Odds & Ends: Silver, Warriors, Lakers

New NBA commissioner Adam Silver gave his first official State of the Union address this evening. He touched on a number of different topics, and you can check out the full range of them in this article by Ben Golliver of SI.com. Silver spoke on the subject of tanking, which in light of this season’s talented draft class, has been a prime source of discussion around the league. Silver stated, “There’s absolutely no evidence that any team in the NBA has ever lost a single game, or certainly in any time that I’ve been in the league, on purpose.” Silver also addressed the NBPA’s lack of an executive director. He said, “I would love to have a partner across the table from me that had the backing of the entire Players Association and with whom we could do business with.” The commissioner also stated that he would like to alter the current “one-and-done” system that requires players to be at least one year removed from high school before they are draft eligible. His goal would be to change the rule and require incoming players to be at least 20 years old.

More from around the league:

  • Former D-League coach Eric Musselman stressed the importance of that league for helping to prepare players for the pros, and runs down a number of the league’s success stories who made an impact in the NBA in this article from Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside.
  • The Warriors still seem to be trying to put some sort of deal together before next Thursday, tweets Steve Kyler of Baskeball Insiders. There have been reports that Golden State is seeking depth at the point guard position.
  • A group of supporters for the new Kings arena went to court with Sacramento city officials on Friday to fight back against the lawsuit demanding a public vote on the proposed project. Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee has the full story.
  • Mark Heisler of The Orange County Register takes a look at how Kobe Bryant‘s extension came about, as well as the long-term impact it will have on the Lakers future cap flexibility.

Charlie Adams contributed to this post.

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