Cavs won’t bring back GM after 3 straight trips to Finals
CLEVELAND — David Griffin’s run with the Cleveland Cavaliers is over after one championship and three straight trips to the NBA Finals.
The general manager and team mutually parted ways on Monday when owner Dan Gilbert said Griffin’s contract will not be extended once it expires June 30.
“On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Griff for his leadership and many contributions during his time here, including most recently, his role in the franchise’s first NBA Championship,” Gilbert said in a statement. “We have no announcement at this time related to new leadership of the Cavaliers basketball operations group, but we are confident our current front office will continue to aggressively explore and pursue opportunities to improve our team in the weeks ahead.”
Griffin’s departure comes on the anniversary
of the Cavs’ dramatic Game 7 win over Golden State, capping a historic comeback that gave Cleveland its first major professional sports championship since 1964.
He’s also leaving three days before the draft — the Cavs are currently without a pick — and on the eve of free agency.
A team spokesman said Trent Redden, the team’s senior vice president of basketball operations, is also not returning. Assistant general manager Koby Altman remains with the team and is part of a group overseeing draft preparation and trade talks.
The 47-year-old Griffin had been Cleveland’s GM since May 2014. He took over the role on a fulltime basis after serving as an interim GM for three months following Chris Grant’s firing.
76ers complete deal for No. 1 pick
Philadelphia completed its trade for the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA draft, landing the pick from the Boston Celtics on Monday in a move that clears the way for the 76ers to grab guard Markelle Fultz.
Philadelphia will hold the No. 1 pick for the second straight year, and worked Fultz out on Saturday night as talks with the Celtics got to the final stages. It was agreed to in principle at that point, with the last holdup being the customary league approval on the terms.
Boston gets the No. 3 pick in Thursday’s draft from Philadelphia, plus either a first-rounder in 2018 and 2019. If the Los Angeles Lakers hold a pick between No. 2 and No. 5 next season, Boston gets that one. If not, Philadelphia will send Boston either its own first-rounder in 2019 or Sacramento’s first-rounder that year.
Clippers add West as a consultant
Hall of Famer Jerry West, fresh off helping the Golden State Warriors win another NBA championship, is now officially a consultant with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The former longtime Lakers player and front office executive credited Clippers coach Doc Rivers, executive vice president Lawrence Frank and owner Steve Ballmer with convincing him the other team in town was the right fit.
West had been with the Warriors since 2011 and the team has won two NBA titles during his time in the Bay Area.