Gilbert says he will not extend GM’s contract

Al Lerner passed away in 2002 in his fourth year as owner of the expansion Browns. That was the only season they’ve made the playoffs since 1999. Year 19 isn’t looking like the one that is going to end the 15-year drought. Lerner was successful in many things in life, but he knew very little about putting a football team together, never felt the urge to become a de facto general manager and never felt the need to meddle with the football decisions of then-team president Carmen Policy and thenhead coach Butch Davis.

“I’m the president of The Cleveland Clinic Foundation,” Lerner would explain in his typically logical way.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m qualified to do heart surgery.”

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert could learn a lesson from Lerner’s wisdom about when an owner should butt out.

David Griffin will not be returning to the Cavaliers as the team’s general manager because, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Gilbert and Griffin did not have the same vision of the future for the Cavaliers.

This was not about Griffin wanting more money in a new contract than Gilbert was willing to pay.

I don’t have enough money to buy a ticket to an NBA playoff game, let alone own an NBA team. But if I were smart enough to be rich enough to own a professional sports team, I would like to think my ego would not get in the way of deferring to the guy who in three seasons as Cavaliers general manager put together teams that went to three straight NBA Finals, winning the championship the second time and on the third time losing to a Warriors team some pundits are saying is the greatest team in NBA history.

The last time the Cavs went to three straight Finals — oh, wait, that never happened before Griffin got here.

“The Cleveland Cavaliers and its General Manager,

David Griffin, have mutually decided not to extend David’s current contract, which ends June 30, 2017,” Gilbert said in a heartwarming statement June 19 — ironically the one-year anniversary of the Cavaliers winning the NBA championship. “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.”

The statement might have included, but didn’t, the line, “Don’t let the door hit you in the butt on your way out.”

Trent Redden, senior vice president of basketball operations, is also out. Chauncey Billups, who played 17 NBA seasons, is rumored to be Griffin’s replacement.

Gilbert must think his money is responsible for the Larry O’Brien Trophy won in 2016 just because the Cavaliers had the highest payroll in the NBA the

past two seasons.

Griffin will have no problem finding future employment, though the three teams he was linked to — Orlando, Atlanta and Milwaukee — when in April rumors his days here were numbered, have already found general managers. They could not wait until Griffin’s contract expired, not with the draft June 22.

The Magic in mid-May asked the Cavaliers permission to interview Griffin. The Cavaliers denied it. At the time, Griffin indicated he thought he’d be back with the Cavs. The Cavs also denied the Hawks permission to interview Griffin.

It is no consolation to him, but Griffin is now part of a trio of general managers whose contracts were not renewed by Gilbert. Danny Ferry resigned in 2010 and Chris Grant was fired in 2014, paving the way for Griffin.

But not keeping Griffin rubs a lot of people, including LeBron James, the wrong way. On April

20, during the Cavs firstround series with the Pacers, James told ESPN that Griffin should be retained.

“It makes no sense why he shouldn’t get an extension,” James said. “He’s pulled every move — he’s tried to make every move happen — to better this team to be able to compete for a championship. So we wouldn’t be in this position, obviously, without him and without the guys that are here — from the coaching staff to the players to Griff. He’s been a big piece of it.”

Gilbert did not consult James, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, before deciding to go in a different direction, as the cliché goes.

At least this proves James isn’t running the show.

But Dan Gilbert’s money doesn’t make Gilbert right.

Schudel can be reached at JSchudel@News-Herald. com; on Twitter: @jsproinsider.

RON SCHWANE — ASSOCIATED PRESS David Griffin watches warmups before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 24, 2015. The Cavs and Griffin parted ways June 19.