The Four Most Important Things Adam Silver Said in Press Conference: Las Vegas Expansion and More

On Tuesday, Adam Silver took the podium after the conclusion of the NBA’s annual Board of Governor’s meeting in New York City. It’s the first time we’ve heard the league commissioner speak publicly since the last board meeting in mid-July, and a lot has happened since then. Much more than what usually occurs during the summer months of the basketball offseason.

There were plenty of reporters attending Silver’s press conference and no shortage of topics for the commissioner to be asked about. Over the course of 35 minutes, Silver touched upon a variety of topics, from the punishment he gave the Clippers for circumventing the cap to Seattle and Las Vegas expansion talks.

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Not everything he said is of great interest to the average fan. But there were a few notable, important quotes from Silver’s presser—not just on the Clippers, but on topics like the second apron and the Trail Blazers’ ongoing arena negotiations, too.

Here are the four most important things Silver touched on in his press conference.

1. Clippers’ punishment and Steve Ballmer’s statement

In what should come as no surprise to anybody, Silver was asked numerous questions about the NBA’s recent decision to bring the hammer down on the Clippers and dole out the harshest punishment in NBA history for circumventing the cap to pay Kawhi Leonard. The league fined L.A. a cool $30 million, banned owner Steve Ballmer for a year and suspended team president Lawrence Frank, as well as president of business operations Gillian Zucker. Furthermore the Clippers will be stripped of five first-round picks from 2028 to 2033. Leonard was hit with a $700,000 fine.

Silver made several notable points on the matter. First he was asked how the NBA came to its decision to hand down those specific penalties, and he pointed to precedent as well as the need to strongly dissuade other teams from doing the same thing in the future.

“We looked to precedent, as we always do in the league office,” Silver said. “There is precedent of a team for cap violation, circumvention violation, losing five picks. That was something we looked to.

“I don’t think in any way we’ve done permanent damage to this franchise. No question, this is a setback for the team. As I said, the ultimate goal in terms of these type of sanctions is to ensure that other teams don’t engage in this type of behavior in the future. So there has to be something beyond suspensions and financial consequences. That has to go directly to competition.”

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Later on in the presser, Silver was asked if the punishment was final or if it was still “open to renegotiation,” similar to how the Timberwolves were given two first-round picks back after initially getting stripped of five for their own cap circumvention. He confirmed it was, indeed, final.

Silver also touched on Ballmer’s statement in which the team’s owner announced his intention to accept the NBA’s penalties, but notably did not specifically admit to cap circumvention.

“In terms of Steve’s statement, putting aside the precise words he chose to use, most importantly he indicated a willingness to accept the league’s decision in this case and the accompanying sanctions,” Silver said. “That initially I was most focused on, which is markedly different than the initial statements that came out of his organization. I think there will be ample time to have additional conversations with him over the next year.

“My assumption is in some cases he has to choose his words carefully in terms of what he is saying (due to other inquiries from outside the NBA into the Clippers and Ballmer). Aside from that, I appreciate the fact that he has stood down, that he did apologize and is accepting responsibility.”

2. Trail Blazers’ ongoing arena negotiations and possible relocation

Tom Dundon’s ownership of the Trail Blazers got plenty of headlines when he took over as full-time owner back in March. Much of the attention at the time was directed towards his dramatic cost-cutting measures. But over recent months, his ongoing negotiations with the city of Portland over renovations to the Blazers’ home arena, the Moda Center, have become more prevalent in the national conversation.

That’s because things are not going well. The franchise has gone back and forth publicly with city officials over how the renovations will unfold and how much money each side is supposed to pay to get them done. Tension between the sides has been palpable and the conversations have gotten contentious enough that rumors of relocation have sprung up; even the mayor of Portland said the city’s ability to keep the Blazers in town was “fragile,” quite recently.

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Silver was asked directly about the matter and gave no room for doubt as to what he thinks, stating bluntly he would view it as a “failure” if Dundon and the city weren’t able to come to an agreement that would ensure the Blazers are in Portland for the long run.

“It is my hope and belief that the Portland Trail Blazers, or the Trail Blazers, can be successful in Portland, Oregon. It is important at the same time that Tom Dundon reaches a deal with the city officials and the state-elected officials that makes operating in Portland viable for the long-term,” Silver said. “At the same time, now I speak for our WNBA team in the market as well, we need a state-of-the-art arena. I think by any objective measure now, the current building there is in the bottom measure of any arena in the league.

“We’ve had a great track record in Portland. No doubt in my mind it would be a failure if we weren’t able to accomplish a result that makes Portland basketball, NBA and WNBA, viable for the long term.”

3. Where the NBA stands in Las Vegas and Seattle expansion talks

Seattle SuperSonics log — The Seattle SuperSonics could be returning as part of the NBA’s expansion process. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Back in March, the Board of Governors voted to begin exploring the possibility of expansion in Las Vegas and Seattle. Since then, concrete updates have been minimal. Silver was asked about both expansion locations and went into some detail for Vegas, but not so much for Seattle—and explained why.

“I think right now we’re at the point where there will be next-round bids coming in shortly, not final bids, but next-round bids coming in,” Silver said of the Las Vegas bidding process for an expansion team.

In regards to Seattle, Silver acknowledged there was less discussion due to the city’s readiness for expansion.

“There was not as much discussion around Seattle as there was around Las Vegas, largely because, per the prior question, it’s not even clear what the site will be (in Las Vegas), let alone the arena. Therefore, it’s a much longer timeline before we can throw the ball up for NBA basketball. On the other hand, in Seattle, we have had operational groups out to Climate Pledge (Arena). If we were opening in five weeks, we could be ready in Seattle. You clearly have a state-of-the-art arena there.

“Because we can only take on so much at once, more of the discussion was around Las Vegas... I’ve been saying it’s our goal to have decisions by the end of the year. That continues to be our goal.”

The NBA reportedly is targeting as soon as the 2028–29 season for the start of these expansion franchises.

4. Defending the NBA’s second apron

Former Celtics Finals MVP Jaylen Brown is now with the 76ers in part due to second apron restrictions. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The NBA’s apron structure is a constant talking point, and Silver is asked regularly about it. He was asked again after another offseason in which numerous teams chose to offload talent for the sake of avoiding the second apron, causing great frustration among fans who don’t like seeing their teams get rid of good players for that purpose. It’s also caused consternation among players to the extent NBAPA director David Kelly called for a softening or complete removal of second apron rules over the summer.

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On Tuesday, the commissioner defended the aprons as the “best system” the NBA has ever had to ensure parity in pursuit of championships and pointed to the NFL’s parity as his North Star. He also noted the league is always open to fine-tuning things, but in the big picture Silver advocated for it as a positive.

“The point was to design a system, I’m not embarrassed to say, more NFL-like where every team was put in a position where, regardless of market size, they could compete for championships,” Silver stated. “Eight different champions over the last eight years. That isn’t necessarily a sign of success. I’m fine if teams repeat. But I think over successive Collective Bargaining Agreements and revenue-sharing systems and other changes we’ve made, we’ve gotten closer to building the kind of parity of opportunity we want.

“It’s my job to look out for the fan bases of 30 teams, not just that situation for that one player or that one fan base. When you look at the league operation in totality, I think the system is working pretty well. Is it perfect? Of course not. Certainly our players and our Players Association has made some comments about operation of the current system. But I think we have strong relations with each other. We recognize there will be an opportunity to sit down as part of a new process. There’s always things that they want. There’s always things that we want. I think in any partnership there’s trades made along the way. ... All of our systems are a result of many different tradeoffs, like any fair negotiation.

“Again, to the extent that there are ways we can improve competition, improve player optionality, we’re happy to look at it. But as I said, certainly as compared to prior systems, I think this is the best system we’ve ever had. To me, ultimately the judgment is made based on not just the competition on the floor. I don’t remember a season, I should say, where the competition was as hotly anticipated as this year. There are so many good teams, so many interesting situations out there. I think there’s a good blend of player movement together with at the same time players choosing to stay in their same markets. I think that’s part of what adds excitement as well.

“That together with, as you said, some of the conversation around changing the lottery system, I think we’ve made real advancements in the level of competition in this league.”

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