The Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday announced that they were parting ways with general manager David Griffin after three seasons.
In light of that revelation, Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports is reporting that prior to Griffin being lifted from his position he was looking into acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Chicago Bulls.
At 6 p.m. ET on Monday, Griffin was on the phone assessing Jimmy Butler’s desire to play with LeBron James and the Cavs, according to two people with direct knowledge of the calls. They requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the conversations.
This alone doesn’t paint the perceived perception that Griffin agreed to part ways as reports suggest. There were reports that there was some uneasiness within the organization involving his future with the team as his contract was set to expire on June 30.
It was believed he was in line for a huge payday especially after helping build a team that has made three consecutive NBA Finals including the franchise’s first NBA title. However, this didn’t equate to a big internal push to get a new deal hammered out.
As for the Butler to Cleveland talk, it seems to have been the work of Griffin before he was let go. So it remains uncertain if the organization picks up that conversation once again ahead of the draft. Butler has three years remaining on his five-year, $92.3 million deal that includes a player option for the 2019-20 season worth $19.8 million.