Everything that has transpired since the Pelicans traded with the Pacers has left rival executives questioning if Joe Dumars is taking an active role in the Pelicans decision making process. As the Pelicans would go on to acquire Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, Derik Queen, Micah Peavy, and Hunter Dickinson— a very clear through line to Troy Weaver would emerge. Every single player is one Troy spent a great deal of time with personally or scouted in close proximity to the DMV geographical area. ”This has Troy written all over it, is Joe even in charge?” asked one executive incredulously after the Dickinson signing was announced. These are tough optics for a franchise struggling to find legitimacy. Weaver, who by all accounts is an incredible talent evaluator, carries a reputation for poor asset management. His time in Detroit was marked by incredible draft hits, but also a remarkably poor handling of draft capital and cap space. Towards the end of Weaver’s tenure in Detroit, another executive told me teams would call the Pistons regularly to see if they could secure a favorable deal.