For many fans, regardless of how often they tune in to NBA games, whether it's the regular season or the playoffs, they should know one thing:
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver does not have the power to block a trade from happening.
However, it makes sense to think that Silver has this kind of power, but it is not close to reality.
On the "Pat McAfee Show," Silver made the following statement:
"Just to clarify, the commissioner doesn't have the right to block a trade," Silver said.
As Silver mentioned, David Stern's incident blocking a trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, teaming up with Kobe Bryant, happened because he was the "acting owner" of the New Orleans Pelicans, not because he was the commissioner at the time.
What if Silver had the power to block the trade? The Dallas Mavericks would be in a much better playoff situation with Luka Doncic controlling the game. And the Lakers would have a stronger position in the frontcourt, especially since Anthony Davis was having a great season, one of the best he's had in his career, some may think.
Perhaps, one day, 30 years from now, the commissioner will receive the privilege to stop chaos from occurring both on the court and off of it.
Nonetheless, the day General Manager Nico Harrison of the Mavericks and General Manager Rob Pelinka of the Lakers agreed to terms, creating one of, if not the, biggest blockbuster trade the NBA will ever have, is one that will be remembered for ages to come.
This is the NBA in 2025.
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