In a statement, Cleveland Cavaliers Chairman Dan Gilbert said that the team and Griffin mutually chose to part ways.
Former Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz executive Justin Zanik will be a strong candidate to work under Billups should the ESPN analyst join the Cavaliers as president of basketball operations, league sources told ESPN's Marc Stein.
David Griffin's run with the Cleveland Cavaliers is over after one championship and three straight trips to the NBA Finals. According to Wojnarowski, the Cavaliers' front office had been in a "tough spot" this week while engaged in trade talks, "constantly needing to address Griffin's future with rival executives".
The first name that popped up in reports for the Cavs' GM opening was Chauncey Billups, who has worked with Gilbert before due to their ties from Detroit.
Griffin's contract with the Cavs is set to expire next month. James' contentious relationship with Gilbert is well-documented, as is his admiration for the job Griffin did as general manager.
Under Griffin, the Cavs went to their third consecutive NBA Finals this month before falling to the Golden State Warriors in five games.
More candidates will appear over the coming days, but for the time being, this is a pivotal period for the Cavs as they look to ensure their future as a contender in the National Basketball Association. Never mind that, in three full seasons as GM, Griffin oversaw a team that appeared in three NBA Finals and won one. Join the Nugg Love team!
NASA discovers 10 more Earth-size planets
Starting next year, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite or TESS will continue scanning the galaxy for new exoplanets. The new findings were presented at a news conference Monday at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley.
Then again, Jefferson - who conceded on his "Road Trippin'" podcast last week that he was weighing retirement - is still under contract for $2.5 million for next season, so taking sides against his owner would not necessarily be prudent. The Celtics traded the No. 1 pick to Philly and may have more moves in store.
Many are interpreting the tweet as James indicating he feels Gilbert did not appreciate what Griffin did.
The new general manager will be the fifth since Gilbert bought the club in 2005.
Presumably with Griffin leading the way, the Cavs were also reportedly trying to assemble a multiteam trade that would help them acquire Chicago swingman Jimmy Butler.
Cleveland's new GM will have to improve a talented but top-heavy roster that includes a lot of aging players who lack athleticism and, most importantly, make staying with the Cavs enticing to James, who is nearly certain to opt out of his contract and become a free agent next summer.
With James gone, the Cavaliers would either have to settle for being a mediocre Eastern Conference team that could at best make it past the first round of the playoffs or try and blow up the franchise entirely and hope to gain some draft stock after trading nearly all of it away to build the present team.
"I've got a few things going that I'm pursuing right now", he said.
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