The inevitable disconnect between the front office and the leader of the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, couldn’t be any more evident at this point. Roughly 48 hours before the trade deadline and the tension between the two sides can be cut with a knife, as the Cavs front office seems hellbent on keeping their prized Brooklyn Nets pick.
The rift between James and owner Dan Gilbert, and by the derivation the front office, has been in place long before this season’s struggles, coming to a boil recently when The King reportedly cussed and yelled at front office personnel during the somber meeting with Kevin Love prior to his injury, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.
“James and Gilbert have no relationship. Neither do James and Altman, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic. Whereas Griffin would consult with James and keep him informed of major roster decisions, that is no longer happening. James doesn’t trust this front office, and there is no communication now between management and star player. It perhaps played a role in James yelling and cursing at multiple front office executives during the now-famous team meeting a couple of weeks ago that began with players questioning Kevin Love’s absence from a recent practice.”
Communication between players and the front office isn’t a must. Matter of fact, there’s a reason why the players wear jerseys and the front office personnel wear suits — they have different jobs, that while connected by the means, don’t necessarily mesh.
James has grown accustomed to having control of personnel from his stint with the Miami Heat, where he was regarded as a major architect or bringing The Big 3 together, later helping recruit friends at a lower salary in order to make ends meet.
Following his first three seasons in Cleveland under David Griffin, Gilbert chose to cut the cord and make his own decisions, hence the strong divide with his star player.