The Cleveland Cavaliers have reached the NBA Finals in three consecutive seasons, and their general manager does not feel he has been compensated accordingly.
David Griffin’s contract is set to expire after the NBA Finals, and Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reports that the GM will be seeking a “significant raise” with his next deal. Griffin has reportedly made less than $2 million per year with the Cavs, and the number is quite low for an executive that has assembled three straight Eastern Conference champions — even if LeBron James deserves most of the credit for that.
According to Vardon, the Cavs have yet to discuss any potential new contract with Griffin. However, they have denied at least two teams — the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks — permission to speak with the GM about job openings to run their basketball operations departments. There have been reports that one other team is interested in hiring Griffin away from Cleveland, so Cavs owner Dan Gilbert’s reluctance to allow Griffin to take interviews could mean he intends to re-sign him.
Griffin will have plenty of leverage since he has multiple suitors, but the Cavs have the highest payroll in the NBA at $128 million. One line of thought is that Gilbert does not want to have the league’s highest payroll while also paying a general manager top dollar. Although, Griffin did receive one of the most important endorsements he could ask for back in April.
If the Cavs end up agreeing to an extension with Griffin, it makes sense that they did not allow him to speak with other teams. Otherwise, blocking him from doing so seems a bit petty.
