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SAN FRANCISCO – Two weeks removed from one of the most stunning trades in NBA history – arguably, the biggest in-season swap ever of All-NBA stars – the buzz continued at All-Star Weekend.

Ripple effects from the Luka Dončić-for-Anthony Davis deal likely will be felt for years, not just for the Mavericks and the Lakers but through most of the league. Made sense, then, that when NBA commissioner Adam Silver opened his traditional All-Star Saturday news conference to questions, that was the first topic raised.

“I was surprised when I heard about the trade,” Silver said, saying teams typically don’t share advance info on trades with the league office. And this one was remarkably locked down until it was consummated.

Anger in Dallas has been palpable, with many fans protesting, seeking ticket refunds and otherwise cranky that their championship dreams for Dončić with the Mavs are dashed.

“I’m empathetic,” Silver said. “I understand it – Dallas was in the Finals last year. … It seems genuinely, truly authentic that [Dončić] was stunned and disappointed. You could see it in his body language.”

The commissioner added: “I am sympathetic to the Mavericks’ organization. … Whether or not history will ultimately judge this as a smart trade, they did what they thought was in the best interest of their organization.”

Silver didn’t agree with rumors the Mavs owners were trying to drive down the appeal of the team in a plot to relocate.

“I have absolutely no knowledge or belief there were any ulterior motives,” he said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that the Dumont and Adelson families bought that team to keep it in Dallas. I have no doubt whatsoever that they’re committed to the long-term success of that franchise.”

Other trades got talked about by the commissioner, including the one in which veteran wing Jimmy Butler fussed his way out of Miami. Butler made life miserable for the Heat by malingering and breaking until they shipped him to Golden State.

Silver didn’t get into the “contentious” aspect of that situation, instead focusing on the salary-cap and luxury tax elements of the league’s collective bargaining agreement that can finances ahead of basketball.

“It was only a few months ago when the conventional wisdom around the league seemed to be that we sort of spoiled the excitement around the trade deadline,” Silver said. “I think we just saw more players moved before the trade deadline than any time in the history of the league.”

Another trade that got addressed was the Lakers’ aborted acquisition of Charlotte center Mark Williams. Williams, a rebounder and rim protector, had seemed like a perfect fit as L.A. worked to replace Davis – until he failed his physical.

The deal was rescinded, creating an awkward situation for all involved. Silver confirmed that the Hornets have not filed a protest of the decision.

Speaking about an hour before All-Star Saturday events began at Chase Center, Silver touched on a wide range of other topics in the Q&A portion of his session:

Satisfying player concerns about referees. Several players had been asked at media availability Saturday what they would do if they were named NBA commissioner for a day, and a number said they would address what they see as issues with officiating. It’s an age-old tension that Silver acknowledged could ease as technology grows capable of monitoring out-of-bound rulings and line violations. That would free up game officials to focus more on subjective calls.

And if he were an NBA player for a day? Silver had a quick response: “I would stop complaining about officiating.”

No update on the Timberwolves’ ownership dispute. The arbitration panel favored by a 2-1 vote the claims by minority partners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez in their bid to take over majority status from longtime owner Glen Taylor. But Taylor has indicated he still will pursue avenues to maintain his hold on the franchise. Only when the matter is settled between them, Silver said, will the NBA’s Board of Governors would have to ratify the transfer.

“The state of the game,” as played on the floor. Silver responded to that big-picture question by citing an interview Golden State coach Steve Kerr recently gave announcer Bob Costas. Specially, Kerr – an accomplished 3-point shooter as a player whose Warriors teams turned that into a strategy embraced league-wide – was asked if the game has shifted too much to the perimeter.

Said Silver: “His reaction was, ‘Do I think there’s too much three-point shooting? Possibly, yes. Do I think the state of the game is great? Also yes. Is there a fix that comes to mind that would improve the game and potentially reduce the amount of three-point shooting?’ There wasn’t one that he had to suggest.”

For every argument that 3-pointers have wrung individual style out of the NBA product and turned games into make-or-miss events, there’s a counter that it gives losing teams a path to catch up and opens the floor for less grinding under the rim.

“We have a Competition Committee,” Silver said. “It’s something we talk about all the time. And if there’s a way to improve the game, believe me, we’ll be all over it.”

The ever-changing NBA audience outside of live arena attendance. Silver spoke about the many ways fans consume NBA content, from broadcast and cable TV to streaming services, the Internet and social media. He didn’t sound worried about fans with short attention spans who might not sit still to watch entire games.

“Some suggesting, well, isn’t that bad you’re training the next generation of fans who might never watch live games but only [watch] highlights,” the commissioner said. “I think we have a much better chance of moving young fans, in particular, to live games if they become engaged with various forms of our content, whether it’s things that our players are doing off the floor, music they love, fashion, or highlights.”

A newly announced Dikembe Mutombo Humanitarian Award. Silver talked of the love and respect he and his predecessor, David Stern, had for longtime NBA center Mutombo, after whom a new award has been created. Mutombo, famous for building hospital in his native Africa, had been appointed by Stern as the league’s first global ambassador before he died at age 58 in September.

“We were all calling him ‘Ambassador Mutombo’ before he had the official moniker because it wasn’t just in Africa,” Silver said. “All around the world he was an ambassador of the game, and he devoted so much of his life to humanitarian efforts.”

No Steph vs. Sabrina rematch. Last year in Indianapolis, the 3-point shootout between Golden State’s Steph Curry and the WNBA’s Sabrina Ionescu was one of All-Star Weekend’s highlight. There were talks about a second one, but it never came to fruition.

“Last year was so magical, that competition, that it started to feel forced,” Silver explained. “There was concern from all of us that we just weren’t feeling it.”

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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

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