NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday that he is "empathetic" toward fans upset with the Dallas Mavericks over the Luka Doncic trade, but does not believe the Mavs had ulterior motives in moving the 25-year-old point guard.
The commissioner also noted that he thinks Dallas GM Nico Harrison genuinely did what he thought was in the "best interest" of the organization by making the trade.
"In terms of anger with the fan base, I'm empathetic," Silver said during an All-Star Weekend press conference. "I understand it. Dallas was in the Finals last year. I've also said this before: I like Luka very much. ... It seems genuinely, truly authentic that he was stunned and disappointed. You could see it in his body language.
"Having said all that, I also am sympathetic to the Mavericks organization. I've known Nico Harrison for a long time from his prior tenure at Nike, and I've gotten to be close to Patrick Dumont, our new governor in Dallas. 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."
Due to the unpopularity of the trade, some angry fans have speculated that team owners Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont purposely got rid of Doncic so they could move the franchise out of Dallas. But Silver said Saturday that he does not believe such rumors in the slightest.
"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," he continued.
Moreover, the commissioner noted that he, like everyone else, was unaware of the bombshell trade ahead of time and "followed it like a fan."
News of the agreement, which was made quietly between Harrison and Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, came as a shock to virtually the entire NBA and has dominated conversation since it was revealed late Feb. 1. Though there were other pieces to it, the most high-profile part of the deal sent Doncic, a 25-year-old superstar in his professional prime, to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis. Though Davis is an incredible player and will surely add value to the Mavs, the fact that the team gave away a cornerstone of its franchise came as a huge blow to fans and to Doncic himself.
"In terms of the Dallas fans, all I can say to them is, again, time will tell whether it was a smart trade, but I think they should believe in their organization," Silver continued.
"Their organization truly made a trade that they believed was in the best interest of the organization, and in many cases, again, it doesn't mean they were right or wrong, but it's very difficult to put yourself in their shoes. They are living with the situation. They have a philosophical belief on what's necessary ultimately to win championships, and I'm not in a position to second-guess that."
You can watch Silver's comments below, starting at 3:03:
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NBA's Adam Silver Is 'Empathetic' for Mavs Fans After Bombshell Luka Doncic Trade.
