Chris Grant Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: David Griffin, Deng, Mbah a Moute

February 11th, 2014 at 9:41pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Since drafting Kyrie Irving in 2011, ex-Cavaliers GM Chris Grant made one draft mistake after another in the following years and spent his final months in Cleveland offering overvalued young players in lopsided proposals for LaMarcus Aldridge, Anthony Davis, and Andre Drummond, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Eventually, Wojnarowski says, few NBA executives had the inclination to listen to Grant’s one-sided offers.

Now that the Cavs have elevated David Griffin into the role of interim GM, the team may have a chance to make some improvements through trades based on Griffin’s superior standing with other executives from around the league. Wojnarowski reports that until the deadline, Griffin will be working the phones with a mandate to keep pushing for the playoffs.

You can find tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes below, including more from the above piece:

Though one Eastern Conference executive views Griffin’s current situation as an opportunity to impress Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, Wojnarowski writes that Gilbert’s plan nevertheless is to search the NBA landscape for Grant’s replacement.
Wojnarowski says that in order to keep Luol Deng in Cleveland after this season, the Cavs would likely have to exceed his market value; letting him walk would be too embarrassing after paying such a steep price to acquire him, the Yahoo! scribe adds.
Timberwolves forward Luc Mbah a Moute could be the most likely to be dealt from Minnesota right now, says Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).
Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said on ESPN 98.7 FM’s “The Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show” that if New York makes a deal between now and the trade deadline, he expects to be involved in the discussion: “I would like to think that if something goes down, I’m sure they will include me…It’s been that way since I’ve been here and I don’t see that changing. We just have to let it play out and see what happens” (Ian Begley of ESPN New York). Woodson’s job security has been a hot topic as of late on Hoops Rumors, and multiple reports over the last week suggest that his days in New York could be numbered.
Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders outlines several potential trading partners and scenarios for the Knicks if they were to trade Carmelo Anthony.

Fallout From Cavs GM Change

February 6th, 2014 at 6:49pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The big news out of Cleveland today was the firing of GM Chris Grant. The team was expected to let Grant go after the season, but with the team losing six in a row, and 10 of their last 13 games, team owner Dan Gilbert felt he couldn’t wait that long. There are a number of candidates now being considered to take over the now-vacant GM position. The trade deadline is looming, and the team may be looking to shake up its roster. The only thing certain right now is that the team is in trouble on the court, and now in a state-of-flux off of it.

Here’s more on the state of the Cavs:

Grant has a reputation around the league as being difficult to work with, and executives from other teams believe he valued his own players too highly, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe. Gilbert, rather than Grant, engineered the Andrew Bynum signing this past summer, Lowe adds.
In the press conference where he discussed firing Grant, Dan Gilbert mentioned how no one associated with the team is happy with how the season is going, and he alluded to the need for “cultural and environment change.” If that is indeed the case, then it doesn’t make sense to fire the GM, but keep the coach, writes Terry Pluto of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. He believes that Mike Brown might be more responsible for the team’s current woes than Grant. The team isn’t responding to him, and the Cavs aren’t playing with the necessary effort to turn things around, says Pluto, who also believes the team would be in better shape if it had retained Byron Scott for another season.
Dan Gilbert purchased majority ownership of the Cavs back in 2005. In that time he’s seen his share of turmoil, but he says this season has been the “most challenging,” writes Jodie Valade of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Gilbert didn’t go as far as promising that Mike Brown’s job was safe, but did mention that Brown has been with the team less than a full season. Gilbert also stated, “We’re going to see Mike Brown succeed this year. I think he will be able to do good things in the next 30 games or so.”
With the team looking to shake up its roster, Basketball Insiders takes a look at the roster and salaries interim GM David Griffin has to work with.
Lack of progress led to Grant’s firing, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. With the team having had four top-four draft picks in three years, including two No. 1 overall choices, the team should have been moving in a much more positive direction, opines Amico. The poor season that Anthony Bennett is having also didn’t help Grant’s case.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders thinks Grant’s firing suggests roster changes will be coming, with the trade deadline two weeks away. A new GM won’t have any attachment to the players whom Grant brought in, which means a roster shakeup could be happening soon. The only player who should feel secure is Kyrie Irving. Every other player, including Luol Deng, could be on the move, according to Kennedy.
There are five tasks the new Cavs GM must tackle, writes Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. These include retaining Kyrie Irving, finding a new head coach, re-signing Deng, drafting better, and bringing in more efficient offensive players.

Cavs Fire GM Chris Grant

February 6th, 2014 at 1:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavaliers have officially announced the firing of GM Chris Grant. Cavs vice president of basketball operations David Griffin will replace Grant on an interim basis.

The news isn’t altogether shocking, given Cleveland’s 16-33 record and Kyrie Irving‘s reported discontent with the franchise, though the timing is a surprise, since it comes just two weeks shy of the trade deadline. A weekend report from Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News suggested the team was expected to fire Grant after the season, though it appears owner Dan Gilbert didn’t want to wait that long.

“There is no one in our entire organization who is satisfied with our performance, and to say that we are disappointed is an understatement,” Gilbert said in part, according to the team’s statement. “We all know the great potential of our young talent, seasoned veterans, as well as our recent all-star addition [Luol Deng]. We believe a change in leadership was necessary to establish the best possible culture and environment for our entire team to flourish.”

Cleveland has had numerous misfires of late, including last season’s No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett, who’s averaging just 3.3 points and 11.9 minutes per game. Gilbert had reportedly given the team a mandate to make the playoffs before Bennett was drafted, and his poor start, reflected in the team’s record, helped push the team into acquiring Deng last month, but Cleveland has gone just 4-10 with Deng in the lineup.

Last night’s loss to the banged-up Lakers was apparently the last straw. L.A. ended the game with only five healthy players and had to exploit a little-known NBA rule to keep Robert Sacre on the floor even though he had fouled out.

Grant, who first joined the club as assistant GM in 2005, took over as GM on June 4, 2010, about a month before LeBron James decided to sign with the Heat. That forced Grant into a rebuilding period, helped along by his shrewd trade of Mo Williams and Jamario Moon for Baron Davis and an unprotected draft pick that became the No. 1 overall selection in 2011. The Cavs used it to select Irving, and while Tristan Thompson, the No. 4 overall pick this year, has begun to show signs of development, Grant has had little other success in the draft. Dion Waiters, the No. 4 overall pick in 2012, has been relegated to a sixth-man role after starting for most of his rookie season, and Bennett and Sergey Karasev, last year’s first-rounders, have yet to make meaningful contributions.

The Cavs have relied chiefly on the draft during Grant’s tenure, but the club has also endured high-profile free agent misses. Cleveland committed a combined $29.65MM in guaranteed salary to Jarrett Jack, Earl Clark and the since-traded Andrew Bynum this past summer, none of whom have had the desired effect. The shortcomings of wing players Alonzo Gee and C.J. Miles, Cleveland’s most expensive gets of the summer of 2012, were part of the reason the club traded for Deng.

Grant changed coaches this past offseason, parting ways with Byron Scott and moving swiftly to re-hire Mike Brown, whom the club fired in 2010, shortly before Grant became GM. Brown, in the first year of a five-year contract, has so far failed to deliver winning results.

Griffin has earned respect around the league while serving under Grant in Cleveland’s front office the past three and a half years. He was a candidate for the Clippers GM job in 2012.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports was first to report the firing, as well as the news that Griffin was the favorite to be elevated in Grant’s place (Twitter link). Grantland’s Zach Lowe added detail about Griffin, on Twitter.

Lawrence On Deng, Cavaliers, Irving, Heat

February 1st, 2014 at 4:53pm CST by Charlie Adams

As usual, the latest weekly column by Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News is filled with intriguing rumors and notes. Let’s dive in and look at some of the most notable pieces:

Luol Deng was not happy to be traded to the Cavaliers, according to Lawrence. Deng reportedly expressed disdain for his new team to a close friend: “The stuff going on in practice would never be tolerated by the coaching staff or the front office back in Chicago. It’s a mess.” Should this report be true, it doesn’t sound like Deng will be open to staying in Cleveland beyond this season. Most Hoops Rumors readers don’t seem to think he will anyway.
Lawrence hears that Cavaliers GM Chris Grant is expected to lose his job at the end of the season as ownership grows tired of losing and hearing about persistent locker room issues. Since trading for Deng, the team is 4-7 and still remains out of the playoff picture in the weak Eastern Conference.
A league source tells Lawrence that Kyrie Irving is close to firing his agent, Jeff Wechsler. Reportedly, Wechsler wants Irving to stay in Cleveland, but Irving would prefer to leave the Cavs and become a member of the Knicks. Just a few days ago, we heard Irving strongly deny he has any desire to leave Cleveland.
The Heat have expressed interest in retaining LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, but Lawrence hears that all three have “sent signals” that they want to get a maximum deal in free agency since they all took pay cuts to sign together in Miami three summers ago.
One insider for the Heat spoke on a potential end to the big three era in Miami, telling Lawrence, “that’s a real concern for us. The biggest concern? LeBron leaving.“

Coach/GM Rumors: Jazz, Wizards, Raps, Cavs

November 22nd, 2013 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

It may seem a little early in the season for any NBA teams to make a coaching change, but it’s worth noting that each of the league’s 30 coaches have already survived twice as long this year as Mike Brown did with the Lakers a year ago. While there may not be any coaching or front office shake-ups right around the corner, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com examines situations of potential unrest around the league, offering up a few tidbits along the way. Let’s round them up….

Despite leading the Jazz to a 1-12 start, coach Tyrone Corbin doesn’t appear to be in any danger, since the focus in Utah is on player development rather than wins and losses. Berger adds that there’s also no logical in-house candidate to serve as an interim coach now that former assistant Jeff Hornacek is in Phoenix.
League sources question how much longer Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld “can remain in self-preservation mode,” says Berger.
If the Wizards and Raptors continue losing, Randy Wittman and Dwane Casey could be in a dead heat for the first coach to be replaced. According to Berger, the feeling around the league is that new Toronto president Masai Ujiri would be quick to make a change and start putting his own stamp on the franchise if things go south for Casey and the Raptors.
Cavaliers GM Chris Grant is on “shaky ground,” sources tell Berger. While coach Mike Brown may have pushed for the drafting of Anthony Bennett, Brown just signed a four-year contract with the team, so Grant’s seat is much hotter than his coach’s.
Pelicans GM Dell Demps and Pistons GM Joe Dumars are among the other executives who could be in danger of losing their jobs if their respective teams aren’t in the playoff hunt, writes Berger.

Cavs Notes: Grant, Coaches, Free Agents

April 18th, 2013 at 10:57pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The news of Byron Scott's firing has sent an emotional ripple effect throughout the Cavaliers' organization, especially stunning many of the players, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. GM Chris Grant, who admitted that the decision was a difficult one "personally and professionally," told reporters that the team hadn't been making enough progress to warrant continued direction under coach Scott.

As for a replacement, Grant said: "Moving forward we'll look for someone with proven success and look for somebody who is strong defensively with proven systems…We'll look for somebody who is a teacher. We'll look for somebody who is a grinder and a worker."

We have quite a few links to relay regarding the Cavs tonight, and you can find them below:

Schmitt Boyer compiled a list of potential coaching candidates, categorizing them in terms of "shoot for the moon" targets, former head coaches, highly regarded NBA assistants, and college coaches.
The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto makes a case for Stan Van Gundy as a possible fit in Cleveland, saying that the Cavaliers would definitely like to talk to him soon. Pluto also suggests a possibility that the organization considers someone who has never been an NBA head coach – such as Heat assistant coach David Fizdale – to take the coaching reins.
Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press mentions that Flip Saunders – a native of Cleveland – could be another option, though the former Timberwolves coach could also be linked to Minnesota depending on if Rick Adelman and/or David Kahn remain with that organization.
Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer writes that the NBA will hold a random tiebreaker on Friday which will determine what draft choice the team receives from the Lakers in June. She also runs down the list of impending free agents on the roster and discusses the likelihood of their return or departure.
In addition to eliciting more reaction from the Cavs players, Schmitt Boyer was able to hear Luke Walton's thoughts about whether or not he could see Phil Jackson joining the franchise as a coach: "I get surprised every day in this league. But we're a pretty young team right here right now for Coach Jackson to come back. I would be surprised if he'd come to such a young team on that side of the process. But I get shocked every day in this league, so I won't say it's not going to happen.''

Cavaliers Rumors: Grant, Scott, Livingston

March 17th, 2013 at 12:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavaliers nearly pulled out an upset of the Spurs last night in a game bereft of injured All-Star point guards Kyrie Irving and Tony Parker, but instead Cleveland lost and continued its trudge toward the lottery. The lottery and draft are usually banner events for the Cavs, who will come away with two top-20 selections for the third season in a row if the Lakers hold on and make the playoffs. Bob Finnan of The News-Herald checks in with the latest from Ohio's team, and we'll hit the highlights:

Finnan hears from league sources who believes there will be pressure on GM Chris Grant and coach Byron Scott next season, and speculates that both could be gone if the team doesn't make the playoffs.
The Cavs picked up Shaun Livingston's minimum-salary contract off waivers from the Wizards earlier this season, but Finnan believes it will take more than the minimum to keep him around next season, estimating that a two-year, $4MM offer could be enough to bring him back.
Scott is pining for someone who can protect the rim. "I'd love to have a couple of guys down there that would change shots and block shots," the coach said. "Hopefully, we'll get that in due time." Scott believes Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson could eventually develop into shot-blockers.
Finnan also passes along a look at the NBA's top agents from Michael Pina of Hoops Rumors.

Central Notes: Speights, Cavs, Plumlee

February 9th, 2013 at 5:35pm CST by Sean Highkin

With Derrick Rose returning to the Bulls soon, the Pacers rounding into a serious challenger to the Heat in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, and the Bucks looking like a late-seed sleeper, here's a look at the happenings around the Central Division.

Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer has a new mailbag column in which she discusses the possibility that Marreese Speights will be traded before the February 21 deadline. She believes it's possible if the team believes he will opt out of his $4.5MM option for next season, but says his veteran experience makes him worth keeping around.
Schmitt Boyer does not know when Lucas Nogueira and Augusto Lima, two Brazilian draft prospects represented by Anderson Varejao's agent, Dan Fegan, plan to enter the NBA draft.
Schmitt Boyer writes that the Cavs did not make an attempt to trade for Rudy Gay because his contract would have limited their options in future years of free agency.
Schmitt Boyer breaks down the protections on the Lakers' first-round pick the Cavs own, explaining that Cleveland only gets to swap their own pick with the Lakers if Los Angeles makes the playoffs.
Schmitt Boyer writes in a separate column that Cavs GM Chris Grant is known to make a lot of moves at the deadline, and she expects him to be active again this year.
Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star has a feature on Pacers rookie Miles Plumlee, who is currently playing in the D-League.

Odds & Ends: Austin Rivers, Cooper, Stoudemire

August 21st, 2012 at 9:15pm CST by Ryan Raroque

John Reid of the Times-Picayune writes that Austin Rivers is on schedule to be fully healed in time for Hornets' training camp in October after undergoing surgery on his right ankle three weeks ago. The rookie joins a list of teammates, namely Xavier Henry and Robin Lopez, who are recovering from recent surgeries. Regardless, head coach Monty Williams looks to have all three ready by the time the regular season starts. With that aside, here are more noteworthy tidbits from around the Association:

C.J. Miles elaborated more on the opportunity he has to expand his game with the Cavaliers, especially for a coach like Byron Scott, who believes that Miles has a lot of untapped potential (Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com reports).
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets that former Timberwolves and Trail Blazers assistant Dean Cooper is headed to the Rockets to join Kevin McHale's coaching staff.
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link) mentions that Cavaliers GM Chris Grant is encouraged about Kelenna Azubuike, who looks like he's moving well and could be a contributor this season.
Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that he'll return to the court "stronger than ever" this upcoming season.
76ers GM Rod Thorn acknowledges heightened expectations and says that Philadelphia fans appear to be especially excited because of the acquisition of Andrew Bynum, according to Dei Lynam of CSN Philly.
Jenni Carlson of NewsOK thinks that James Harden is better suited to thrive in a small market city with the Thunder rather than be potentially distracted in what she terms "hot spots."

Amico On Grant, Miles, Irving, Waiters

August 21st, 2012 at 5:47pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio writes that Cavaliers GM Chris Grant is happy with where the team is now, having added Dion Waiters, Tyler Zeller, and C.J. Miles this summer (Sulia link). However, Grant also says that the team still hopes to sign Alonzo Gee but understands that the process could take some time (Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer tweets). Here are a few more miscellaneous notes coming out of Cleveland this evening, courtesy of Amico:

Miles, who looks at his situation in Cleveland as a fresh start, believes that he has more to offer than what he had been able to show in Utah (Sulia link).
According to head coach Byron Scott, Kyrie Irving says he's "doing great" and has already been dribbling with his surgically repaired hand.
Scott also mentioned that Dion Waiters has been working out in Los Angeles since the summer league and appeared to look much better conditioning-wise.