David Griffin pulls name from consideration for Knicks GM position

Ex-Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin has pulled his name out of the running for the New York Knicks front office job, according to The Undefeated’s Marc Spears. He did so after he couldn’t come to an agreement on the right role with the embattled New York franchise.

Griffin and the Knicks were reportedly progressing toward opening contract negotiations to become the team’s next general manager, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne. Current Knicks GM Steve Mills was expected to replace Phil Jackson as president of basketball operations.

Griffin, who stepped down as Cavaliers general manager in early June, had several conversations with Mills, including a face-to-face dinner on Friday, according to ESPN. He traveled to New York this weekend to discuss the parameters of a partnership between the two sides.

But the snag in the negotiations was Griffin’s need to bring his own front office and staff to New York, according to ESPN. The current Knicks’ front office is tenured, and according to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, “New York has been hesitant to make sweeping changes to the group.”

New York continues to maneuver this critical offseason without a president of basketball operations. Jackson stepped down after drafting Frank Ntilikina with the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft along with both Ognjen Jaramaz and Damyean Dotson in the second round. It was Mills who signed restricted free agent Tim Hardaway Jr. to a four-year, $71 million contract, a deal many inside and outside the Knicks organization felt was a gaudy salary.