NBA commissioner Adam Silver opens up on “ulterior motives” behind Doncic trade

During his annual news conference before All-Star Saturday night festivities at Chase Center, NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke about the recent trade involving Luka Doncic, who moved from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA community is still astonished from the unexpected trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, with Mavericks supporters expressing huge levels of disappointment. Some even protested the decision and questioned the franchise’s direction. The trade has ignited widespread debate about its impact on both teams' futures and the broader NBA landscape.

‘I have absolutely no knowledge or belief there were any ulterior motives’

“I have absolutely no knowledge or belief there were any ulterior motives,” “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.

“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.”

“In terms of anger with the fan base, I’m empathetic,” Silver added. “I understand it. Dallas was in the Finals last year. I’ve already 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.

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“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.”

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