After parting ways with Dell Demps during the season, the New Orleans Pelicans are finalizing a deal with David Griffin to take over their basketball ops.
Surveying the range of job opportunities in the NBA, it appears David Griffin has settled on the New Orleans Pelicans gig as the most attractive. Certainly, Griffin has come up in just about every front office search this summer and it appears the former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager had his choice of team.
The New Orleans Pelicans won the day.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pelicans and Griffin are finalizing a deal to make Griffin the team’s president of basketball operations.
There was, however, at the time of this posting, still some uncertainty over Griffin’s title and likely his salary in kind. This makes sense, as during Griffin’s time in Cleveland he was only general manager and left the team in part because of failed negotiations on a new contract with the team.
Griffin joins the Pelicans during a tenuous moment. After the team’s superstar, Anthony Davis, demanded a trade in late January, the team was held hostage by Davis and his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, and their chances for a playoff push were wrecked.
During the Pelicans’ final game before the All-Star break, Davis left the Smoothie King Center early to travel to Charlotte for the festivities. He then saw his playing time restricted as the season progressed before being shut down entirely.
Griffin will oversee a Davis trade for the Pelicans.
His experience building a championship contender around LeBron James will suit the Pelicans well, as not only did Griffin benefit from getting James, he also drafted and developed Kyrie Irving and engineered a trade for Kevin Love. Griffin also set up the franchise well for a post-James era by limiting contract length and banking future assets.
Griffin will seek to do the same in New Orleans.