The 2023 NBA trade deadline delivered blockbuster trades that made headlines and shook up the playoff picture. While many loved the drama and big moves, NBA commissioner Adam Silver sees a far bigger problem for the league.
Of the major professional American sports, NBA stars have some of the greatest authority. Even with a hard cap on salaries for the highest-paid NBA players, there is a level of empowerment that helps them dictate roster moves, coaching hires and even trades.
Many anticipated the trade deadline being relatively quiet until Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving demanded a trade when the franchise wouldn’t sign him to a max extension. Once Irving was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks, Kevin Durant then got out of Brooklyn with the trade to the Phoenix Suns he coveted since the summer.
The NBA’s biggest stars demanding trades have become a recurring theme every season. James Harden has requested a trade multiple times, Anthony Davis pushed the New Orleans Pelicans to trade him in 2019 and fellow perennial All-Stars Chris Paul, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard all found new homes after seeking to be moved.
As team governors and league officials begin negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the players association, the issue of trade demands seems to be one of the primary issues the NBA wants to address.
In an interview on SportsCenter, Silver spoke out against players demanding trades and indicated it’s a matter the league wants to address.
“Player trade demands are a bad thing. We don’t want them to happen, and we’ve got to focus on that and make sure that everyone is honoring their agreements.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver on players demanding trades
This isn’t the first time Silver has pushed back against trade demands. He expressed his displeasure with Durant requesting to be dealt in 2022. While he holds the reputation as the most player-friendly commissioner in sports, Silver has firmly stated his desire for change.
Of course, creating a policy restricting trade demands is far easier said than done. Players could push back against Silver’s assertion that contracts should be honored, pointing to teams dealing players without their approval and thus not honoring signed agreements. It’s part of the reason why, as of now, the commissioner can’t point to any one quick-fix solution.
“You never want it to get to the point where a player’s literally demanding that he goes somewhere else and so, you know, again, something we’re discussing in collective bargaining. There aren’t, again, any simple fixes here or else we would’ve done it.”
Adam Silver on addressing the rise of players demanding trades
There’s another issue at hand for the league. Trade rumors and players wanting out creates attention and speculation, which helps fuel even more fan interest with buzz about potential trades and league insiders providing information that teams or players leak to them.
It’s why Silver might have a difficult time implementing any new rules that could restrict trade demands. The players have already gained significant power at the negotiating table and there are far more pressing matters to discuss. Given trade requests and rumors don’t hurt the league, it’s very possible nothing changes.
