NBA Rumors: WNBA Legend Swin Cash Named Pelicans' Senior VP of Basketball Operations

The New Orleans Pelicans are promoting Swin Cash to the position of senior vice president of basketball operations, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Her former title was vice president of basketball operations and team development, and her move up comes amid a wider organizational reshuffle. The Pelicans announced Tuesday that Bryson Graham is taking over as general manager to replace Trajan Langon, who left to run the Detroit Pistons' front office.

Cash is a legendary figure within women's basketball. A two-time national champion at UConn, she went on to lift three titles in the WNBA with the Detroit Shock and Seattle Storm and was an All-Star on four occasions.

The WNBA named the 44-year-old to its all-time teams coinciding with the league's 20th and 25th anniversaries.

The Pelicans hired Cash in 2019, three years after her final season as a player.

"Every single point of contact in this franchise has to be part of driving us towards what we really care about, and that's winning, and it's about winning the right way," executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin told reporters at the time. "Swin is a great example of this — winning is a frequency, and you don't learn how to tune to it unless you've had to do it, and Swin knows how to find that frequency."

Cash's arrival came one month after New Orleans won the 2019 NBA draft lottery, thus earning the right to select Duke star Zion Williamson. While Williamson's career has been hampered by injuries, the 6'6" forward has showcased his massive potential and asserted himself as a franchise cornerstone.

The Pelicans have also reached the playoffs twice since then, getting eliminated in the first round on each occasion.

The challenge before Cash, Griffin and the rest of the front office is getting the roster to the next phase of contention. To that end, a big decision may loom for the organization.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported Tuesday that 2019-20 All-Star Brandon Ingram is increasingly expected to be traded, perhaps as soon as this week. New Orleans can ill afford to whiff on this swap because it's an opportunity to land some assets that either improve the team now or help lay the groundwork for a bigger trade down the line.