David Griffin

David Griffin was born on November 16, 1973, in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended Brophy College Preparatory and then Arizona State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 1995. Griffin began his career in basketball with an internship in the Phoenix Suns’ public relations department in 1993. He moved into basketball operations in 1997, working his way up to Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations by June 2007, spending a total of 17 seasons with the Suns organization.

In September 2010, Griffin joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as Vice President of Basketball Operations. He was appointed interim General Manager on February 6, 2014, and made permanent on May 12, 2014. During his tenure, he notably hired David Blatt as head coach, drafted Andrew Wiggins, brought LeBron James back to Cleveland, and acquired Kevin Love. These moves contributed to the Cavaliers winning the 2016 NBA Championship and reaching the NBA Finals in three consecutive seasons. Griffin departed the Cavaliers on June 19, 2017, after contract negotiations stalled.

On April 17, 2019, Griffin was named Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the New Orleans Pelicans. He oversaw significant team changes, including the trade of Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers and the drafting of Zion Williamson as the number one overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Under his leadership, the Pelicans made two playoff appearances. Griffin was fired by the Pelicans on April 14, 2025, after six seasons with the team. Between his executive roles, Griffin also served as an analyst for NBA TV and co-hosted a weekly Sirius XM radio show, “Deals and Dunks.”