The new executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans, Joe Dumars, told reporters on Tuesday that his hiring didn't come with a mandate to trade Zion Williamson.

If Pelicans ownership is fed up and ready to move on from Williamson, few would be surprised. But it wasn't Dumars' job to relay that message on Tuesday, if so.

New Orleans' new executive vice president of basketball operations said there's no mandate to trade the franchise's much-maligned star player.