NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a news conference
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a news conference during 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome on Feb. 14, 2026 in Inglewood, Calif.
Before the NBA could finally put the Kawhi Leonard/Los Angeles Clippers salary cap circumvention scandal in the rearview, commissioner Adam Silver had to address it after the NBA’s board of governors met on Tuesday in New York City.
The saga was a main topic of conversation, as expected, along with expansion musings, a defence of the league’s divisive collective bargaining agreement and a farewell to one of the most prominent basketball figures in Canadian history.
On Kawhi, the Clippers and the Raptors
Silver began by addressing the NBA’s decision to fine the Clippers millions of dollars, take away multiple first-round draft picks and suspend key figures such as owner Steve Ballmer, long a prominent member of the board of governors, once the league’s white knight in the wake of the Donald Sterling Clippers fiasco and a close friend of Silver’s.
“I think everyone in the room understands that part of the core responsibility of the league is to have a set of rules that everyone agrees to operate under, and the league’s responsibility to enforce those rules,” Silver told media in New York.
“If those rules are found to be violated, there then will be appropriate consequences. Again, we reinforced that notion with the people in the room (the board of governors). I think everyone understands what’s at stake when you agree to a set of rules and compete in a league,” he said.
Silver said the NBA looked at precedent (the Minnesota Timberwolves/Joe Smith situation from the turn of the century, specifically), and said while “I don’t think in any way we’ve done permanent damage to this franchise. No question, this is a setback for the team … while there have to be competitive consequences, our view, if these rules are violated, we still want to be a 30-team league. We recognize that in some ways we’re unfortunately punishing the fans of that team as well. That’s the balance we’re trying to seek,” Silver said.
Silver was asked about Ballmer not specifically admitting wrongdoing in his apology to Clippers fans where he said they would accept the NBA’s penalties.
“Most importantly he indicated a willingness to accept the league’s decision in this case and the accompanying sanctions. 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,” Silver said.
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He also in a roundabout way addressed the belief that Leonard perhaps got off lightly (with only a $700,000 fine, crediting the union for supporting Leonard well).
“The discipline (to the Clippers and to Leonard) is final, to your direct question. I don’t think it would be appropriate to take you through the back and forth with the Players Association. I did meet directly with Kawhi recently. I think we all agree it’s time to move forward here. I think David Kelly represented his player well and the interest of the Players Association. All I can say is I think we reached a fair outcome for everyone.”
An aerial view of Climate Pledge Arena and the Space Needle in Seattle, Wash. Photo by Steph Chambers /Getty Images
On expansion
Silver said expansion to Seattle (which lost the Sonics to Oklahoma City) and to Las Vegas remains on the table, though more seems to be centred on Seattle right now (Silver mentioned an arena issue for Las Vegas, but some reports have said there’s a thought the Los Angeles teams and Utah Jazz might have some issue with a team being placed there).
“Las Vegas, it’s not even clear what the site will be, let alone the arena yet. Therefore, it’s a much longer timeline before we can throw the ball up for NBA basketball,” he said.
“On the other hand, in Seattle, … you clearly have a state-of-the-art arena there. May require some modifications for NBA basketball. If we were opening in five weeks, we could be ready in Seattle … it’s our goal to have decisions by the end of the year. That continues to be our goal,” Silver said.
He added “several active groups” have interest in bringing a team to Las Vegas.
“I think that there is real excitement around either a renovated T-Mobile Arena (where the Vegas Golden Knights play). I think everyone acknowledges if a team were to stay there, it needs some significant improvements. But at the same time, there are groups who have presented plans to build what I would call a modern entertainment palace in Las Vegas. It’s a unique market where you could truly see essentially 365-day-a-year activity,” Silver said.
“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. My personal view is it’s premature to start locking in a site. I think there are several different locations that would be very viable for NBA basketball in Las Vegas.”
Larry Tanenbaum (right) and Adam Silver (left) appear at a news conference on Sept. 30, 2013. Photo by Ernest Doroszuk /Toronto Sun
A big goodbye
Silver said farewell to Larry Tanenbaum, the outgoing Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. co-owner, who initially failed to land an expansion team for Toronto in the early 1990s, but eventually came aboard when the original group sold part of the Raptors in the union with the Maple Leafs.
Tanenbaum championed the sport for decades and was a huge part of the Raptors’ success, with the high point being the 2019 NBA title.
“Lastly, almost lastly, this was Larry Tanenbaum’s last meeting both as a governor representing the Toronto Raptors and — from my standpoint, maybe even more importantly — as the chairman of our board, a position he served in for the last nine years,” Silver said.
“Again, we thanked him in the meeting. I want to thank Larry again for his outstanding stewardship. I know I speak for my colleagues who are here at the meeting today, spent an enormous amount of time with us, fantastic guidance over the last several years.
“It goes without saying that he is principally responsible for building the sport of basketball and the NBA in Canada, but also has had a huge influence on our global footprint as well. Good news for the WNBA is Larry also owns the Tempo. He’s just beginning his legacy in that league. So we will still continue, of course, to deal with him on a regular basis in that capacity,” Silver said.
Miami Heat owner Micky Arison takes over as chairman of the board.
Odds and ends
Silver also defended the CBA, saying it was intended to create parity and give small markets (such as Oklahoma City, champion a year ago) the same chances to succeed as the biggest markets (such as current champion New York).
“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. 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.”
He also said “it is my hope and belief that 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. That’s what we’re focused on.
“To me, I understand, whether it was under David Stern or other leagues, there are times when it becomes necessary for teams to relocate for various circumstances. I don’t want to make that point of pride for me. That would to me be prejudging the situation. I want to be very direct about it. I would see it as a failure if we did not keep the team in Portland. I’ve spent a lot of time in that community over the years. They’ve shown amazing support for the Trail Blazers. They’re some of our best fans around the league.”