Written by Jeff Rich

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With Neil Olshey's departure from the Clippers to accept the General Manager position with Portland, Los Angeles's "B-team" in the National Basketball Association is left to fill the void.  But first, let me extend a warm offer of congratulations to Olshey for escaping the employ of Donald Sterling.  No matter where you go in the NBA, life will always be better if you aren't affiliated with the Clippers.

While it would be my suggestion to stop the charade, and just offer the title to Chris Paul, who will have a say in every transaction made, it appears the Clippers are looking either poach someone from another front office, or hire a re-tread.  Former Nuggets decision maker Kiki Vandeweghe may be the front-runner, according to the New York Daily News, per the News-Herald's Bob Finnan.  Cleveland connections include former GM Jim Paxson and their current Assistant GM, David Griffin.

The Cavaliers granted the Clippers permission to interview Griffin for the job today, according to Finnan.  If Griffin, who has never been a GM, ends up being "the guy", his stay in Cleveland will be remarkably shorter than his first NBA stop in Phoenix, where he started as a media relations intern, and stayed 17 years.  He left Phoenix for Cleveland in the wake of former Cavalier Steve Kerr's dismissal, citing a shared vision with Kerr when Suns Owner Robert Sarver infromed Griffin that he would not succeed Kerr in the GM role.  Griffin's role was largely draft related in Phoenix, and he served in a similar role under Chris Grant in Cleveland.