Cavaliers part ways with general manager David Griffin
The Cleveland Cavaliers are parting ways with general manager David Griffin, team owner Dan Gilbert announced on Monday.
Gilbert chose not to renew Griffin's contract, which expires at the end of the month, after the two sides could not agree on a future, according to reports.
Griffin has been with the Cavs since 2010 and became the GM in 2014. He was part of a Cleveland front office that drafted Kyrie Irving in 2011 and lured LeBron James back from Miami in 2014 while adding All-Star forward Kevin Love the same year.
The Cavaliers are coming off three straight trips to the NBA Finals, including the franchise's only NBA championship in 2015-16.
"On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Griff for his leadership and many contributions during his time here, including most recently, his role in the franchise's first NBA championship," Gilbert said in his statement.
"We have no announcement at this time related to new leadership of the Cavaliers basketball operations group, but we are confident our current front office will continue to aggressively explore and pursue opportunities to improve our team in the weeks ahead."
Cavs assistant GM Trent Redden, whose contract runs through June 30, also will not return next season.
Former NBA guard Chauncey Billups, who has been working as an analyst for ESPN, is reported to be a candidate to replace Griffin.
Billups interviewed for the Atlanta Hawks GM position last month.
The Hawks hired former Golden State Warriors assistant GM Travis Schlenk instead.