roster construction during the 2025 offseason.
While you can make an argument for the additions of both Bey and Queen, you can't do the same for Dickinson. Bey is going to come in and fill a need for the Pelicans off the bench as an experienced three-and-D wing, and Queen has a ton of potential and gives the Pelicans versatility at five. Dickinson, on the other hand, lacks the athleticism and skills to be an NBA-level player, and because of Weaver, the Pels wasted a roster spot on him.
New Orleans should considered cutting ties with Weaver before it's too late
Wasting a two-way contract on someone who probably won't ever turn into an NBA-level role player doesn't sound like a big deal. But it is. Even though it's such a minor move, having this type of poor influence in Joe Dumars' ear when it comes to making crucial decisions could come back to haunt the Pelicans down the road.
It would only take the average basketball fan 10 minutes of watching Hunter Dickinson's film to tell you, this guy isn't going to translate to the NBA. Although his counting stats make him look like a promising prospect, it's evident that he isn't a good enough scorer, rim protector, passer, or athlete for his game to translate.
However, all of Dickson's obvious flaws were overlooked by Weaver because of his ties to the DMV, which influenced Dumars to sign him. This type of influence is something the Pelicans can't afford to have in their front office going forward.
Being blind to someone's flaws because of where they are from is a major red flag, and that's why the Pelicans should consider parting ways with Troy Weaver sooner rather than later. We saw how easily Weaver sank the Pistons, and if Dumars continues to be influenced by him, the Pelicans could suffer the same fate.