http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBpYTg2ZTBwBF9TAzk1ODYxOTQ4BHNlYwN0bQ--?slug=ap-cavaliers-paxsonfired&prov=ap&type=lgns



Cavaliers fire GM Jim Paxson

By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer
April 21, 2005

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Jim Paxson was fired Thursday as general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers, whose stunning second-half collapse this season cost them their first trip to the NBA playoffs in seven years.

Paxson's dismissal has been expected for weeks and came exactly one month after Paul Silas was fired as coach by owner Dan Gilbert, who has had a tumultuous first 50 days running the franchise.

The Cavaliers were 31-21 on Feb. 25, and 34-30 when Silas was fired. But the team fell apart down the stretch despite the play of LeBron James and finished 42-40, losing a tiebreaker with New Jersey for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

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Gilbert, who took over as principal owner from Gordon Gund on March 1, said he released Paxson with two years and $2 million left on the GM's contract because he said change was necessary.

``We felt the team had made progress in the past two years,'' Gilbert said. ``But to get to a championship level we felt we needed to bring our own people in.''

Gilbert also said interim coach Brendan Malone, who went 8-10 after taking over for Silas, will not be a candidate to be the Cavs' next coach. Malone, however, will remain with the organization.

In missing the playoffs again, the Cavaliers wasted an MVP-caliber year from James, who averaged 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists in his second pro season. Gilbert, who made his fortune in online mortgage banking, understands the importance of bringing in better players to complement James.

``We've got who we feel is the best basketball player in the game,'' Gilbert said. ``We need to build a team around him and not settle for mediocrity or a .500 season. We want to win a championship or more.''

Gilbert said he doesn't have names for a possible successor to Paxson. He wants Cleveland's next GM to hire the team's coach.

Gilbert said Paxson handled his dismissal as well as could be expected.

``Jim has been a class act the entire time,'' he said. ``He has a wealth of knowledge and has been the consummate professional.''

A two-time All-Star as a player, Paxson's six-year tenure as Cleveland's GM will be remembered for poor draft picks, a litany of head coaching changes, the arrival of LeBron James, Carlos Boozer's defection as a free agent, but perhaps most importantly, no playoff appearances.

Although critics are quick to point out Paxson's failings, he was also responsible for ridding the team of some burdensome contracts -- leftovers from previous GM Wayne Embry -- that had prevented the Cavaliers from improving with offseason moves.

Paxson traded Shawn Kemp and his four-year $70.8 million contract to Portland in 2000. He also was responsible for freeing the team of deals that Embry and former principal owner Gordon Gund gave to players including Lamond Murray, Bob Sura, Wes Person, Brevin Knight and Cedric Henderson.

Paxson has finally put the Cavaliers in position to spend money on free agents this summer, but now he won't get the chance.

Paxson joined the Cavaliers as their vice president of basketball operations in 1998 and succeeded Embry as GM the following year. He got a contract extension and promotion last July from Gund, who has retained a 15 percent share in the team now owned by Gilbert.

The Cavaliers were 185-307 in Paxson's six seasons in charge.



Updated on Thursday, Apr 21, 2005 3:42 pm EDT

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http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/11456043.htm

Cavs owner wants to make run at Brown for GM

BY BRIAN WINDHORST

Knight Ridder Newspapers


CLEVELAND - (KRT) - Dan Gilbert always thinks big, and his aspirations for the Cavaliers' next general manager fit that mold.

The Cavaliers owner fired team president and general manager Jim Paxson on Thursday, a move Gilbert likely had been planning for weeks. While he was refusing to deny rumors that Paxson would be let go, he also was plotting his next move.

NBA insiders said Gilbert will make a serious pitch to acquire Detroit Pistons coach Larry Brown to be his next general manager once the Pistons complete their playoff run.

The Pistons have Brown under contract for three more years. He signed a five-year, $25 million deal before leading the Pistons to a NBA championship last season.

Due to health problems that have caused him to miss 16 games this season, Brown has expressed that he might want to leave the coaching ranks.

Detroit area native Gilbert is a lifelong Pistons fan and one of his companies, Rock Financial, is the club's biggest sponsor. His dream is to turn the Cavaliers and their arena into a close facsimile of what the Pistons have built in Detroit.

Brown is a known wanderer who always seems to be interested in options other than his current job. He caused some hubbub earlier this season when he expressed passing desire to coach the New York Knicks.

Brown has a long line of successful assistants on the professional and collegiate levels who could become candidates to be the next coach of the Cavaliers.

Other than persuading him to take the job and getting him out of his contract with a division rival, the Cavaliers would have to make sure Brown and LeBron James patched up their differences after last summer's failed Olympic bid.

If Gilbert can't lure a big fish like Brown, there are other candidates already emerging. Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars has two top lieutenants who will garner interest. One is right-hand man John Hammond, who has reportedly spurned initial interest from Gilbert's group. Also, Pistons director of player personnel Scott Perry might be a candidate.

The Chicago Bulls' B.J. Armstrong, a top assistant to general manager John Paxson, and former Cavalier Danny Ferry, who is now the San Antonio Spurs director of basketball operations, also might get attention.

If Gilbert is looking for some experience, former Magic general manager John Gabriel and former Memphis Grizzlies general manager Dick Versace are on the open market.

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MCINNIS PARTS

Jeff McInnis said Thursday that he didn't travel with the team to Toronto for the regular season finale due to stomach cramps. Team sources said McInnis became angered when he was pulled from Tuesday night's win over the Boston Celtics in the first quarter and he cursed at coach Brendan Malone.

McInnis did not return to the game, reported late for the second half and sat on the end of the bench with a towel over his head during timeouts. A free agent, McInnis isn't likely to return after a turbulent season in which he feuded with teammates and coaches and was in and out of the starting lineup despite putting up career-best numbers.

"I thought I was a true professional throughout all this," McInnis said. "I think they wanted me to blow up and do something crazy, but I wasn't going to fall for that."

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Posted by Masterplan:

their pick may be available. lebron won't be interested in who they can get there, but if they use it to get a vet (our team's strength) then maybe they'll survive. KT is perfect, especially next to a real center (i.e. Z). it's a leap of faith to think we get lebron, but i'll take pick 14 at this point

Don't the Bobcats have this years Cavs pick in the Sasha Pavlovic deal??

Jim Paxson should have been fired years ago.