The New Orleans Pelicans released a statement on Monday announcing the dismissal of David Griffin, executive vice president of basketball operations.

Griffin, 51, became the executive vice president of basketball operations for the Pelicans in April 2019, the same year he traded Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers and drafted Zion Williamson with the No. 1 pick. During his tenure, the Pelicans had a record of 209 wins and 263 losses and made the playoffs twice. However, they only had a record of 21 wins and 61 losses this season and ultimately missed the playoffs and playoffs.

According to Pelicans owner Gale Benson in a statement, the decision to fire Griffin was made after careful consideration and evaluation. He also said: "This is a difficult but necessary decision aimed at injecting new ideas into our management and building a culture that can achieve sustainable success on and off the court."

"I am committed to hiring the right person to lead our basketball operations department and bring an NBA championship to our city. This is the result our fans deserve. I sincerely thank David for his nearly six years of leadership and contributions to the Pelicans and New Orleans community, and wish David, his wife Meredith, and their family the best in the future."

As for Griffin's successor, current NBA executive vice president and director of basketball operations Joe Dumars is considered the strongest contender. The two sides are expected to start negotiations this weekend to discuss potential cooperation.