While Danny Ferry’s abrupt departure as the Cavs GM might draw immediate suspicion that the move had something to do with placating free-agent-to-be LeBron James, Cavs beat writer Brian Windhorst reports that that is not the case.
Report: Owner, Not LeBron, Behind Not Retaining Danny Ferry As Cavs GM
According to Windhorst, James actually liked Ferry, and the decision to party ways with Ferry was solely owner Dan Gilbert’s. Ferry reportedly wanted the same amount of power as Gilbert had given him in 2005 when they brought Ferry over from the Spurs front office -- something Gilbert was apparently unwilling to do now.
Reading between the lines a bit, it seems that Gilbert might have sought to strip Ferry of the power to name a head coach. Indeed, five years ago Ferry handpicked his close friend and former Spurs associate Mike Brown as the Cavs head coach. While Brown’s LeBron-powered teams certainly enjoyed some enviable regular-season success, an inability to make adjustments (along with some flawed rosters) ultimately doomed the Cavs the past two post-seasons, when the Cavs seemingly had an open path to the Finals.
After the disappointment that was the final few years of the Mike Brown era, it’s not difficult to imagine that Gilbert questioned Ferry’s judgment in coaches, and was looking to make a high profile hire that might entice LeBron to remain a Cav (i.e. John Calipari). And as Brian Windhorst noted:
One thing is sure, Cavs would not have hired John Calipari with Ferry as GM.
So while LeBron wasn’t behind Ferry’s resignation, it was still about LeBron. Of course.
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