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Add the Atlanta Hawks to the list of teams interested in soon-to-be free agent GM David Griffin.
Per Marc Stein, late of ESPN, Griffin and ex-Detroit Pistons GM Joe Dumars are expected to emerge as candidates to lead the Hawks’ front office. Atlanta recently announced a reorganization of their front office with Mike Budenholzer resigning as president - he will stay on as head coach - and GM Wes Wilcox resigning from his post.
League sources say Joe Dumars and David Griffin are expected to emerge as candidates in the Hawks' search for a new lead front-office voice
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) May 5, 2017
Dumars, of course, played alongside Hawks minority owner Grant Hill in Detroit; Griffin was a Suns executive when Hill arrived in Phoenix
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) May 5, 2017
Griffin’s connection to Atlanta is minority owner Grant Hill, who played for the Phoenix Suns when Griffin started there. Griffin worked for the Suns, his hometown team, from 1993 until 2010. Hill played for Phoenix for five seasons, three of which were during Griffin’s time with the franchise.
Griffin has yet to engage in meaningful contract discussions with the Cavs, per a recent report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
The Orlando Magic also are reportedly interested in Griffin, whose contract expires at the end of the Cavs’ season, and plan to offer him their team president job. The good news for Cleveland here is that no other team can negotiate with Griffin until the Cavs’ season ends. And that’s expected to go into June as Cleveland looks to make a third straight finals. If the Hawks and Magic - and any other teams interested in poaching Griffin - zero in on him, they have to wait another month to do so.
But when the time comes, it looks as if the Cavs are going to face competition if they want to keep Griffin around.