There’s really a chance that David Griffin goes to the Orlando Magic
Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin has quite a few reasons to accept an offer to be the Orlando Magic’s President of Basketball Operations.
There’s really a chance that David Griffin whose contract expires in the offseason, will accept an offer from the Orlando Magic to be President of Basketball Operations if he’s indeed offered the job as reported by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
"The Orlando Magic intend to offer their president of basketball operations position to Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin, multiple sources said."
Despite Griffin’s familiarity with the Cleveland Cavaliers organization, having been a part of the front office since 2010, and the familial bond he’s built with members of the franchise, there are ultimately many reasons why Griffin could go to the Magic.
The first reason is the thought that franchises aren’t likely stop front office personnel from seeking promotions and that’s especially true for promotions to roles like “general manager” and “president of basketball operations”.
While Griffin has received co-signs from head coach Tyronn Lue and megastar LeBron James, and that may give Griffin extra pause when he decides on whether or not he’d actually leave Cleveland for Orlando, it’s not like they’re going to hold him hostage and tell him he can’t sign anywhere else. This isn’t the Los Angeles Clippers trying to keep DeAndre Jordan from (really) signing with the Dallas Mavericks.
It’s akin to Matthew Dellavedova leaving in the summer. As a restricted free agent, the Cleveland Cavaliers would have been able to keep Delly, regardless of the cost to them. While that was unlikely, given the Cleveland Cavaliers decision to penny-pinch and take advantage of the veteran’s minimum contracts and trade exceptions, the move was also one made in part because the role Dellavedova was expected to have with the Milwaukee Bucks was that of a starter.
He was getting a promotion and a pay raise. The Cleveland Cavaliers were happy for him even though he was instrumental in the Cavs’ two championship runs.
He’s been Joe Biden, Al Gore. He’s never been Barack Obama, Bill Clinton.
Another reason Griffin could leave is pretty simple. He’d be getting a promotion and a pay raise. In fact, he’d be getting “the” promotion. Going from being the general “manager” to the “president” of basketball operations is a big deal.
He was the senior vice president of basketball operations for the Phoenix Suns and, before being signed as a general manager, he was the vice president of basketball operations for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The presidential role is a role that he seems to like but he has never been the actual “president” of basketball operations.
He’s been Joe Biden, Al Gore. He’s never been Barack Obama, Bill Clinton.
He’s never gotten all the power or all of the appreciation. After working from the bottom, starting as an intern for the Phoenix Suns, making it all the way to the top would be a triumphant moment in Griffin’s life. The ultimate milestone.
As far as his pay, in 2010 David Griffin turned down an offer to be the Denver Nuggets general manager because he wasn’t going to be paid enough.
From ESPN.com news services:
"A league source told Bucher at the time that Griffin, who resigned as the Suns’ senior vice president of basketball operations when general manager Steve Kerr left in June, declined the Nuggets’ offer in part because it was nowhere near $1 million a year, the median salary for recently hired GMs that include the Cavaliers’ Chris Grant."
This is a man who does want to be paid and who knows his value.
Speaking of value, in Cleveland he’s not as valued as he should be as fans have been programmed to believe that LeBron James runs the organization. Something he had to literally say isn’t true after the team fired David Blatt halfway through the season.
Quote transcribed by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:
"“LeBron doesn’t run this organization. LeBron is about this organization, and he is of this organization, and he’s of our community. But this narrative that somehow we’re taking direction from him, it’s just not fair. It’s not fair to him in particular. But frankly, it’s kind of not fair to me and our group anymore.”"
For the record, this is what James had to say about the perception that he runs the organization (quote transcribed by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin):
"“Obviously they always want to bring my name into it and say that obviously, it’s easier because guys want to be here because I’m here,” James told ESPN. “But at the end of the day, he still has to press the right buttons because I’m not in the war room, I’m not in the draft room with those [front office] guys. I don’t know how much we may be over the luxury tax or if we have a trade exception here or how that’s going to work there or how many days we got to do this.”"
On any other team, this conversation never happens. Nobody ever even said Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan run their organizations from the bottom to the top. This is an idea that’s unique to James’ career.
Which leads me to yet another reason Griffin may leave. LeBron.
Not because there’s anything negative to say about James. It’s just that there is always pressure to make championship moves, win-now moves and if the team doesn’t win a championship his season was a failure as general manager. That’s a reality, not even a “take”.
That’s not a reality that allows Griffin to fully enjoy his job. In fact, as a general manager, Griffin may feel how Coach Lue initially felt about coaching the Cavs (quote transcribed by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin):
"“Last year and probably the year before when Coach [David] Blatt was here, I just got so caught up in trying to be perfect and do the right thing every single time that you never take time for yourself or you never have time to enjoy it.”"
The final reason that he may leave is the same reason he’d be offered the job. He’s great at what he does.
From head coach Tyronn Lue (quote transcribed by The News-Herald’s Jeff Schudel):
"“He always makes the necessary move,” Lue said. “He never just sits back and relaxes. We won a championship last year. He didn’t say, ‘OK, we won a championship. That’s enough.’ He’s always trying to be better. That’s what you need in a GM That’s why he’s a great G.M.”"
From LeBron (quote transcribed by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin):
"“It makes no sense why he shouldn’t get an extension,” James recently told ESPN. “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.”"
This is all true. Griffin has made magnificent moves to make trades for players the Cavs shouldn’t have been able to get, like Channing Frye and Kyle Korver.
Must Read: The Startling Cost Of Cleveland's Major Trade Acquisitions
He has been dynamic, writing inspirational letters to the Cavs, being frank with the players about their play and assuring fans that the Cavs are run by a brain-trust rather than any one individual. He’s been instrumental to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ in-season success.
However, those are the very same reasons that the Orlando Magic (who the Cavs received Frye from) believe Griffin is their guy.
The Magic will have up to $16.4 million in cap space without making a trade. Meanwhile, Elfrid Payton and Nikola Vucevic are two players who the Magic may have to trade to push their team to the next level and they have more trade value than any player the Cavs have tried to send to players over the last two seasons not named Dion Waiters.
The Magic will likely have one of the top five picks in the NBA draft.
They have promising wings in Evan Fournier and Terrence Ross, an uber-athletic power forward in Aaron Gordon and a defensive dynamo in Bismack Biyombo. They need a veteran, more firepower and more shooting in the frontcourt.
Those are all things that the Cleveland Cavaliers needed and got with less. Largely due to the ingenious of Griffin.
With that said, I would expect the Orlando Magic to give Griffin an offer he can’t refuse. Or one that would be extremely hard to refuse, at least.
There’s a real chance Griffin could leave the Land.
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Do you think that David Griffin would leave the Cleveland Cavaliers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.