Before the Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis trade became official, multiple fans wondered whether NBA Commissioner Adam Silver could block the blockbuster deal.
It wouldn’t be the first time an NBA commissioner blocked a trade. In 2011, David Stern famously vetoed a trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team trade that would have landed Pau Gasol in Houston and various assets in New Orleans.
So why didn’t Silver veto the now infamous Dončić-Davis, Lakers-Dallas Mavericks trade?
Why Adam Silver Didn’t Block the Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis Trade
Many casual fans believe Stern blocked the blockbuster trade as an NBA commissioner, but that was not the case. As a commissioner, Stern never vetoed the trade; he stepped in to block the deal as an acting owner.
The NBA owned the then-New Orleans Hornets due to Gary Chouest’s decision not to proceed in acquiring the interest of majority owner George Shinn at the time. As a result, Stern and the league purchased the franchise due to the absence of any viable purchaser seeking to own the Hornets.
Years ago, Stern was asked about the trade “cancelation,” and he explained what happened: “I’m going to correct your language: What ‘cancelation’? The [general manager] Dell Demps was not authorized to make that trade,” Stern said.
“And acting on behalf of owners, we decided not to make it. I was an owner rep. There was nothing to ‘void.’ It just never got made. … It was one of the few times I decided to go radio silent and let it play out, and I got killed. So, the answer is that there was never a trade. I never approved it as the owner rep.”
Despite general NBA fans calling for Silver and the league to step in and veto the Dončić-for-Davis trade, the commissioner can do nothing.
With the NBA preparing for All-Star weekend in San Francisco just one week after what many called the wildest trade deadline ever, Silver took some time for an interview on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take.” The NBA commissioner explained why he could do nothing about what seemed to be a very lopsided trade that sent Dončić to the Lakers.
Did you know? 🤔 Adam Silver can't veto trades! 🏀 The rules are the rules! 📜 #NBA #TradeDeadline #LukaDoncic #AdamSilver #BasketballNews pic.twitter.com/QFMhMov2HZ
— Sportskeeda Basketball (@Basketball_SK) February 13, 2025
“Believe it or not. There’s some confusion – people have yelled out to me for some reason in the last week or so when I’ve been at games that I should be vetoing that trade the way David Stern vetoed a trade back in the old days,” Silver said.
“There’s always some confusion there. David never vetoed a trade. When he was the acting owner of New Orleans [Hornets] and the commissioner at the time, he turned down a trade that was proposed to him by the team’s general manager.”
Silver explains that the commissioner’s office’s only role in trades is to ensure that they comply with the league’s rules on things like roster size, salary cap, financial rules, and more.
