LeBron James Not Happy With Cleveland Cavaliers' Latest Decision As Team Looks To Make Trade

The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to make a major trade as they approach the 2017 NBA Draft, but the team’s star player isn’t happy with their most recent move. The organization parted ways with general manager David Griffin Monday night, a decision that LeBron James made clear he didn’t agree with.

James took to Twitter after the news broke, thanking Griffin for all he did since James returned to Cleveland in 2014. The Cavs have made the NBA Finals in each of the last three seasons, defeating the Golden State Warriors last year to win their first-ever title.

READ: Cavaliers Trying To Trade For Paul George, Jimmy Butler

Before James spoke out, it was well known that the league’s No.1 player wanted Griffin to remain with the Cavs. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert didn’t consult with James before deciding not to give Griffin a new contract, even though James had lobbied for Griffin to get an extension.

“He’s done a great job of putting the pieces together for this franchise to compete for a championship, and that’s all you can ask for,” James told reporters before the start of the 2017 NBA Finals.

Griffin became Cleveland’s permanent GM in May 2014, less than two months before James re-signed with the Cavs after spending four seasons with the Miami Heat. James has been the best basketball player in the world for the last decade and needs less help than any player since Michael Jordan, but Griffin gave James a much better chance to win titles than the four-time MVP had during his first stint with Cleveland.

Within a few weeks of signing James in 2014, the Cavs traded Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love, giving them a proven All-Star. When Cleveland was struggling in 2015, Griffin acquired Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith from the New York Knicks for next to nothing, adding two key roles players that became important parts of Cleveland’s championship rotation in 2016. The Cavs fell short this year, but Griffin did all that he could, adding veterans Kyle Korver and Deron Williams when James said the team needed to get better.

Up until his last seconds with the team, Griffin was reportedly working the phones and looking to upgrade Cleveland’s roster. Cleveland has been in discussions with the Indiana Pacers about acquiring Paul George, and USA Today reported that Griffin was inquiring about Jimmy Butler’s desire to play with the Cavs as of 6 p.m. EDT Monday.

“I am extremely excited for my next challenge in the NBA, however Dan and I know now that [the Cavs] are a team built on largely on the concept of fit and are now at the point where the fit is not right for us to continue with one another,” Griffin said in a statement.

Keeping James happy is arguably Gilbert’s No.1 job as the Cavs’ owner. James has controlled the Eastern Conference since 2011, reaching the NBA Finals in each of the last seven years. There’s little reason to think that streak won’t extend to eight in 2018, but that’s where it could potentially end with James approaching free agency.

READ: LeBron James Could Be Heading To Los Angeles-Based Team

Cleveland’s inability to defeat Golden State this season has increased speculation that James will head elsewhere next summer. The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers could be preferred destinations for the three-time champ, and the Cavs should be doing everything in their power to make sure that he stays with the team for the foreseeable future.

The Cavs might trade for Butler or George, going on to win next year’s championship and making Griffin’s departure look like nothing more than a bump on the road to Cleveland’s second title. But it’s worth keeping an eye on as the team looks ahead to next year.