Former NBA player and general manager Danny Ferry has been named the New Orleans Pelicans' interim GM after the firing of Dell Demps, the team announced.

Ferry had been working as a consultant for the Pelicans.

“We will immediately begin the process of restructuring our basketball operations department," Pelicans owner Gayle Benson said. "This will include a comprehensive, but confidential, search aided by outside consultants to identify a new leader of our basketball operations, directly reporting to me."

Ferry last worked as an NBA general manager with the Atlanta Hawks in 2014, when he took a leave of absence after a recording of him making racially insensitive comments about Luol Deng was leaked. He stepped down from the position in June 2015.

Prior to that, Ferry ran the Cleveland Cavaliers for five seasons from 2005 to 2010, resigning a month before LeBron James departed the team for the first time via free agency.

The 52-year-old also played 13 seasons in the NBA, splitting his time between the Cavs and San Antonio Spurs.