Luka Doncic was in a deep sleep when he received the call. He was traded! Was it a dream? By the time he regained his senses, Dallas was already in chaos. Protests, gatherings, even a coffin couldn’t stop the Slovenian from moving to LA. Overnight, he went from being a Mavericks star to the new Lakers guard. But the trade made one thing clear– nothing is constant. While the league has passion and emotion, there’s also the business side that ultimately drives changes. And commissioner Adam Silver believes everything is fair in NBA and trade, T&C*.

While Mavs fans were eagerly waiting for Doncic to heal from his calf injury and rejoin the squad, secret plans were already in motion to trade him. Under everyone’s radar, the 25-year-old was sent to the Lakers. No bidding, no hints, and suddenly the most successful Western franchise had him. Fans were quick enough to sense something fishy, and all eyes turned to Commissioner Adam Silver. The lawyer was forced to stand in the witness box after numerous accusations were thrown his way that he made the change happen to boost the rating. Now, it was his turn to defend himself and he played innocent.

The opportunity came last week when Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard interviewed Silver over the phone. On being asked whether it was a good move to bring both Luka Doncic and Jimmy Butler to the Lakers and Warriors, Silver mainly focused on Doncic to clarify his stance. “I’m sympathetic to Luka, to the extent he didn’t want to be traded,” he said. “But I think we’re all used to a player showing up at a Laker press conference saying, ‘This is the greatest thing that ever happened to me.'”

Silver further added, “I think it indicates of Luka that he was being genuine. I haven’t talked directly to him, but I accept at face value his saying, ‘I was shocked, and I would’ve preferred to stay in Dallas.'” Despite Doncic’s desire to stay in Dallas, he was traded without prior knowledge. Silver expressed sympathy for this but also believed Doncic’s comments at the press conference, where he said he was happy to be in L.A. It was clear that sending Doncic wasn’t about boosting ratings but rather a result of the contract terms; this is how things work in the league. Silver made sure to remind the 28 other NBA teams of that.

Adam Silver reminded NBA teams of Doncic’s trade consequences

The basic reason for trades is to improve the roster. As long as there’s no no-trade clause and CBA rules are followed, teams can trade players. Sure, trading a franchise player, the heart and soul of Dallas, was an unexpected move. But putting emotions aside, Silver emphasized that the Mavs had every right to make that decision.

“As I said, that’s part of the bargain in the league in return for guaranteed money and long-term contracts, that players can be traded based on the provisions in the CBA,” Silver highlighted. But that doesn’t mean he disregarded the player’s choice. “I also recognize from the players’ standpoint, some of them want to move, some don’t want to move. And I think that just makes the point, that he wasn’t just automatically saying, ‘I’m in a better situation because I’m now in L.A. as opposed to Dallas.’ He loved Dallas. Based on his comments, he continues to love that community.”

Doncic had a deep connection with Dallas and its people, who have relentlessly criticized Mavs GM Nico Harrison to the point where some have even made death threats. Adam Silver was also not spared. After all, the fans have had enough and it will probably take them a long time to move past the shocking trade.