"I am watching everything going on in Portland & Philadelphia" - Adam Silver criticizes Damian Lillard & James Harden's trade dramas
Adam Silver is not in favor of how things have played out in terms of James Harden and Damian Lillard's trade requests.
Both superstars have made their intention to get traded public and have also named their preferred destinations in the LA Clippers and Miami Heat, respectively. But the NBA commissioner doesn't like how all parties have handled this situation.
"In terms of trade demands, of course, don't like them, as a league," Silver said in a news conference on Wednesday. "I want players and teams to both honor their contracts. I'm watching both the situation in Portland and Philadelphia and hope they get worked out to the satisfaction of everyone before the season starts.
"I'm glad that things seem to have settled down somewhat, at least in terms of public discourse."
It seems that at the moment all parties involved have calmed down, but things can change heading into the training camp. Lillard has made it clear that he wants to join the Heat and is willing to not report to training camp if the Portland Trail Blazers want to trade him to another team.
Similarly, Harden has gone as far as calling Philadelphia president Daryl Morey a "liar" and has repeatedly said he wants to leave the franchise. The Sixers, though, have no desire to let him go and expect him to report to training camp in early October.
Adam Silver critical of NBA superstars publicly demanding trades
Adam Silver has repeatedly made it clear that he doesn't like NBA superstars publicly demanding trades.
The commissioner believes that public trade demands harm the status of the league and superstars should be more careful when they want out of their teams.
"Well, where I fall when it comes to player movement, I generally think that's positive," Adam Silver said during the 2023 All-Star Game in SaltaLake City back in February, via Fox Sports. "In fact, we designed this current collective bargaining agreement with shorter contracts, for example, with the way free agency works, to allow for that.
"That's very different than a so-called demand for a trade. I think that, in fact, the Players Association has agreed with us in our current collective bargaining agreement there are rules against making public trade demands. I've said that many times before. I think that's a bad thing. I think it's corrosive to the system."
Adam Silver was referring to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving expressing their desire to leave the Brooklyn Nets. Both superstars had made their intentions clear and said that players should be free to ask for a trade if they are not on the same page with the team.
A few days before the All-Star Game, Irving moved to the Dallas Mavericks, while Durant joined the Phoenix Suns.
Still, and no matter what will happen with Harden and Lillard, Adam Silver remains critical of superstars going public and demanding trades.