SAN FRANCISCO — NBA commissioner Adam Silver presided over the most active trade deadline in NBA history with 63 players moved last week alone, including a transcendent star in a deal that could change the trajectory of two franchises in large markets for a decade.
Generally speaking, Silver is for it. Trades, rumored trades and the smoke clearing after another trade bomb drops all generate more attention on the NBA.
But the trade of 25-year-old superstar Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers roiled an entire fan base in Dallas — where the team is coming off a trip to the finals. The trade of Jimmy Butler from Miami to the Golden State Warriors was a months-long, drawn out, bitter process in which an aging superstar was suspended by the Heat multiple times for his conduct in trying to force a trade.
And there was also a trade rescinded, a rarity in which the Lakers acquired 23-year-old center Mark Williams, brought him to town and then decided he had failed a physical and sent him back.
On Saturday during his annual news conference for All-Star weekend, Silver defended the Mavericks for their trade, as well as the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, which was falsely predicted to have a chilling effect on the trade market, and said the rescinding of the Williams trade “got our attention” at the league office.
“In terms of anger at the fan base, I’m empathetic,” Silver began, in talking about the shocking, blockbuster trade in which Dončić was traded for 10-time-All-Star Anthony Davis. “I also am sympathetic to the Mavericks organization. … I can say one thing for sure, whether or not history will judge this as a smart trade, they did what they thought was in the best interest of their organization. I have absolutely no knowledge or belief that there were any ulterior motives. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Dumont-Adelson family bought that team to keep it in Dallas.”
When the Mavs made the trade, Silver said he had no prior knowledge it was coming and “followed it like a fan.” Dončić, a perennial MVP candidate who had been drafted by Dallas and had given no indication he planned to leave, was traded, according to Mavericks’ officials, because of the looming controversy over whether he would accept a $345 million contract extension. Mavs president Nico Harrison and coach Jason Kidd also said Dončić was moved because he was not a good fit for their desired team culture based on superior defense.
The trade is so unpopular in Dallas that fans have canceled season ticket packages, demanded Harrison be fired and even accused new team owners Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont of making such an unpopular trade so they could move the Mavs out of Dallas.
“It’s very difficult to put yourself in their shoes,” Silver said of the Mavs owners. “They have a philosophical belief on what’s necessary to ultimately be champions, and I’m not in a position to second guess that.”
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The Dončić-Davis trade wasn’t the only blockbuster deal that went down, though, with Miami sending Butler to Golden State after months of messiness between the 35-year-old and the Heat. When Butler’s desires for a max-salary extension weren’t met by Miami, with Heat officials being forced to consider the consequences of a second-apron luxury tax that has become a virtual hard cap for so many teams, Butler forced his way out in the most contentious manner.
Yet Silver, who was asked whether he was concerned about the role the current collective bargaining agreement might have played in that situation and others like it, made it clear that he’s content with the player movement that unfolded at the deadline — Butler included.
“No, I’m not concerned that that will be the result of the new CBA,” Silver said. “I actually think that what the CBA was designed to do, honestly, is to force teams to make difficult decisions. I think teams are still finding their way a bit through this new second apron and what it means.
“But for us, it’s no secret that part of the design of that CBA, and pushing down high-end spending, was to create more parity in the league and to do a better job distributing our best players around the 30 teams. And I think you’re seeing that to a certain extent already.”
Silver highlighted that there have been six different champions in the last six seasons.
“Just look at this season so far, where you have Oklahoma City and Cleveland with top records going into All-Star (weekend),” he continued “(And) the great news is, I don’t hear many people saying, ‘Oh, and by the way, they’re smaller markets.’
“It was only a few months ago when the conventional wisdom around the league seemed to be that we sort of spoiled the excitement around the trade deadline, that the day and age of these great trades (at) the deadline weren’t going to happen anymore. We then just saw more players moved before the trade deadline than any time in the history of the league.”
Not long after the Lakers landed Dončić — receiving nearly universal praise from the fans and media in the process — they faced criticism after rescinding a trade with Williams. The deal would have sent Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2030 pick-swap and a 2031 first-round pick to the Hornets.
While Williams had extensive injury issues in his first two-plus seasons, missing more than half of his games in all, the Lakers’ 11th-hour nixing of the deal sparked questions about whether the league needs to revamp its rules on that front. Silver said the Hornets have not filed a formal protest to this point.
“It’s something we should look at,” Silver acknowledged. “As a league, I would say this issue does not come up that often. … Let’s see what Charlotte decides to do here, but I think either way, it’s gotten our attention. We understand that in the back and forth of teams and trades that — to the extent, we can reduce uncertainty — that’s a positive thing.”
Silver also touched on:
No Curry-Ionescu rematch: As The Athletic reported Thursday, there would be no rematch of Stephen Curry against Sabrina Ionescu in a 3-point shootout, even though both have serious ties to the Bay Area and last year’s event between them in Indianapolis was a huge success.
“Last year was so magical with that competition, that (a rematch) started to feel forced,” Silver said.
The Timberwolves’ ownership situation: While Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez won their arbitration case to buy the Timberwolves from majority owner Glenn Taylor last week, Silver said Taylor still had the right to appeal the ruling.
Silver said if the sale ultimately proceeds, “I don’t see any reason why it won’t be approved” by the league’s board of governors. “They’ve already been vetted and approved as minority owners,” Silver added.
The state of the game: Amid all the talk of declining television ratings, and the question of whether changes needed to be made to the game itself to increase interest, Silver insisted that he’s “happy” with the state of the game.
“I think the state of the game is excellent,” he said. “I think it’s the media’s role, the fans’ role — it’s perfectly appropriate to be critical of the game, and I find it very helpful.”
Silver himself has been vocal on this topic of late, discussing the criticism about the historic level of 3-point shooting and even floating the idea that the league might one day change quarter-lengths to 10 minutes (rather than 12, and mirroring the FIBA system that is the global norm).
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(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
