Joe Dumars Says James Borrego Is in the Mix For Pelicans Head Coaching Job Permanently

New Orleans isn't shutting the door on keeping James Borrego around long term. During a Tuesday sit-down with reporters, Pelicans basketball operations chief Joe Dumars made it clear that the interim coach is very much in the conversation for the permanent gig heading into next season.

"Yes, James Borrego is a candidate. No we don't have a list yet; we're not going to put it out publicly," Dumars said. "But definitely, James is a candidate for this job permanently going forward."

Borrego Steadied the Ship When Everything Could Have Collapsed

Here's the context: the 2025-26 season was rough. Real rough. New Orleans finished 26-56 overall, and Willie Green got fired after a brutal 2-10 start to the year. Borrego stepped in as interim and went 24-46 the rest of the way. Not exactly eye-popping numbers, but Dumars sees something valuable in how Borrego handled a sinking ship.

"His ability to communicate with his team every day and to do it in a positive way" is what stands out to Dumars. More importantly, "he never let the building get completely collapsed. He always tried to keep the team up and positive. And that's exactly what you want to see, especially in a situation where he took over and it could have slid."

That matters. When you're 2-10 and the season is falling apart, keeping the locker room from completely tanking is harder than it sounds.

Dumars Won't Rush the Decision, but He's Not Done Looking Either

Don't expect answers anytime soon. Dumars made it clear he's going to take his time and look outside the organization as well. "I will go outside the building and talk to some other people as well," he said. "In terms of a timeline, my timeline is to get it right."

The Pelicans have a brutal recent history to overcome. Since returning to New Orleans in 2002, they've made the playoffs just once in the last four seasons and only won two first-round series total (2008 and 2018). The organization has missed the playoffs 15 times in franchise history. Dumars was only hired a year ago after David Griffin was fired, so he's not responsible for that track record, but he knows what fans are hungry for. Still, he pushed back on the idea that keeping Borrego would signal some kind of surrender to the fan base. "The idea that you can't keep the same coach after a losing season, I don't really buy into that," Dumars said. "I think it's the person and I think it's how people react to the person inside the building."

Players have been diplomatic about it, though they haven't hesitated to complement what Borrego brought to the table during the toughest stretch of the season.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.