Why Kings hiring ‘real basketball mind’ Perry as GM excites Draymond originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
After missing the 2025 NBA playoffs, the Kings and New Orleans Pelicans made major front-office moves in hopes of turning the page on their respective underwhelming 2024-25 seasons.
New Orleans hired Joe Dumars as executive vice president of basketball operations after the Pelicans finished the season as the No. 14 seed in the Western Conference with just 21 wins.
Sacramento (40-42) finished as the No. 9 seed and missed the playoffs for the 18th time in 19 years following a rollercoaster season. A change in leadership was needed, and the urgency was evident with former general manager Monte McNair and the Kings mutually agreeing to part ways shortly after the team’s season-ending loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night in the NBA play-in tournament. The following morning, it was widely reported that the Kings hired respected NBA executive Scott Perry as their next general manager.
Both hires are moves that excite Warriors forward and four-time NBA champion Draymond Green.
“Joe Dumars to the New Orleans Pelicans. Scott Perry to the Sacramento Kings as the general manager. It excited me, because what that said to me is people are ready to get back to basketball,” Green said on “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.” “Like, let’s bring back these real basketball minds. That’s what those two moves said to me.
“We ain’t even started the playoffs yet and those two moves being made [means] let’s get back to real basketball now. Congratulations to those two guys and those two franchises. I think those are some incredible hires.”
Dumars is a Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer and two-time NBA champion as a player and a title-winning executive with the Detroit Pistons. He replaces David Griffin as the head of basketball operations for the Pelicans.
Perry, who started his executive career in 2000 with the Pistons, spent three months with the Kings in 2017 before leaving for the New York Knicks. He also has worked in front-office roles with the Orlando Magic and then-Seattle SuperSonics.
“To see the Joe Dumars and the Scott Perrys, you see people are qualified for the job,” Davis said. “I get excited because I’m like, ‘Damn, I’ll go work for Scott Perry. I’ll go work for Joe Dumars.’ I think it’s going to open up the door for a lot of other former athletes. You look at the Landry Fields and Kyle Corver, what they’re doing in Atlanta. There was a regime of James Jones. But now you’re looking at it and you’re like, oh there could be some new blood, some new intelligence.
“And to your point, the NBA is getting back to great basketball minds, finding great talent, and putting together great teams. The analytics will take you so far. … So I love the fact that Joe D and Scott Perry were the first hires, even before the season is over. I think that sets the tone for the summer, that sets the tone for free agency, and then we’ll see the Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings improve.”
Next on Sacramento’s offseason to-do list, which has plenty of items, is finding an assistant general manager to work alongside Perry since Wes Wilcox announced his midseason exit. Finding a head coach, or removing Doug Christie’s interim title, also is top of mind.
But Green believes Perry’s hire sets the tone for the rest of the way.
“One thousand percent. There will also be coaching hires,” Green said. “I think this sets the tone for that as well. Time to get back to real basketball, guys.”
Download and follow The Deuce & Mo Podcast
Why Kings hiring ‘real basketball mind’ Perry as GM excites Draymond
After missing the 2025 NBA playoffs, the Kings and New Orleans Pelicans made major front-office moves in hopes of turning the page on their respective underwhelming 2024-25 seasons.
New Orleans hired Joe Dumars as executive vice president of basketball operations after the Pelicans finished the season as the No. 14 seed in the Western Conference with just 21 wins.
Sacramento (40-42) finished as the No. 9 seed and missed the playoffs for the 18th time in 19 years following a rollercoaster season. A change in leadership was needed, and the urgency was evident with former general manager Monte McNair and the Kings mutually agreeing to part ways shortly after the team’s season-ending loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night in the NBA play-in tournament. The following morning, it was widely reported that the Kings hired respected NBA executive Scott Perry as their next general manager.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Both hires are moves that excite Warriors forward and four-time NBA champion Draymond Green.
“Joe Dumars to the New Orleans Pelicans. Scott Perry to the Sacramento Kings as the general manager. It excited me, because what that said to me is people are ready to get back to basketball,” Green said on “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.” “Like, let’s bring back these real basketball minds. That’s what those two moves said to me.
“We ain’t even started the playoffs yet and those two moves being made [means] let’s get back to real basketball now. Congratulations to those two guys and those two franchises. I think those are some incredible hires.”
Dumars is a Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer and two-time NBA champion as a player and a title-winning executive with the Detroit Pistons. He replaces David Griffin as the head of basketball operations for the Pelicans.
NBA
Perry, who started his executive career in 2000 with the Pistons, spent three months with the Kings in 2017 before leaving for the New York Knicks. He also has worked in front-office roles with the Orlando Magic and then-Seattle SuperSonics.
“To see the Joe Dumars and the Scott Perrys, you see people are qualified for the job,” Davis said. “I get excited because I’m like, ‘Damn, I’ll go work for Scott Perry. I’ll go work for Joe Dumars.’ I think it’s going to open up the door for a lot of other former athletes. You look at the Landry Fields and Kyle Corver, what they’re doing in Atlanta. There was a regime of James Jones. But now you’re looking at it and you’re like, oh there could be some new blood, some new intelligence.
“And to your point, the NBA is getting back to great basketball minds, finding great talent, and putting together great teams. The analytics will take you so far. … So I love the fact that Joe D and Scott Perry were the first hires, even before the season is over. I think that sets the tone for the summer, that sets the tone for free agency, and then we’ll see the Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings improve.”
Next on Sacramento’s offseason to-do list, which has plenty of items, is finding an assistant general manager to work alongside Perry since Wes Wilcox announced his midseason exit. Finding a head coach, or removing Doug Christie’s interim title, also is top of mind.
But Green believes Perry’s hire sets the tone for the rest of the way.
“One thousand percent. There will also be coaching hires,” Green said. “I think this sets the tone for that as well. Time to get back to real basketball, guys.”
