“If you didn’t have the sensation that you want to be part of that at that moment, there’s something seriously wrong with you” - David Griffin on ‘challenging’ negotiations with former lottery pick

David Griffin is the executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans, so he is privy to the team's negotiations with Zion Williamson.

After leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a championship during his tenure as General Manager, Griffin could not agree on a new contract with the franchise.

Having failed to reach a contract agreement with Cleveland, he joined the Pelicans as their executive vice president of basketball operations leading up to the 2019 NBA Draft. New Orleans would eventually receive the number one overall pick and select Zion Williamson.

Since then, Williamson has missed a lot of games, and his relationship with the team has deteriorated. This strained relationship eventually led Griffin to call any future negotiations between the superstar and the franchise "challenging."

During a recent interview, David Griffin clarified what he meant by his comments:

"Well again, I think there's a time when we get to have these conversations and a time we can't, so waiting for that.

"At the instant [Zion] spoke to the media, he's ready to sign immediately. Who knows that that looks like when we actually get to that conversation."

Expand Tweet

Griffin added that he called the situation challenging because of the emotions at play at the time. He explained:

"You're watching Willie Green walk into that locker room and be the grown a** man that he is and look everyone in the eye and tell them how proud they should be.

"If you didn’t have the sensation that you want to be part of that at that moment, there’s something seriously wrong with you. So to see that and be part of that emotion, you had to feel that way then."

David Griffin's success in New Orleans could keep Zion Williamson with the Pelicans

While the season may not have gone Zion Williamson's way, his team is in a position to become a contender.

One of the surprises of the 2021-2022 NBA season was the New Orleans Pelicans' emergence as a playoff team without the services of Zion Williamson.

The team's growth has led some fans to believe that Williamson would be better off staying with the Pelicans.

Expand Tweet

While discussing the situation, David Griffin said:

"Well, these things work, like they work for a reason. And hopefully, everyone is in the same place when it comes time to put pen to paper."

There is still time before the final contract negotiations between the New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson take place, so the situation could still change.