By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Luka Doncic trade remains a hot topic all around the basketball planet and it was one of the first questions that NBA commissioner Adam Silver had to address on his All-Star game press conference.
“I have no knowledge or belief there were any ulterior motives,” Silver said, trying also to explain what happened in Dallas and shutting down rumors about a move of the Mavs to Las Vegas: “There’s no doubt in my mind that the Dumont and 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”.
Speaking about the trade himself, Silver was also caught unaware: “I was surprised when I heard about the trade. I did not know that Luka was potentially a player that was about to be traded. That was news to me. I followed it like a fan from that standpoint”.
Silver also encourages Dallas fans to support their management: “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. 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.”
Silver also confirmed that after Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez won their arbitration ruling against Glen Taylor in their quest to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this week, the deal is expected to be approved by the league.
He explained that a second shootout between Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu felt “forced” and that’s why there wasn’t a repeat of last season’s contest, and he added that he is happy with the state of the game: “I think the state of the game is excellent. 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. I’m not one of those people who said I don’t read criticism. I try to read it all, frankly, and we try to absorb it at the league office”.
No question and no mention was made of the NBA’s plans for an expansion to Europe.