Adam Silver Says Dwight Howard Leaving Orlando Was ‘Unfortunate Circumstance’

The future commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, told the media that the whole Dwightmare was an “unfortunate circumstance” for the Orlando Magic and their fans. Which is putting it lightly, to say the least. Per the Orlando Sentinel: “Prior to the Magic’s game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena, Silver was asked what he would say to Magic fans in the wake of Howard’s request to be traded to a bigger market and the subsequent blockbuster trade that sent Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers. ‘It’s an unfortunate circumstance,’ Silver answered. ‘I don’t want to sugarcoat it. It’s been that way since the beginning of time, certainly since the beginning of this league. In this league in particular, superstar players have enormous leverage. We talked about, in the collective bargaining negotiations, how we can put teams in an optimal position where that doesn’t happen, and that is by giving teams the opportunity to offer longer-term contracts and greater amounts of money per year. But, ultimately, players do have the right to become free agents and to move. Dwight did have several good years in Orlando. [The Magic] played at the highest level, obviously in The Finals. And it’s not the way we like to see it happen, but on the other hand, there were negotiations with powerful players’ unions and both sides have positions. I think at this point the Magic are making the best of the situation and are in rebuilding mode. That’s something that teams around the league have had to face.'”