David Griffin Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Sterling, Cavs, Brown, Rockets

May 11th, 2014 at 10:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Donald Sterling’s sit down with Anderson Cooper airs on CNN tomorrow night, but Charles Barkley won’t be among those watching. “We got to work tomorrow night so we don’t have to watch that junk,” the Hall of Famer told his Inside The NBA cohorts as they came back from commercial, as noted by Nina Mandell of USA Today. Here’s tonight’s look around the league..

LeBron James and other NBA players are concerned about Shelly Sterling taking control of the Clippers, but a statement released this evening by NBA spokesman Mike Bass could put those worries to bed. “Under the NBA Constitution, if a controlling owner’s interest is terminated by a 3/4 vote, all other team owners’ interests are automatically terminated as well. It doesn’t matter whether the owners are related as is the case here. These are the rules to which all NBA owners agreed to as a condition of owning their team,” the statement read (Howard Beck of Bleacher Report on Twitter).
Shelly Sterling’s attorney released a statement of his own to reporters, including Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter).
Sources tell Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert will support whatever decision the team’s next GM makes regarding Mike Brown. So, it appears the coach’s fate is in the hands of David Griffin, who’s expected to have the interim tag removed from his GM title soon. People around the league are split on whether Griffin would retain Brown, according to Amico.
Kostas Papanikolaou, whose NBA rights are owned by the Rockets, says he’s in no rush to make the leap over. “Nothing changed in my thoughts about the NBA. If I get a good chance, I will go. However, I am new in this team [FC Barcelona Regal], they have treated me with respect and I only think about Barcelona. A team that helps me evolve my game and be better. So, I don’t know what will happen, if I will end up in the NBA this summer or the next one,” the Euroleague standout told Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Cavs Expected To Name Griffin Permanent GM

May 10th, 2014 at 8:38pm CST by Eddie Scarito

David Griffin is close to being named the permanent GM of the Cavaliers, reports Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. This news is also confirmed by a tweet from Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Griffin has been the team’s acting general manager since team owner Dan Gilbert fired Chris Grant on Feb. 6th. According to the article, neither Gilbert nor Griffin would comment, but a source said that after interviewing four or five serious candidates, the Cavs settled on Griffin.

After Griffin took over for Grant, the team responded with a six-game winning streak, which was its longest since the 2009/10 season, and went 17-16 the rest of the way, remaining in the playoff hunt until the final week of the season, notes Schmitt Boyer. He was the one who pulled the trigger on the trade that brought Spencer Hawes in from the Sixers.

Griffin joined the Cavs as vice president of basketball operations in 2010, after Danny Ferry resigned as GM. Before joining the Cavs, Griffin spent 17 years with the Suns, starting as an intern in communications and working his way up to Suns senior vice president of basketball operations. During his time with Phoenix he also served as assistant GM of player personnel, director of player personnel, assistant director of player personnel, basketball operations assistant and media relations assistant, per the article.

One of the first calls that Griffin will have to make is in regard to the status of coach Mike Brown. No matter who is named GM, a league source tells Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that Brown’s job is “very much up in the air” (Twitter link).

Eastern Notes: Thibodeau, Young, Cavs, Bucks

May 3rd, 2014 at 9:12pm CST by Cray Allred

In a subscription-only piece, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune looks at the Bulls roster heading into the offseason, addressing 10 of the 15 players that finished the year under contract in Chicago. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

David Haugh of The Chicago Tribune thinks that the Bulls are highly unlikely to grant an opportunity for Tom Thibodeau to speak with the Lakers, who are rumored to have interest in the coach. However, Haugh believes the lack of a public statement to dispel the notion from either Thibodeau or management belies a pettiness between the two sides.
A league source floated a far-fetched possibility to Haugh: that Thibodeau and Carmelo Anthony, both represented by Creative Arts Agency, could angle to join forces with the Lakers, rather than with the Bulls.
Tom Moore of Calkins Media thinks that Thaddeus Young could demand a trade this offseason, if the Sixers draft a power forward in the lottery and ask the veteran to come off the bench for another losing season. Though Young survived Philadelphia’s efforts to deal away most of its veterans for draft assets this past trade deadlines, speculation about Young’s future with the team has remained.
The Cavs are waiting to see which candidates become available before making the final call on interim GM David Griffin and coach Mike Brown, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Members of the Bucks coaching staff and front office still remain uncertain about their employment status in wake of the team’s new ownership, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.

Charlie Adams contributed to this post.

Lawrence On D’Antoni, Gasol, Calipari, Sterling

May 3rd, 2014 at 2:12pm CST by Charlie Adams

Mike D’Antoni walked away from the Lakers due in part because the team is likely to attempt to re-sign Pau Gasol this summer, reports Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. A source tells Lawrence that D’Antoni knew that Gasol and Kobe Bryant didn’t want to play for him, so he made the decision to resign from the team on Wednesday. Let’s have a look at some more interesting notes from Lawrence’s piece:

Kurt Rambis and Byron Scott are two of the most viable candidates for the Lakers’ coaching job, hears Lawrence. We reported on Thursday that both Rambis and Scott are set to interview with the team.
Despite rumored interest, Lawrence says there’s no chance John Calipari will become the next head coach for the Lakers. The team reportedly has “zero interest” in hiring Calipari.
Stan Van Gundy was contacted about taking over the head coaching role for the Pistons, but talks didn’t get far because he wanted some level of control over the team’s personnel decisions, writes Lawrence.
Lawrence hears that once Adam Silver meets with Donald Sterling, Silver is expected to tell Sterling that the league will battle him in court to see that the franchise is sold, no matter the resistance Sterling puts up.
Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston and director of player personnel Mark Warkentien aren’t worried about their jobs, since the duo has contracts with owner Jim Dolan and not the Knicks specifically, says Lawrence. As a result, the pair will be able to retain their positions, even if Phil Jackson doesn’t want them around.
The Cavs and Bucks still haven’t decided whether or not they’ll keep their general managers beyond this season, reveals Lawrence. Both Central Division teams failed to meet preseason expectations and finished well below .500.
It’s likely Mark Jackson will be fired by the Warriors, suggests Lawrence, who adds the coach might have a hard time landing another job with an NBA team because of the perceived dysfunction in Golden State’s organization during his tenure.
The Thunder could potentially see a first-round playoff exit tonight, but Lawrence says Scott Brooks‘ position is safe in Oklahoma City.

Cavs Notes: Griffin, Brown, Irving, Waiters

April 22nd, 2014 at 11:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Reports have linked Cavs interim GM David Griffin to the front offices of the Knicks, and, more recently, the Pistons, but he indicated a strong preference to remain in Cleveland as he spoke today with reporters, including Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer.

“You’re either all the way in, or you’re all the way out,” Griffin said. “There’s no in-between. This is where I want to be.”

Here’s more on Griffin and the Cavs:

Griffin said he doesn’t know when he’ll hear about his future with the team from owner Dan Gilbert, and while he said he’s confident that he and Gilbert are moving in the same direction, Griffin also said he needs to improve, Valade notes in the same piece. Still, the acting GM gave the impression that his job is safe, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio observes (Twitter link).
Coach Mike Brown is on shakier ground, according to Amico, and ownership is looking for honest assessments of Brown from the team’s players and, once in place, its front office staff, Amico writes.
Griffin would like to shift the team’s focus from “asset accumulation mode” to “target acquisition mode,” he says, and he plans to target size, toughness, basketball IQ and shooting, as Valade chronicles. Still, he’s high on his backcourt pairing of Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters. “I’ve seen flashes of them being very, very good together,” Griffin said. “… They’re two ball-dominant, drive-and-kick players. They require spacing and shooters. It’s too easy to look at them and blame one of them. It’s a collective thing.”

Central Rumors: Griffin, Cavs, Bucks, Pistons

April 21st, 2014 at 6:24pm CST by Zachary Links

While nothing is etched in stone, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (on Twitter) hears that the “feel inside” the organization is that David Griffin will be the Cavs‘ GM next season. There has been question about whether Griffin would be retained or if he might jump ship to take the now vacant Pistons’ GM job. More out of the Central..

Once the front office is in place, the source tells Amico (link) that the Cavs will seek “honest opinions” from players and management on whether they truly believe in coach Mike Brown.
The NBA has the right to buy back the Bucks from incoming owners Wesley Edens and Mark Lasry if a deal to a bring a new arena to the city is not in place by November 2017, sources briefed on the situation tell Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The team, purchased for $550MM, can be bought back by the league for $575MM in construction isn’t underway by the deadline. One source added that the league would likely only take that step if it didn’t see “significant progress” by then.
Former Pistons executive Scott Perry could be ready for his shot as General Manager, writes Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News. Perry had two stints with the Pistons, first as a college scout (2000-02) and then director of player personnel (2002-07) before leaving then returning as Vice President from 2008-12. Perry, along with Thunder assistant GM Troy Weaver, Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk, Celtics assistant GM Michael Zarren and Griffin, are the hot names Detroit will likely interview.
Questions swirl as the Cavaliers enter the offseason, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. It remains to be seen who will stay and who will go, and that includes from Griffin, coach Mike Brown, free agents Luol Deng and Spencer Hawes, and even star Kyrie Irving.

Central Rumors: Cavs, Colangelo, Bucks

April 20th, 2014 at 7:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this week, our own Chuck Myron looked at the free agent stock of Cavaliers small forward Luol Deng. The Cavs were in talks with several teams about flipping Deng at the deadline, a sign that the club isn’t confident about its chances to keep the small forward. We know that the The Lakers and Suns have interest, and the Mavs, Celtics, Magic and Bobcats are reportedly likely suitors as well, so things appear to be wide-open for the 29-year-old. Here’s the latest out of the Central Division..

If Cavaliers acting General Manager David Griffin leaves the Cavs for the vacant Pistons job or isn’t retained, Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer says two names to keep in mind are Bryan Colangelo and Ed Stefanski. Both were most recently with the Raptors and both likely would be under consideration should the Cavs have an opening. Griffin actually worked in Phoenix for Colangelo. Stefanski, meanwhile, was previously was president and GM of the 76ers and GM of the Nets where he worked alongside Rod Thorn.
New Bucks owners Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry spoke with Don Walker of the Journal-Sentinel about what fueled them to buy the club, their business philosophy, and their plan to land a new arena.
The Journal-Sentinel staff graded the Bucks‘ 2013/14 season and the report card isn’t pretty. Milwaukee’s final grade is an F in part because the off-season moves to sign Larry Sanders and O.J. Mayo to long-term deals backfired in a hurry. There weren’t many bright spots, but the trade to land Brandon Knight and Khris Middleton yielded decent results and the draft picks of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nate Wolters were promising.

Pistons Considering Griffin, Zarren, Vandeweghe

April 18th, 2014 at 5:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars’ announcement that he was “stepping aside”, the speculation as to who would take over his post began. The team intends to conduct a comprehensive search for their next GM, report Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today. According to the article, there are several names are on the Pistons’ radar.

The latest names to be mentioned in connection with Detroit are Cavaliers acting general manager David Griffin, Celtics assistant GM and team counsel Mike Zarren and NBA senior vice president of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe.

Other names connected with the search per the article, are Magic assistant GM Scott Perry, who is from Detroit and used to work for the team, Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk, and former Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo.

It was also reported earlier this week that Grant Hill, a former Pistons player who is now working for Turner Sports, is also a possibility for the post. The Pistons may also look into an arrangement similar to the one Doc Rivers has with the Clippers, the article notes. Rivers is both coach and senior vice president of basketball operations and works with vice president of basketball operations Gary Sacks on personnel decisions.

The other wild card here could be former Pistons great Isiah Thomas, who was reported to be openly campaigning for the job, despite the team shooting down those rumors. There has also been talk that the team may want to hire Chauncey Billups for the front-office, but the exact role hasn’t been revealed.

Currently Pistons director of basketball operations Ken Catanella and assistant GM David George are preparing for the draft and free agency. They report to ownership executives Phil Norment and Bob Wentworth, both of whom are partners is Gores’ private equity investment firm, Platinum Equity, write Zillgitt and Amick.

Cavaliers Notes: Brown, Irving, Griffin

April 17th, 2014 at 6:28pm CST by Alex Lee

There is no shortage of work to be done in Cleveland this summer. Before the annual personnel decisions come down, the Cavs must figure out who is making them and, ultimately, who will coach the players their general manager has assembled. However, Cavs fans shouldn’t expect any answers this weekend, Bob Finnan of the News-Herald writes, as Dan Gilbert is attending the Board of Governors meeting in New York City on Thursday and Friday.

Here is the latest coming out of Cleveland:

Cavaliers’ players are lining up to advocate the return of head coach Mike Brown, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Point guard Kyrie Irving predicts the coach will stay and is happy about it, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Meanwhile, Dion Waiters was perhaps Brown’s most vocal proponent, tweets Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, saying: “I’d like to see coach back. I don’t think we need any more changes. Coach fits the team.”
Speaking of Irving, the point guard came as close as he ever has to indicating that he’d like to remain in Cleveland after Wednesday night’s season finale, writes the Plain Dealer’s Jodie Valade. From Irving: “I’ve been a part of this and I want to continue to be a part of this,” he said. “We’re making strides in the right direction, especially in this organization. I want to be part of something special, and I want to be part of something special in Cleveland.”
In a blog post chock full of Cavs tidbits, Lloyd believes the team should at least kick the tires on trading Irving this summer, reminding us that some within the organization are unsure he is worthy of a max deal. We heard much of the same in February from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. This is the first offseason that Irving is eligible to sign an extension.
Amico writes that the Cavs, who were 17-16 in their final 33 games, should first focus on what went right this season before determining what needs to change, adding that they have a lottery pick, some movable contracts and cap space to play with. That 33-game stretch was under the general management of David Griffin, who is the front runner to retain that position, according to Amico.

Amico’s Latest: Gilbert, Griffin, Brown, Offseason

April 15th, 2014 at 7:05pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Dan Gilbert is reportedly “enraged” that his team missed the playoffs this season, though a source tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that the Cavaliers owner isn’t likely to “overreact and start firing everybody.” He is, however, expected to meticulously determine who is best suited to run the basketball side of things in Cleveland this summer. One option includes offering interim GM David Griffin the full-time position, and sources tell Amico that Gilbert has been impressed with the way the team’s locker room culture has changed since Griffin took over the front office. On the contrary, another source believes that the chances of keeping the team’s current management intact is “shaky.”

Amico has plenty more to share out of the Forest City, and you can find a comprehensive roundup of his notes below:

Mike Brown‘s status with the team is also expected to be determined this summer, and Amico hears that the new GM – whether it’d be Griffin or someone else – will be given the authority to make a decision on Brown’s future. With that being said, Amico opines that Gilbert could still opt to make the call on Brown by himself. The 44-year-old head coach just completed the first of a five-year deal worth $20MM and has a buyout option in the fifth year.
An opposing executive tells Amico that the Cavs GM position – with plenty of assets and options right now – would be an enticing opportunity for potential candidates: “The job is appealing, because (they) are right there…I know a lot of people on our staff who would take it.” The same exec also thinks that Gilbert’s willingness to spend and his desire to win helps make the job that much more appealing.
No player is untouchable in the right deal, and the general feeling is that the team will aggressively pursue a significant trade this summer.
Though the plan is to keep Luol Deng for the long-term, Gilbert is “still steaming” over the fact that former GM Chris Grant surrendered future draft picks to acquire him from Chicago. Deng could leave as an unrestricted free agent in July.
Though often mentioned as a potential trade chip, Dion Waiters has found favor with the front office, coaches, and fellow teammates, and is seen as a key piece to the team’s future. Amico observes that the current priority is to make Waiters and point guard Kyrie Irving the team’s long-term starting backcourt. Waiters has reportedly garnered acclaim and respect from teammates because of his effort and maturation.