NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the topic of players requesting trades on Thursday on the heels of a wild trade deadline that saw the Nets deal Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving after the disgruntled stars demanded to be moved.
Brooklyn traded Durant and Irving to the Suns and Mavericks, respectively, days apart in a pair of monster moves that dismantled a playoff-contending team and reset the landscape of the NBA. During an appearance on SportsCenter ahead of All-Star Weekend, Silver told ESPN’s Sage Steele that, while the NBA supports player movement, the trade demands have caused the league to focus more on making sure players honor their contracts.
He also noted that the NBA views trade demands as a “bad thing” but added they are still looking to find the “right balance” when it comes to player movement.
“In the week leading up to the trade deadline, something like 12% of the league changed teams,” Silver said. “And that’s something that we were intentional about because we shorten contracts. We recognize the ability for teams to rebuild, now it’s not just about players, but for teams to make changes in direction, and that’s healthy around the league.
“So again, it’s about finding the right balance around player movement. But trade demands are a bad thing. We don’t want them to happen, and we got to focus on that and make sure that everyone is honoring their agreements.”
As Silver alluded to, star players signing shorter-term contracts has helped to boost the amount of player movement in recent years. And, considering the way many players have taken more control of their careers than ever before, there’s no telling how long it’ll be before the next star player(s) follow in the footsteps of Durant or Irving and force their way out.
This year’s NBA trade deadline saw 54 players change teams, the most in a season since the league began tracking deadline activity in 1987.
