David Griffin set to begin negotiations to take over Knicks GM position

Things seem to be progressing between former Cavs GM David Griffin and the Knicks regarding the GM job, according to a report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.

Griffin, who has been the most popular name in the Knicks’ GM search since he was let go by the Cavs and since the Knicks fired Phil Jackson, met with Steve Mills for dinner Friday evening in order to set down the framework for possible contract negotiations.

Griffin, the former Cleveland Cavaliers GM, traveled to New York on Friday for a dinner meeting with Knicks executive Steve Mills, with whom Griffin has continued to discuss the shaping of a potential Knicks partnership.

If hired, Mills would take over the team president role, while Griffin would assume the “primary responsibilities of running Basketball operations,” per Woj’s league sources.

Before any contract talks can take place, however, an important roadblock would have to be cleared.

David Griffin, apparently, wants to bring in his own staff of “trusted inner-circle of front-office and scouting personnel who played a part in building the Cavaliers' roster into one that went to three consecutive NBA Finals and won the 2016 championship.”

According to the article, the Knicks have been opposed to making “sweeping changes” to their organization, despite its lack of success under recent leadership, and Griffin might not be willing to work without the group he’d bring from Cleveland.

Griffin is also slated to meet with James Dolan in the near future, per the report.

The fact that this meeting took place is definitely good news. The absence of any other clear candidate, and a preliminary meeting with a well-respected and successful NBA executive shows that the Knicks are, at the very least, on the right track.

This isn't a repeat of Dolan courting Phil Jackson from the back of an ATV; so far the Knicks appear to be handling their GM search in a professional manner. Griffin has had time to do his homework on MSG, and it seems pretty clear at this point that interest in a partnership is mutual.

Also, according to another major source of information that begins with a “W,” Wikipedia, Griffin is already New York’s GM. I don’t know who to trust anymore.