"It was a bit of a kick in the a–s" - Adam Silver was impressed with how Luka Doncic handled the Dallas Mavericks trading him

The Luka Doncic trade still feels fresh heading into the 2025-26 season. Back in February, the Dallas Mavericks shocked the sporting world with their decision to part ways with the Slovenian sensation. What followed was nothing short of a nightmare for Nico Harrison’s management.

It reached a point where fans took to the streets to protest against the decision, with Dallas GM even getting death threats. Making matters worse was the management cracking down on spectators who showed any form of dissent.

The controversial trade shook Doncic, who had planned to stay in Dallas for the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, the former Mavs guard handled the situation with complete dignity despite being bitter about it, leaving Adam Silver impressed as well.

“Putting aside the merits of the trade, you could argue that it was a bit of a kick in the a-s to Luka,” said Silver.

“Another player could have said, ‘Oh, now I’m part of the Los Angeles Lakers organization’. He didn’t try to hide his disappointment, and I think he was in a bit of a funk for a while, because it was probably the first true professional setback of his career. And I was hoping personally for him that he would ultimately see this as an opportunity to reset,” added the commissioner, with many asking him whether he could veto the trade.

Silver cleared the air

The Doncic-Davis trade made many ask the NBA Commissioner to investigate the matter deeply. Several factions generally believed that he had the power to void the decision.

This scenario was witnessed in 2011, when the then-commissioner David Stern blocked a trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers in an extremely unusual case. Silver specifically stated there was nothing he could do to stop the Luka trade.

“Just to clarify, the commissioner doesn’t have the right to block a trade, other than a trade not conforming to our rules,” said Silver.

“I get how confusing it was to fans, but he (Stern) was both the commissioner and the acting owner of the New Orleans franchise at that time. And so a trade was recommended to him by the general manager, and he turned down that trade based on what he thought was in the best interest of that franchise,” explained the current NBA commissioner, setting the record straight regarding the powers associated with his position.

Unlocking Luka Magic 2.0

There is no doubt that Doncic means business heading into the 2025-26 season. The former Mavs player underwent a significant physical transformation over the summer. Appearing on the recent cover of Men’s Health, he no doubt looks to be in the best shape of his career.

In recent years, Doncic has been heavily criticized for his poor conditioning, which was particularly exposed when he played defense. According to reports and various media narratives, this was also the primary reason the Mavericks wanted to trade him.

Nevertheless, Doncic appears to have turned it around for the Purple and Gold, bringing a smile to the face of the commissioner as well. Silver had hoped that the 26-year-old would use this setback as an opportunity to reset and not let it get the better of him, something he appears to have accomplished.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

“It was a bit of a kick in the a–s” – Adam Silver was impressed with how Luka Doncic handled the Dallas Mavericks trading him

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