Letting David Griffin go was a wrong move for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not only was it wrong because he was a great general manager who did a fantastic job, but it was also wrong because it was against LeBron James' will, and it could cost the Cavaliers a lot in the long run. According to reports, James is disappointed with this decision and he's concerned about the team, which is not a good thing.
Recent report says that Kyrie Irving told his former teammates that he'd be pushing for a trade next year if LeBron James leaves the Cavaliers. While Cleveland is still one of the best teams in the league, David Griffin's departure could be fatal for them and LeBron's dissatisfaction might lead him to another team.
With James gone, Irving would most likely leave too and the Cavaliers would turn into a lottery team very quickly.
Irving and LeBron could both leave Cleveland
In January 2014, Kyrie Irving wanted to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was averaging 20.8 points and 6.1 assists that season, but was playing on a lottery team whose future looked really bad. Fast forward to a few months later, LeBron James decides to come back to Cleveland, which also affects Irving's decision and he stays with the team.
LeBron and Irving have led the Cavaliers to three straight NBA Finals and one championship title. They have been incredible so far, but their time in Cleveland may soon come to an end.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported the following, "All-Star Kyrie Irving has been contacting some of his former Team USA teammates and letting them know that he might be willing to push for a trade, especially if he feels the Cavs’ run could end quickly with James able to opt out after next season." He also added that the superstar point guard would be interested in joining the Chicago Bulls.
Is Dan Gilbert ruining the team?
Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers owner, and LeBron James are not on good terms with each other. It all started in 2010 when Gilbert wrote a letter for LeBron after he decided to leave the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat.
Yesterday, Gilbert let David Griffin go, despite James' wish to give him a contract extension.
It's obvious that the Cavaliers depend on LeBron and that he's a centerpiece of the team. Just like Irving decided to stay when James joined the team in 2014, he might easily decide to leave if his superstar teammate does it first.
Gilbert's latest move made LeBron James disappointed, and things could get really ugly soon. Will Dan Gilbert manage to keep this team together, or the Cavs will once again become a lottery team?