MORGANTOWN — Even after a 15-0 start and in the midst of putting together one of the best records in the NBA this season, Cleveland Cavaliers’ general manager Mike Gansey is still a rather novel figure in his hometown.
“This will always be a Browns town,” the former WVU hoops standout said. “Right now, the big news is the Myles Garrett trade story. Most people don’t even recognize who I am.”
It’s possible Gansey’s efforts and actions are more well known than his face. In his third full season as the Cavalier’s GM, the team is about to hit the All-Star break as the top team in the Eastern Conference with a 42-10 record.
“When people do recognize me, the thing I always hear from them is how much fun our team is to watch,” Gansey continued. “I always hear about the teamwork and how well our guys share the ball. They talk about how they can relate to our team, and all of it is a great sign that we’re doing something pretty special.”
It’s that kind of sentiment that takes the conversation back to Gansey’s playing days at WVU.
Under former coach John Beilein, the Mountaineers were never the biggest, fastest or most talented team in the Big East, yet the likes of Gansey, Kevin Pittsnogle, Joe Herber and J.D. Collins just continued to make memorable NCAA tournament runs through teamwork and strategy.
“It’s funny you bring it up, because I really do feel a lot of the same vibes with this team compared to how we did things at WVU,” Gansey said. “We’ve got a great coach here in Kenny Atkinson, who appreciates the value of teamwork and sacrificing for the better good of the team.
“And we’ve got a group of guys who really work well together. It’s not just one or two, but our whole roster brings something to the table.”
Gansey’s latest decision was trading for Atlanta forward De’Andre Hunter, the former No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 draft.
Hunter has averaged double figures in scoring in each of his first six seasons in the league and brings a career-high 19 points per game to the Cavs this season.
It may be the final move in what has been a series of moves that’s built the Cavs into a contender.
Some of the moves were made before Gansey took over as GM on Feb. 20, 2022, like trading for big man Jarrett Allen or the drafting of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.
Gansey was the GM when Cleveland pulled the trigger on a trade with Utah for All-Star Donovan Mitchell and then signed Mitchell to a contract extension.
All of the calculated moves have come over the span of the last five seasons, making the Cavaliers a long-term rebuilding project rather than searching for overnight success through free agency.
Is it possible Gansey and the Cavs are reshaping the outlook on how to build an NBA franchise?
“I’m not sure, but it would be pretty cool if we were,” he shoots back. “I will say it’s been a tough process. We’re obviously not the biggest market. You can’t go into it expecting to get the top names. We definitely had to do it differently.”
And now the road to the NBA Finals in the Eastern Conference seemingly is either going to go through Cleveland or Boston.
WVU wins either way, either celebrating Gansey as a general manager or Joe Mazzulla as the Celtics’ head coach.
What are the odds that two of the top teams in the NBA would have a former WVU player pushing a lot of the buttons?
“I would say Jerry West must be smiling down on both of us,” Gansey said. “Having two WVU guys competing for the playoffs and all of that, I don’t think anyone could have ever predicted it. We’ll have to see how it works out, but it’s really cool to see.”
In his spare time, Gansey said he still keeps up with the Mountaineers.
“I’ve been very impressed with the job Darian (DeVries) has done,” Gansey said. “You look at the situation he came into and then all of the injuries, it’s been a lot of fun watching them this year.
“And then they win at Kansas and beat Gonzaga and Iowa State, I mean, I don’t think anyone was expecting that in his first season.”
