Cavs in chaos after parting ways with GM on eve of pivotal summer
CLEVELAND — Nothing ever seems good enough for Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert.
Not a championship. Not three straight appearances in the NBA Finals. Not a rapt fan base. Not being forgiven by LeBron James.
He's demanding. A fearless, risk-taking, casino-owning gambler. Those attributes have made him a billionaire businessman, a tough boss to please and the reason why the Cavaliers are in a current state of chaos.
Following a loss to the Golden State Warriors in the Finals and facing a pivotal offseason for his franchise, Gilbert decided to part ways with general manager David Griffin, the architect of the most successful run in team history.
Gilbert, who has gone through four GMs in 12 years in Cleveland, made the risky move as the Cavaliers are trying to revamp their roster while James' free-agency clock is ticking down toward next summer when his contract expires. There's confusion in Cleveland. What else is new?
This is a team that has flourished amid disorder, and the Cavaliers are in disarray again days after having their title snatched by Kevin Durant and the Warriors. Just last week, Gilbert had said he was happy with the direction of the team and didn't envision sweeping changes. But he and Griffin's vision for the future didn't align and they mutually agreed to separate.
"We are now at a point where the fit is not right for us to continue with one another," Griffin said in a statement that sounded like something he might say about a player being released.
The timing of Griffin's exit couldn't be worse. The Cavaliers are preparing for Thursday's draft without any picks and they are reportedly exploring trades to land either Paul George or Jimmy Butler in an attempt to add another All-Star and close the gap on Golden State.
And they may need to placate James, who praised Griffin while seeming to take a swipe at Gilbert late Monday on Twitter . After mending their relationship following a messy split in 2010, James and Gilbert may have more work to do.
"If no one appreciated you Griff I did, and hopefully all the people of Cleveland!" James posted. "Thanks for what u did for the team for 3 yrs! We got us 1(trophy)."