Cavs shake up front office
CLEVELAND — David Griffin’s tenure as general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers is ending after three consecutive NBA Finals appearances in his only years on the job.
Team owner Dan Gilbert announced Griffin’s departure in a statement Monday, one year ago to the day since the Cavs beat the Warriors in Game 7 of the 2016 finals.
Former Detroit Pistons star Chauncey Billups is interested in the job, sources told Cleveland. com.
LeBron James and his inner circle were not consulted about Griffin’s dismissal or departure, sources told Cleveland. com, but they were notified by Gilbert once a decision was made.
“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.
Later Monday, Griffin said in a statement that while he “remain(s) deeply appreciative of the opportunity Dan Gilbert and his ownership group afforded us to build and lead this world-championship caliber organization,” he and Gilbert knows “a team (is) built largely on the concept of fit.
“We are now at a point where the fit is not right for us to continue with one another,” Griffin said.
Only a week ago, Gilbert said he was happy with the direction of the franchise after the Cavs had lost to the Warriors in the finals. Golden State has won two of the three finals meetings against Cleveland.
The Cavaliers now seem in the midst of a sizable shakeup, with Griffin out and reports popping all over the place about efforts to trade for All-Stars Paul George and Jimmy Butler.
As of Monday morning, Griffin was involved in organizational meetings pertaining to the NBA draft on Thursday and trades. But as the day wore on, Griffin and Gilbert came to the realization that they were not on the same page and wouldn’t get there.
Griffin was furious with Gilbert for not extending his contract last summer, after the Cavs beat the Warriors in the finals, and was seeking a raise and structural changes to the organization.
Also out is assistant general manager Trent Redden.
The rest of the front office, including assistant general manager Koby Altman remains, and Gilbert are participating in draft and trade talks, a team spokesman said. After Gilbert, Altman would be in charge and is the point man on trade and draft talk, the spokesman said.
“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,” Gilbert said in his statement.
Billups, 40, an ESPN analyst who is close with James and Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, has eyed the potential opening in Cleveland, though he has no front-office experience. He was working behind the scenes to put himself in front of Cleveland power brokers during games 3 and 4 of the Finals, sources said.
The Cavs have no picks in the draft. Free agency starts July 1.
Gilbert has owned the Cavs since 2005 and has never kept a general manager beyond his first contract with the team.