From the moment the 76ers parted with Bryan Colangelo, David Griffin was the popular choice to run Philadelphia’s front office. Griffin built the Cavaliers 2016 title team. He’s well-regarded around the league. And after his contract wasn’t renewed in Cleveland, he’s available.
So, why hasn’t it happened?
Keith Pompey of The Inquirer:
The #Sixers interviewed former #Cavs GM David Griffin for the vacant GM job this summer, but felt he wasn’t a good fit for their front-office structure, according to an #NBA source. They want to make collaborative decisions instead of a GM who will have the final say. pic.twitter.com/xEXRGLMiTj
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) September 6, 2018
This is the vision we’ve heard out of Philadelphia for a while now. The revelation is just how it applied to Griffin specifically.
Griffin has earned the right to wait for a job that suits him. Better for everyone to realize the fit was poor before he got hired.
This leaves the 76ers interviewing candidates – internal and external – who are far less accomplished than Griffin. Maybe that approach will work out better for Philadelphia, but it’s a drawback of insisting on collaboration, which alienates people – like Griffin – who’ve established the cachet to run the show.