On April 17, 2019, the New Orleans Pelicans named Griffin as the executive vice president of basketball operations. Griffin represented the Pelicans during the 2019 NBA draft lottery, where they selected Zion Williamson. On May 2021, following Zion's fractured ring finger injury, Griffin said "There's more violence encouraged in the paint against Zion Williamson than any other player I've seen since Shaq...It was egregious and horrific then, and the same is true now."