The Mavericks’ trade of Luka Doncic is already more than official. The superstar already made his Lakers debut and Dallas is navigating life without the perennial All-Star in its backcourt.
Before the trade became official, a few fans wondered whether NBA commissioner Adam Silver could step in and keep the move from going through. Although Silver didn’t immediately acknowledge if he was talking about the Doncic trade, he did address the hypothetical of a veto Wednesday on Barstool’s “Pardon My Take.”
“I’m not sure what you’re referencing, but the answer is no. Believe it or not. There’s some confusion — people have yelled out to me for some reason in the last week or so when I’ve been at games that I should be vetoing that trade the way David Stern vetoed a trade back in the old days,” Silver said. “There’s always some confusion there. David never vetoed a trade that, when he was the acting owner of New Orleans and the commissioner at the time, that he turned down a trade that was proposed to him by the general manager of the team.”
Silver added that the NBA doesn’t “put a thumb on the scale” when a trade goes into the league office. The commissioner said people within the league office will make sure trades fit under the confines of the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement and the rules that are in place.
“We don’t get to weigh in on what we think the merits of the trade are or should be,” Silver said.
Fans across the NBA landscape were shocked when news broke of Doncic’s imminent move to Los Angeles. The Mavericks got All-Star Anthony Davis in return, along with guard Max Christie.
The idea of a veto sprouted among fans thanks to Stern’s role in blocking a Chris Paul-to-the-Lakers trade in 2011. Silver was also asked if he felt the league benefitted from Doncic landing in a major market like Los Angeles.
“This may sound obvious, but I want all our teams to do well and be competitive. Frankly, Dallas is a big market. Was I surprised that [Doncic] was traded? From that standpoint, yeah. I’m a fan,” Silver said. “The teams don’t necessarily give the league inside information on those kinds of things. So that trade, it wasn’t one that I saw coming.
“By the way. I love Luka. I’ve known him since the day he came into the league. He’s obviously a great player, he’s a great young man. Teams make these trades for reasons that, in some cases, only they know. They have inside information about a player, they’re living with a player. They have a particular style they want to play, they have a vision for what that team should become. Truly only time will tell.”
The NBA commissioner closed his thoughts on the matter by saying he’s rooting for both the Mavericks and the Lakers to succeed in the future.
“I’m rooting for Anthony Davis to recover quickly and be the All-Star we know he can be and stay healthy for a long time,” Silver said. “And I’m definitely rooting for Luka to demonstrate to the world what a great player he is in L.A.”
Listen to Silver’s full appearance on “Pardon My Take” here.
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Tim MacMahonFeb 13, 2025, 02:52 AM ETCloseJoined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas MavericksAppears regularly on ESPN Dallas
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