The Knicks have begun preliminary talks with David Griffin about becoming the team’s next GM, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.
The former Cavaliers GM had dinner with team executive Steve Mills on Friday and is expected to meet with owner James Dolan soon. If the Knicks hire Griffin, he will take over day-to-day basketball operations, with Mills moving into the president’s role that was formerly held by Phil Jackson.
However, the Knicks are reportedly opposed to letting Griffin bring in the front office staff he had in Cleveland. New York has an entrenched staff that has been in place for years, and the team is reluctant to make widespread changes, according to the ESPN authors. Sources tell them that Griffin may not accept the job if it means working with an inherited front office.
Griffin had a successful track record in Cleveland, where he served as GM for three years and constructed a championship roster. He was let go at the end of June after his contract expired.
The Knicks are hoping to revamp their roster and are concentrating on players 25 and younger. Their latest move, signing Tim Hardaway Jr. for $71MM over four years, was orchestrated by Mills, according to Wojnarowski and Shelburne.
Wouldn’t mind him coming aboard
Knicks could really make progress very fast if they picked up Griff. However, that’s a really bad sticking point where he can’t bring any of his people the FO. There’s a reason the Knicks have a miserable track record in recent history.
True. They better let him bring some of his people in.
This would be a great hire for the Knicks.
Too bad he can’t undo that Hardaway contract
Would you rather have Otto porter at $126 million or Tim at $71?
Neither
Both are absurd contracts.
Otto is coming back at $106 MM
Porter. He’s a talent on a completely different level than THJ. There’s a reason one was a top 3 pick (after 1 year in college) and the other picked at the bottom of the first round (after 3). He’s a complete player who’s already a starter on a top 8 team, with a lot of upside from here. THJ is a backup on a good team, a volume shooter with little efficiency or passing skills and a horrible defender. THJ had one good stretch finishing this past season (he was in the D-league for a significant part of last year). The difference in salary isn’t that much because Porter’s contract is 5 years.
what dod ever do in Cleveland??? followed LBJs orders….Sam Hinkie wouldve been the better choice….and why does Steve Mills get to keep his job , hes done nothing good since hes been with the team….Griffin will be gone in 3 years….
how about making it possible that James could make a comeback to Cleveland? There’s also obtaining players when it seems there’s no cap or possible trade capabilities.
One example… Korver for what’s his name. OR both Derron and Derrick Williams for the league minimum and not having to give up anything. Channing Frye deal anyone? And there’s that pesky championship trophy.
Frye and Korver both cost 1st round picks. A LeBron team signing bought out players for the balance of a season isn’t a GM accomplishment.
He’s hard to evaluate. He didn’t build the championship team (he was just there when LeBron decided to come back). The Love trade was one any GM could have made. But, on the other hand, he’s done a good job getting pieces to fit in around their big 3. His best move was getting JR, Shump and Mozgov for (effectively) Waiters (who had little value at the time) and a Memphis first rounder. They don’t go to the finals 3 years ago without that deal. After that, without cap space and deep in the luxury tax, there was not much more he could do than pick up pieces like Frye and Korver.
The Hardaway contract might be a huge problem in that if the Knicks brought in Griffin he might be able to convince LaBron to become a Knick at the end of the year which could also bring in Paul George since they want to play together. If you add them to KP it would be a great team with a chance to win it all. The key is to clear cap space and compete with the Lakers for these players. And if not Anthony Davis will be a FA in a couple years etc… but you can’t sign people like THjr for $71M and expect to have a chance to do the Big deals to add to KP. NY and LA will always be desired places to play.
Too late. Knicks already let Mills incompetently give out the worst contract of this FA season (still laughing at the trade kicker), which used up all their cap space this year and limit them going forward.
Get a fire hose and wash the FO out. Nothing like a good cleaning to get a new start!
Quote remember this from platinumcardbreaks.com. Lebron to knicks in 2018 he wants so badly to be loved and be better then all in his mind and what would be better then winning a championship and turning around a franchise….. even Mike said best arena to play in is Madison Square Garden. Lebron to nyk
Knicks f’d this up…..now being reported that Griffin has withdrawn his name….THEY WOULDNT GIVE HIM COMPLETE CONTROL OVER BASKETBALL DECISIONS!!!WOW…i wasnt for Griffin but this is comical,borderline sad and patheitc!!!
Griff passed on this. Not being able to bring in some of his guys plus not having authority over basketball decisions. Geesch. An owner can do what they want as it’s their team, but it seems when an owner decides he knows more than the GM there’s usually problems. Dan Gilbert has done the same thing this summer.