The Cleveland Cavaliers have competed in three straight Finals and won an NBA title last season in part because of the roster GM David Griffin assembled.
Now he's looking for a big payday.
According to a report from cleveland.com, which noted Griffin's expiring contract might only have two games left with the way Games 1 and 2 in Oakland played out, the Cavs GM is seeking a significant raise after being underpaid, at least by league standards, based off recent team performance.
Griffin will seek a significant raise -- he's made less than $2 million annually, according to sources, which is low, especially for the GM of a team that has played in the last three Finals and is a defending champion.
The two sides have not discussed financial terms of any new contract, sources said, though there have been discussions during the playoffs about work flow and other organizational issues of interest to both Gilbert and Griffin.
Griffin has been instrumental in Cleveland's sustained success during his short tenure. He played roles in facilitating the trade to acquire Kevin Love from Minnesota, worked through the contract extension to keep Kyrie Irving in town and was in charge when LeBron James decided to return to Cleveland. Although James' decision had little to do with Griffin being the GM, it's a big notch on the resume regardless.
Golden State has destroyed the Cavaliers in Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals thus far, but there's no denying the roster -- which achieved a 12-1 record in the Eastern Conference before the Finals showdown in progress -- has been put together to compete for a title.
You can credit LeBron James for title contention all you want, but there's no denying Griffin has played a role in the roster construction that is in the mix for an NBA title once again. Now he wants to get paid. Can you blame him?
