Former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin is a smart dude.
He knew how to maximize the Cavaliers’ supporting cast with very little flexibility. He knew when to cut ties with Cleveland’s owner, Dan Gilbert. And now, after his name gained steam in the New York Knicks’ general manager search, he’s shown he knows a crappy situation when he sees one.
According to The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears, Griffin has pulled his name from consideration after meeting with New York. The reasons why, as relayed to us by ESPN.com’s Ian Begley, using information from Spears, Dave McMenamin and Adrian Wojnarowski, will not surprise you:
Griffin turned down the opportunity because he and the Knicks couldn’t agree on a role, a source said.
He and the Knicks “just couldn’t make it work,” a source with knowledge of the talks told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The issue came down to finding a proper role for Griffin while front-office executive Steve Mills continues to work for the team.
With Griffin having withdrawn from consideration, sources with knowledge of the Knicks thinking said Mills will continue to lead the Knicks’ front office for the foreseeable future, as he has throughout free agency.
Sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Knicks and Griffin were at odds over Griffin not having full authority on basketball decisions and over Griffin’s preference to bring in his own staff. No formal contract offer was made.
So, let’s get this straight: The Knicks are in the market to fill a position typically charged with having a strong, if autonomous, authority on basketball decisions, yet they don’t want to offer candidates a strong, if autonomous, say in such matters?
Yeah, this sounds about par for the course.
Along with Tim Hardaway Jr.’s $71 million deal, this is proof the Knicks haven’t changed. Owner James Dolan made the right call dismissing Phil Jackson, but his refusal to, after all these years, completely distance the franchise from a regime that’s turned one of the league’s storied franchises into a perennial laughingstock and shitshow remains his greatest failure. And until that changes, assuming it ever does, the Knicks are on the fast track to nowhere special.
