Cavaliers GM meets with LeBron James amid roster criticism
Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin met with forward LeBron James amid James criticizing the team's roster, saying the franchise needed another playmaker in order to compete for another championship.
James said this week that he hoped the Cavaliers aren't "satisfied as an organization" after winning the team's first championship last season. Cleveland has lost six of their last eight games after getting beat by the Sacramento Kings in overtime on Wednesday night.
"The thing we have to do the most is get better from within," Griffin said. "This is the team we have, and we really like this team a lot. We believe in this team at a deep level, and we need to get better from within and play better, quite frankly. We need to have a greater sense of urgency and start to develop a championship identity. I think it's clear we have not been doing that."
According to reports, Griffin met with James on Wednesday but would not say what was discussed. Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue addressed the team before Wednesday's game.
"I'm going to keep that in-house, but it was a good conversation," Griffin said. "I think we both needed it. I'm happy it happened."
"I'm just trying to win ballgames," James said. "That's all that matters."
ESPN.com reported that the Cavaliers rejected a proposed trade between All-Star forward Kevin Love and Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks. Anthony would need to waive his no-trade clause in order to get dealt before the league's Feb. 23 trade deadline.
- Scooby Axson