For his part, Sarver claims he's become a better owner since the Nash era. "I think over time," he said in 2017, "I learned more about the business. I’m more comfortable understanding it. I think I’m a better owner today. I know what we need to do to get back to that [contending] position." This September, before the Suns started the season 4-23, Sarver said, "For me, the switch has flipped and it’s now time to start figuring out how to win."
Like Boylen in Chicago, Sarver fired Hornacek and opted to replace him with one of the most affordable head coaches in the NBA (Earl Watson) as his team tried to develop a roster full of lottery picks. After firing McDonough in December, he promoted from within instead of hiring an outsider to takeover the GM role. Although on that front, it's not clear how much a new hire could actually change. As Charles Barkely said in an interview last year, "I want to make it perfectly clear that Robert Sarver has always treated me great. We haven’t had a lot of interaction, but he’s always treated me great. But from people who have worked for the Suns, and talking to some of these coaches, Robert wants to make all of the decisions. He won’t give control to the people who work for him. ... He hires them but he won’t let them do their jobs. That’s his reputation, and I’ve got to take their word for it."
Instead of Hall of Famers, there are only the Reinsdorfs and Sarver. They are currently the NBA's two best reminders that sometimes focusing on players and front offices can only take us so far. When it's time to explain a 50-point loss or a locker room mutiny or a team that's been in the lottery for a decade, the answer always starts at the top.
"I think over time," he said in 2017, "I learned more about the business. I’m more comfortable understanding it. I think I’m a better owner today. I know what we need to do to get back to that [contending] position."
More comfortable and a better understanding of the business? Cool. Knowing what we need to do to get back to contending? Not a clue because you've never done it before. That's why you hire basketball people and step out of the room.
No, he is not a player. But he’s pretty good at evaluating players and foreseeing how their games will fit together. He’s David Griffin, and it is time for Suns owner Robert Sarver to bring him home to run his basketball operation.
Griffin, the former general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers, spent 17 years in the Suns organization before leaving after the 2009-10 season. He grew up on the west side of Phoenix, the son of a single mom who worked to put himself through high school at Brophy Prep and college at Arizona State.
It would be a great story. More important, it would be a great move.
That is the max the Nets can extend him in-season. As a free agent though, he'll be able to command the up to the actual max.
Is there s deadline for the extension? The way he is putting up numbers it might be worth the risk for him to straight up enter free agency and not sign the extension even if the Nets offered it. If he goes to free agency do the Nets or the Team he possibly gets traded to have the rights to match an offer?
I honestly don’t know him well. What is his game like? What are his strengths?
