Adam Silver Responds to Veto Calls Amid Luka Doncic Trade Debate.
Dallas Mavericks supporters protested outside the American Airlines Center before the game against the Houston Rockets, expressing their anger over the controversial trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Many fans believed that the Mavericks had unfairly traded away a young generational talent in Doncic to the Lakers, who were seen as positioning him to replace LeBron James in the future. While some fans were devastated by the trade and the secretive nature of the deal, others felt the package from the Lakers, including Anthony Davis, Max Christie, a 2031 first-round pick, and a 2030 pick swap, was not sufficient. A number of fans called on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to intervene, referencing the 2011 veto of a trade involving Chris Paul that was blocked by the late David Stern.
Silver addressed these concerns on the Feb. 12 episode of Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” podcast, stating, “No [I don’t have a veto power] believe it or not. And there’s some confusion. People have yelled at me recently to veto that trade like David Stern did with the Chris Paul trade years ago.”
He clarified, “David never vetoed a trade. When he was acting owner of the New Orleans Hornets and the commissioner at the time, he turned down a trade proposed by the team’s general manager.”
Jeanie Buss Clears Up Misunderstanding
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss also addressed the misunderstanding about the Chris Paul trade during a 2020 appearance on Showtime’s “All The Smoke” podcast. Buss explained that the trade occurred during a lockout when the league ran the Hornets.
“When the lockout was happening, there was a freeze on all trades,” she recalled. “But as the lockout rules were starting to be lifted, all team representatives were in New York for a Board of Governors meeting. At that time, the general manager of the Hornets thought he had the authority to propose the trade while everyone was busy with league business. When teams found out, they felt the process was unfair and pushed back against the league.”
Buss confirmed that Stern’s rejection of the trade came from his role as the Hornets’ owner, not as the commissioner.
Silver Explains Commissioner’s Role in Trade Approvals
Adam Silver also reiterated his office’s position on trade decisions, explaining that the NBA does not evaluate the fairness of trades. Instead, his team ensures that deals comply with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“What our basketball and legal departments do is ensure the trade complies with the collective bargaining agreement and the rules in place,” Silver said. “Then, it’s either approved or denied based on those rules. We don’t get to decide whether a trade is good or bad.”
As a result, Silver emphasized that whether or not the Mavericks received fair value in the trade is no longer a concern for his office.