David Griffin, the Cleveland Cavs general manager of the past three years, stepped down yesterday after team owner Dan Gilbert failed to reach an agreement with Griffin on his contract extension, which is up at the end of the month.
Griffin released a statement which reads, in part,
"I am extremely excited for my next challenge in the NBA, however Dan and I know now that [the Cavs] are a team built on largely on the concept of fit and are now at the point where the fit is not right for us to continue with one another."
According to multiple reports, LeBron, who advocated for Griffin to get an extension, was not consulted before he and the team decided to part ways. However, it was very clear that LeBron wanted Griffin to stay on board with the team.
During an interview with ESPN back in April, LeBron said of Griffin,
"It makes no sense why he shouldn't get an extension," James told ESPN. "He's pulled every move -- he's tried to make every move happen -- to better this team to be able to compete for a championship. So we wouldn't be in this position, obviously, without him and without the guys that are here -- from the coaching staff to the players to Griff. He's been a big piece of it."
Dan Gilbert is reportedly targeting Chauncey Billups to take over the role as Cavs GM.
Check out LeBron's reaction to the news below.