NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
When asked about the historic transaction during a media session at NBA All-Star Weekend, Silver said that he was “surprised” by the deal but that Dallas did what it believed was in the franchise’s “best interest.”
“I was surprised when I heard about the trade,” Silver said, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. “I’m empathetic. I understand it. Dallas was in the Finals last year… I’m sympathetic to the Mavs organization…They did what was in the best interest of their organization.”
The Dončić trade came as a major surprise to many, including Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić. It ended a seven-year tenure with the Mavericks that saw Dončić earn five All-Star nods and lead the team to an NBA Finals appearance in 2024.
He has since suited up in two games for the Lakers, averaging 15 points, 4.5 rebounds and four assists in those games. He will hope to form chemistry with LeBron James and other key pieces on a Lakers team that is currently 32-20 and sits in fifth in the Western Conference.
Dallas, in the meantime, will hope Davis can recover quickly from his left abductor strain and help improve the team’s play at the rim.
