As LeBron’s frustration with his teams recent struggles continues to crow, he and GM David Griffin have talked with LeBron after his recent comments about needing to add a playmaker to the roster, as well as his head coach Tyronn Lue.
“I just hope that we’re not satisfied as an organization,” James said after his team’s 124-122 lose to the Anthony Davis less New Orleans Pelicans. The Cavs are 2-5 in their last seven games and have recently been linked with a Kevin Love for Carmelo Anthony swap with the Knicks, though that was quickly kaiboshed.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that GM David Griffin had a one-on-one meeting with James before Lue addressed the team as a whole. James also added in his comments about needing another playmaker that the team’s roster is “top-heavy” and “not better than last year, from a personnel standpoint.” Griffin, ESPN reports, wasn’t too pleased with LeBron’s public comments or the manner in which he made them public.
And, to cap it off, the public nature of the comments won’t change Griffin’s plans one iota despite the heightened awareness of the Cavs roster deficiencies. With so many teams bunched up in the standings and very few of them identifying themselves as true sellers, it’s been hard to even size up the trade market in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, one person told ESPN that there’s a bit of shock in the organization that LeBron could even begin to question the front office’s commitment to winning, since the team’s payroll is the largest in league history at $127 million, plus luxury tax. But a separate source thinks the timing of the comments is “brilliant” as the Cavs have thrived while facing adversity the past few seasons.
It’s important to remember that the Cavs just won the NBA title. Like, last summer. That happened. Imagine the strife if Golden State hadn’t blown a 3-1 lead.
[ESPN]
