Ex-Cavs GM Griffin doesn't think LeBron will leave Cleveland

Former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin can't picture LeBron James leaving Ohio behind (again).

The 14-time All-Star is currently focused on taking the Cavaliers to a fourth straight NBA Finals. But in less than two months, James will be listening to pitches to leave his home state.

There's no shortage of speculation that James may spurn Cleveland for a chance to play in Hollywood or to join Ben Simmons on the Philadelphia 76ers. However, Griffin doesn't believe James will base his decision on the competitive strength of his suitors.

"He can bring about whatever reality he wants to," Griffin said on "The Bill Simmons Podcast." "He’s a savant as well - he believes his presence anywhere makes them at least a co-contender, so I don't think he's going to make his decision necessarily based on where he has the best chance to win.

"I think it's going to be about what's the best expression for what he wants the next phase of his legacy to look like."

It may have been easier to believe James would ditch the Cavaliers after a painful midseason stretch where they won just eight of 21 games. But a slew of trade-deadline deals that retooled the roster around James could have turned the tides, Griffin suggests.

"I think the trade thing and Hail Mary are some things that actually work in (Cleveland's) favor to this extent," Griffin said. “When LeBron's on a one-year contract every year, you don't get to be long-term sustainable. ... You have to win right now and put him in a position or frame of mind where he believes he's going to win in the future. ... He doesn’t care if Cleveland has nothing left if he walks. He cares that Cleveland believes in him enough to invest in him, and I think they did that.

"So the message they're sending to him is, 'Look, we still get it.' So, again, that's meaningful, and if you're (Cavaliers owner) Dan Gilbert, you really have to do that."

If James is able to lead the Cavaliers past the Boston Celtics, he will head to his eighth straight NBA Finals.