David Griffin Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Adam Silver: Resting Marquee Players A “Significant Issue”

March 20th, 2017 at 10:32pm CST by Milo Taibi

10:32pm: USA Today has obtained a full copy of Silver’s memo, Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick report (link). In his statement, Silver implored team owners to be mindful of “business ramifications of sitting players.”

“Decisions of this kind do not merely implicate issues of player health and team performance on the court; they also can affect fans and business partners, impact our reputation, and damage the perception of our game. With so much at stake, it is simply not acceptable for Governors to be uninvolved or to defer decision-making authority on these matters to others in their organizations,” the memo read.

Per Zillgitt, the commissioner indicated there would be a “full discussion of this issue in our Executive Session” on April 6.

8:14pm: NBA commissioner Adam Silver isn’t happy with the growing trend of teams resting star players in nationally televised games. According to a report from Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Silver issued a memo to league owners on Monday, detailing “significant penalties” for teams that don’t provide sufficient notice of rest games.

Silver’s memo argued these games of rest affect “fans and business partners,” alike, while having a negative impact on the consumer’s “perception of our game.” Per Shelburne, teams must provide “notice to the league office, their opponent, and the media immediately upon a determination that a player will not participate in a game due to rest.” Silver’s memo is certain to be a point of discussion at the NBA Board of Governors meeting on April 6th.

Shelburne relayed a statement from ESPN on the subject:

“As always, our aim is to serve NBA fans with the best matchups involving the league’s top stars and we share the fans’ disappointment. We understand this is a complex issue and we’re working closely with the NBA to best address it going forward from a media partnership standpoint.”

Clearly, the league will face resistance in their efforts at reducing rest games. According to an earlier report from Shelburne, Cavs GM David Griffin received a call from the league after he’d opted to rest three starters in a nationally televised game. Griffin doubled-down on his decision, however, citing injuries to core players Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and Kyle Korver. Griffin summed up his argument: “I can’t make [LeBron James] drag himself through this tonight by himself and then have everybody else play tomorrow and still not win.

Yeah, it sucks from a timing perspective. I feel bad for the league. I really do. I feel bad for the league, but it is what it is for us, from an injury standpoint.”

League Unhappy With Cavaliers For Resting Stars

March 19th, 2017 at 8:54am CST by Arthur Hill

Cavaliers GM David Griffin got a call from the league office shortly after the team announced its decision to rest three stars for Saturday’s nationally televised game, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.

LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were all held out of the contest with the Clippers, which was shown in prime time on ABC. The Cavs made the move because they are facing a back-to-back situation with a game tonight in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

It was the second straight game that the network was missing star power, as the Warriors rested Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala last week, while the Spurs were missing Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge for medical reasons.

Griffin said an NBA representative called him “seven minutes after it was announced” to express displeasure with the decision (Twitter link).

The game turned into a rout early as Los Angeles pulled away for a 108-78 victory on a night where ABC was competing with the NCAA Tournament for the attention of basketball fans. The network’s broadcasting crew ripped the Cavaliers throughout, with Mark Jackson calling the mismatch “an absolute joke” and Jeff Van Gundy labeling it “a prosecutable offense.”

Shelburne passed along Griffin’s explanation in a series of tweets:

“The decision made itself. Kyrie left the last game with a knee injury so we weren’t going to have him play both games of a [back-to-back].” (Twitter link).
“Kevin Love is rehabbing from knee surgery so he’s not going to play both ends of a back to back.” (Twitter link).
“[Kyle] Korver is legitimately injured so u pick the game ur going to be the most competitive in and that’s the one Bron needs to play in” (Twitter link).
“I can’t make [Bron] drag himself through this tonight by himself and then have everybody else play tomorrow and still not win.” (Twitter link).

Griffin added that he sympathizes with the league, but injuries dictated the Cavaliers’ actions (Twitter link). When asked about the $24B in television rights being paid by ABC, ESPN and TNT, he responded, “Yeah, and they’re paying me to win a championship.” (Twitter link).

Knicks Notes: Jennings, Griffin, Hornacek, Porzingis

March 5th, 2017 at 10:26am CST by Arthur Hill

Brandon Jennings is still taking shots at the Knicks, even though he’s now in a Wizards uniform, relays Keely Diven of CSNMidAtlantic. After his first game for Washington on Friday, Jennings told reporters the change has been beneficial. “I’m in the same position I was in New York,” he said, “but just in a better system for me personally and with a team that actually plays together.” Jennings was never shy about criticizing the Knicks while he played there, perhaps surprised to see the inner turmoil in the organization after signing a one-year deal worth more than $4.8MM last summer. Jennings agreed to a buyout with New York and signed with the Wizards on Wednesday. He will be an unrestricted free agent again in July.

There’s more out of New York:

Cavaliers GM David Griffin said the team agreed to take J.R. Smith from the Knicks in a 2015 trade involving Iman Shumpert so it wouldn’t have to surrender a first-round pick, tweets Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. Griffin recounted the deal Saturday at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Smith and Shumpert both became contributors during the Cavs’ two trips to the NBA Finals, while the Knicks received Lance Thomas, Lou Amundson, Alex Kirk and a 2019 second-rounder.
Coach Jeff Hornacek says defensive lapses, not the triangle offense, are behind the Knicks’ difficulties in closing out games, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Several players have been pointing fingers at the triangle, with Carmelo Anthony saying after Friday’s loss to the Sixers that other teams adjust during the games, but the Knicks don’t. “When we get down, especially in fourth quarters, we want to run something that’s part of a system,” Hornacek said. “The triangle aspects is one of the systems that you can run that hopefully they can’t double, hopefully they can’t switch. It at least gets you organized in a set.”
Phil Jackson’s attempts to trade Anthony and Derrick Rose before the deadline are evidence that the Knicks will eventually revolve around Kristaps Porzingis, Iannazzone writes in a separate story. He suggests that Porzingis should be made the focus of the offense now, even if it means fewer touches for Anthony.

Cavs Interested In Jose Calderon, Andrew Bogut

February 4th, 2017 at 9:51am CST by Milo Taibi

The Cavaliers may look to play the free agent market after the trade deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN reports. Lakers guard Jose Calderon and Mavs big man Andrew Bogut are two players who “greatly interest” the Cavs in their search for bench help.

Due to salary cap limitations, it appears unlikely that GM David Griffin will pursue Calderon, Bogut, or Deron Williams via trade. What the team hopes, according to Stein, is that one or more of the group is bought out after the February 23 trade deadline.

With neither Bogut nor Williams seemingly interested in a buyout, Calderon has emerged as Cleveland’s most likely target for backcourt depth. The 35-year-old Calderon has averaged 3.5 points with 2.1 assists over 23 games in 2016/17, accumulating three DNPs in the Lakers’ last three games.

Bogut, 32, has posted a career-low 3.0 points per game over 25 appearances with the Mavericks this season. The former No. 1 overall draft pick is in the final year of a three-year, $36MM pact.

Cavaliers Notes: Thompson, Love, Griffin

January 30th, 2017 at 5:31pm CST by Milo Taibi

Now in the second year of a five-year, $82MM pact, Cleveland big man Tristan Thompson balked at criticisms that he hasn’t lived up to his contract. “I earned my money,” Thompson told Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “LeBron’s not my agent. I earned my money doing what I do; you can ask anyone around the league. I opened doors for other guys. It’s a business, and you get paid what the market value is for you. I got my money and opened up doors for other guys that play hard and do the little things.”

While Thompson certainly hasn’t been a hindrance to the 32-14 Cavs, his numbers aren’t what they were in 2012 and 2013. Thompson has averaged 7.5 points with 9.7 rebounds through 46 games while shooting a career-worst 49.3% from the free-throw line. For what it’s worth, Thompson still has LeBron James‘ stamp of approval. “He’s the one rim protector that we have, and we need him to continue to do that,” James said. “You know he’s going to clean glass, but when he’s active like that — trying to get shots blocked and things of that nature, it helps us a lot.”

Other goings-on in the ‘Land…

Kevin Love was removed from the second half of Cleveland’s 107-91 win over OKC on Sunday, and did not make the trip for tonight’s match-up with Dallas. Love, who suffered lower-back spasms in a 12-minute outing, will remain in Cleveland to undergo an MRI. “It’s nothing to play with,” James told Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “It’s a terrible feeling when your back is hurt. It just limits you more than anything. I know it’s very frustrating for him because he puts in a lot of work. He’s in the weight room all the time, and he’s doing his thing to keep his body in shape, then this is happening to him, so it’s very frustrating.”
Cleveland will use their “next man up” mentality without Love against the Mavericks tonight. “Guys have got to step up. This has been our mantra since we first all came together, ‘The Next Man Up,'” Thompson told Matthew Florjancic of WKYC. “We hope Kevin gets well, takes care of his body because we’re going to need him for the long haul. Whatever he has to do to get to 100 percent, that’s the most important thing because we need Kev for the long haul. Everyone wants to push it through, but if you’re hurt or you’re not well, get right because we’re going to need the big fella.” With Love sidelined, Channing Frye appears to be the most logical candidate to receive a bump in court time.
The Cavaliers were among the teams featured in Bobby Marks’ NBA trade guide on The Vertical. To their detriment, Cleveland has only $750K to offer in a trade, and just one second-round pick over the next four years. GM David Griffin has displayed an aggressive nature on the trade market, Marks notes, having completed three January trades since joining the team in 2014. Marks predicts Cleveland will swoop in to sign veterans bought out after the trade deadline.

Latest On Cavs, LeBron, David Griffin

January 25th, 2017 at 7:52pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Earlier in the week, LeBron James publicly called for the Cavaliers to add a playmaker with intention of applying pressure to the team’s decision-makers. A team source told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com that GM David Griffin was disappointed in the manner in which James shared his thoughts.

Griffin intends on sticking to the plan he’s had in place for the several months to add a backup point guard or playmaker and he won’t speed up the search for outside help simply because James made a few comments, McMenamin adds. James and Griffin had a one-on-one meeting earlier today to discuss the star’s comments.

After the meeting, Griffin spoke with the local media, as Brian Dulik of the Medina Gazette passes along in a series of Twitter links.

Griffin said that James’ comments were not “appropriate from a teammate perspective,” and added that the comment about the Cavs being complacent is “really misguided.”

“We’re all frustrated, I get the sentiment,” Griffin said. “I think [LeBron and I] needed it [to talk]. I’m happy.”

Cleveland currently has the largest payroll in league history, but the team is open to adding more salary to win another championship. “We can absolutely increase payroll if it’s the right piece at the right time,” Griffin said before adding that the team has enough talent to go back-to-back. “If we were 100 percent healthy, I feel good about our chances in any [playoff] series.”

Coach Tyronn Lue believes the Cavs can repeat with the players currently on the roster. “We have enough on this team to win a championship,” Lue said earlier today.

A team source told McMenamin that there was disbelief within the front office that James would question the team’s commitment, given its historical payroll. However, another source within the front office told the scribe that the timing of the comments was “brilliant,” as the lashing out could be seen as a motivational tactic designed to get the team back on track.

David Griffin Talks Cavs, Roster Moves

January 16th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by ChrisCrouse

When the Cavs decide to sign or trade for a player, LeBron James is often credited with the orchestration of the roster move. GM David Griffin isn’t upset by the notion that a player is doing his job, though he does believe it’s unfair for outsiders to paint James as someone who is constantly pushing the buttons behind the scenes, as he tells Michael Lee of The Vertical.

“I take offense to it on [James’] behalf at times,” Griffin said. “He doesn’t like that image. I don’t think he wants that image. He wants to lead his troops. He wants to be a player. He wants to lead the guys from within. He never tried to do any more than that. I think for him, it’s almost an unfair characterization of him, that he’s some kind of overlord. That’s not at all what he does.”

James has publicly lobbied for the organization to add a veteran point guard with his most recent request coming after the team traded for Kyle Korver. Griffin knows the team can get better, despite sitting atop the Eastern Conference.

“We like our group. We think we’ve got a group that belongs together, that fits together,” Griffin told Lee. “But if we can improve and continue to further the cause, then we will. We’ve got that same small window to capitalize in and we’re going to do what we need to, when we can.”

Griffin is well-versed in mid-season moves. Within months of taking the GM position, he traded for Spencer Hawes in hopes of competing for the eighth seed in the conference. During the 2014/15 season, he made a bold move in acquiring J.R. Smith along with Iman Shumpert. Last year, he made an even bolder move by firing David Blatt, a coach who had taken the team to the NBA Finals in the previous season.

“Our ownership has something they fell back on as a saying: ‘Nothing clarifies like clarity.’ We know what we’re about. Our only goal is to win championships. Sometimes, when that’s true, decisions make themselves,” Griffin said of the decision to fire Blatt. “It was not an overly difficult decision to make the move we made; it was just difficult to execute. We had a conversation like, ‘Nobody ever does this.’ And my response was, ‘You don’t know how many teams should have and where they’d be had they done it. I know no one has done it, but I can tell you somebody should have.”

The decision turned out to be the right call, as the Cavs won the championship under new coach Tyronn Lue. This year, the team is looking to go back-to-back and Griffin understands the unique situation he’s in, as he tells Lee in the same piece.

“I’ve said this several times since, but you’re basically charged with the legacy of Babe Ruth, and it’s our responsibility to allow that legacy to grow and evolve,” Griffin told Lee. “So it’s almost like a sacred trust that the kid gives you. He’s so good, in his own right, by himself, that he sort of mandates you have to be a title contender just by his presence alone … and if you don’t capitalize on the years he has left, then shame on us.”

Lee’s piece contains several other quotes from Griffin. It’s worth a read for both Cavs fans and fans of the league in general.

Central Notes: Griffin, Korver, Rondo, Leuer

January 11th, 2017 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

Within a piece exploring a handful of David Griffin‘s underappreciated moves for the Cavaliers, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com writes that the Cavs general manager will get right back to work after consummating a pair of deals last week. Having landed a veteran sharpshooter in Kyle Korver, Griffin will move on to the next item on the team’s wish list: a backup point guard.

Perhaps more interestingly, Windhorst also passes along a detail on Griffin’s contract, reporting that it’s set to expire at season’s end. Given the fact that he won a championship last year and has built a roster that looks capable of contending for years to come, Griffin shouldn’t be in any danger at all, so it will be interesting to see if he and the Cavaliers work out an extension anytime soon.

Here’s more out of the Central on the Cavs and some of their division rivals:

Korver didn’t have a memorable debut for the Cavaliers on Tuesday night, scoring just two points in 18 minutes. Still, he’s excited about his new home, calling Cleveland the “most talented team I’ve ever been on,” as Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal details. LeBron James gave some advice to his new teammate this week, telling Korver he wants to see him shoot early and often, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.
After sharing some candid thoughts on Tuesday about his recent benching, Rajon Rondo returned to the court for the Bulls later in the night, playing for the first time in 2017. As K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune reports, Rondo played well enough that head coach Fred Hoiberg said he expected the point guard to remain in the rotation going forward — for now, at least.
Jon Leuer, who had been starting for the Pistons, left Sunday’s game with a knee injury, and while Stan Van Gundy indicated it’s likely not serious, Leuer may miss a few games. Rod Beard of The Detroit News, who notes that rookie Henry Ellenson may receive some more minutes in Leuer’s absence, has the details and quotes.

And-Ones: Whiteside, Brown, Williamson, Griffin

June 26th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hassan Whiteside hopes to make a decision on his future on Friday, the first day teams can negotiate with free agents, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The 27-year-old center says several factors will affect his ultimate choice, but a sense of loyalty to the Heat won’t be among them. “I really don’t think it’s about loyalty,” Whiteside said. “I think it’s just about the best situation for myself and that’s what I think it is.” Whiteside said he had a “good” meeting with team president Pat Riley recently to discuss his future in Miami. “So it’s not that I’m really counting the Heat off or I’m counting on another team,” Whiteside said. “It’s just open.”

There’s more news tonight from around the league:

Former NBA head coach Mike Brown is a “strong contender” to become an assistant coach with the Warriors, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Brown and Tyrone Corbin were believed to be the finalists for the position, but Corbin will join Earl Watson’s staff in Phoenix. Brown has a 347-216 record as head coach of the Cavaliers and Lakers.
The Magic interviewed Corliss Williamson Friday about becoming an assistant to new coach Frank Vogel, tweets Chris Mannix of The Vertical. Williamson is still a member of the Kings‘ coaching staff, so no decision has been made, tweets James Ham of CSNBayArea.
Cavaliers GM David Griffin doesn’t expect to make any major changes to the NBA champs this summer, Stein tweets. “We intend to keep this group together and see what we’re capable of,” Griffin said today during an appearance on ESPN Radio.
The Spurs will consider bringing over 6’10” Slovenian power forward Erazem Lorbek this summer, according to Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio acquired the rights to the 32-year-old in a 2011 deal that sent George Hill to the Pacers. At one time, Lorbek was among the best big men in the Euroleague, but he sat out last season and the Spurs aren’t sure if he is in NBA shape.

Cavaliers Notes: Frye, Griffin, Lue, James

May 8th, 2016 at 6:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Channing Frye‘s huge performance in Game 3 of the series with the Hawks helped justify GM David Griffin’s $32MM decision to bring him to Cleveland, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The Cavaliers acquired Frye from the Magic at the trade deadline, sending a second round pick to Orlando in return. Cleveland had to absorb the rest of Frye’s contract, which runs through 2017/18, plus luxury taxes, bringing the total cost of the deal to about $32MM. Frye, who had 27 points off the bench Friday as the Cavs won in Atlanta, was close to joining the Cavaliers before. He visited them in 2009, but opted for Phoenix. Griffin recruited him in 2014, offering the chance to play with Kyrie Irving and possibly Gordon Hayward, but those plans were scuttled when LeBron James announced he was returning to Cleveland.

There’s more news as the Cavs return to the conference finals:

Cleveland gave Frye an opportunity he never had in Orlando, according to Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. The 33-year-old Frye was a veteran stuck in a rebuilding situation with the Magic, but now he’s surrounded by All-Stars and has the chance to win a title. “When I got traded here I knew there was responsibility to come at the level these guys are playing at,” Frye said. “[Magic coach] Scott Skiles told me, ‘Hey Channing man, you’re a great player, you’re going to help them win a game in a series, you know. You’re going to help them win a game and do some bigger things.’ I always think about that.”
This may be Tyronn Lue‘s first postseason as a head coach, but he’s performing like a veteran, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Lue compiled a 27-14 record after taking over for the fired David Blatt in January. Now he’s trying to surpass Blatt’s performance from a year ago and lead the Cavaliers to a championship. “Being able to push the right buttons is actually working out,” Lue said. “It feels good right now.”
The sweep of Atlanta sets up a possible series with the Heat, with the highest stakes since James left Miami two years ago, according to Mitch Lawrence of Forbes.com. “It’d be great to play against those guys in the postseason,” James said of his former team. “Throughout my whole career, I’ve always wanted to go against [Dwyane] Wade in a playoff series. We’ve always talked about it even before we became teammates in ’10. It’s not been heavy on my mind, but it’s crossed my mind throughout my whole career.”