Adam Silver addresses Doncic-Davis deal: ‘Time will tell whether it was a smart trade’

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has a message to those Dallas Mavericks fans who are still angry, two weeks later: He feels your pain.

That said, he’s also sure that the Mavericks believe that their decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis was — in their minds, at least — the best possible move for the franchise.

Silver, in his annual address at All-Star weekend on Saturday, said he had no advance word that the trade was looming and that he was surprised like everyone else. He also said he wasn’t going to second-guess Dallas’ decision.

“I can say one thing for sure: Whether or not history will ultimately judge this as a smart trade, they did what they thought was in the best interest of their organization,” Silver said. “I have absolutely no knowledge or belief there were any ulterior motives, no doubt in my mind that the Dumont-Adelson families bought that team to keep it in Dallas. I have no doubt whatsoever that they’re committed to the long-term success of that franchise.”

The Doncic-for-Davis trade sent shock waves across the NBA. It was the first mid-season trade where All-NBA players were swapped for one another, and the angry fallout from fans in Dallas over trading a 25-year-old superstar and global icon hasn’t exactly subsided.

“I’m empathetic,” Silver said. “I understand it.”

San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama also understands how some Mavericks fans feel, even though he plays for the in-state rival Spurs.

“What really strikes me is how the Mavs’ fans are hurting, how they feel,” Wembanyama said Saturday. “It’s really something that I think was a really strong emotion. But otherwise, I think the Mavs are still contenders. The Lakers are contenders. It’s very competitive. They traded for very good players. … But two weeks after, it’s still the craziest trade I’ve ever seen.”

Further adding to the disappointment or frustration for some Dallas fans is the fact that Davis got hurt in his debut game with the Mavericks, one of many big-man injuries the team is currently grappling with.

“Time will tell whether it was a smart trade,” Silver said. “But they should believe in their organization.”

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In other topics covered by Silver on Saturday:

Details on why Steph vs. Sabrina II didn’t happen

All-Star Saturday last year was highlighted by the 3-point contest between Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu.

Everyone left that night indicating that it would come back in 2025. But it didn’t happen — and Silver said the reason is simply that it might have been too good to do twice.

“Last year was so magical, that competition, that it started to feel forced. And I think there was concern from all of us that we just weren’t feeling it,” Silver said.

Timberwolves’ sale to A-Rod, Lore

A few days after an arbitration panel ruled that ownership transfer of the Minnesota Timberwolves to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez — who would get the majority stake for $1.5 billion — must continue as originally planned, Silver said the league is waiting to see what happens next.

“My expectation is that will move forward. But first, Glen Taylor does have a decision to make as to whether to appeal that arbitration decision,” Silver said. “I mean, that’s Glen’s decision to make. I haven’t talked to him directly about that. I think, though, that A-Rod, certainly Marc Lore, are well-known to the league at this point. They’ve already been vetted and approved as minority owners. I think they understood that the league had no role in this arbitration. That was something they had agreed to as part of their purchase agreement.”

Silver said he sees no reason why the sale wouldn’t be approved, but stopped short of speaking for the Board of Governors and the decision they would have to make to get the sale across the finish line.

Rescinded Hornets-Lakers trade

A week after a trade between Charlotte and the Lakers fell through because of the results of Hornets center Mark Williams’ physical, Silver said the Hornets have not filed a formal appeal with the league.

The Lakers rescinded the trade.

“Let’s see what Charlotte decides to do here,” Silver said. “But I think either way, it’s gotten our attention. We understand that in the back and forth of teams and trades that the extent we can reduce uncertainty, that’s a positive thing.”

TV ratings

The NBA hasn’t hidden from the fact that their television ratings aren’t where the league wants them to be, but Silver sees progress.

“I’ll begin with the state of our ratings right now as they’re conventionally measured,” Silver said. “They’re slightly down from last season. We had some weakness early in the season. We rebounded. The ratings are heading up right now. So, I see that as very positive.”

The NBA also doesn’t solely look at ratings. The league’s footprint on social media is growing and is at “record popularity,” Silver said, and he said that the TV numbers don’t show the interest from podcasts and other forms of new media.

“Now, how do you blend all those things together? I think that’s the really tough question,” Silver said.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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