Adam Silver finalizing contract extension to remain NBA commissioner through end of decade, per report

Adam Silver will remain NBA commissioner for at least the next five years. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images)

Adam Silver isn’t going anywhere.

The NBA commissioner is finalizing a contract extension to stay in his job through the end of the decade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The deal, negotiated with the NBA’s board of governors, comes just short of Silver’s 10-year anniversary on the job.

Silver replaced the retiring David Stern in 2014 and has been a key part of NBA history ever since. His most recent initiative was the introduction of the in-season tournament, which the Los Angeles Lakers won this season to great success in the ratings.

Other hallmarks of Silver’s tenure include the introduction of the play-in tournament at the end of the season, participation in the sports industry-wide embrace of legalized sports gambling and, of course, how he navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, namely finishing out the 2019-20 season at Disney World.

Silver’s tenure hasn’t been without controversy nor scandal, though. He has played a role in pushing out two NBA owners — Donald Sterling of the Los Angeles Clippers and Robert Sarver of the Phoenix Suns — amid scandal. The NBA and its players received significant political backlash for their actions, or lack thereof, following Daryl Morey’s pro-Hong Kong tweet, laying bare a sensitive relationship with China and its lucrative market. And there has been growing criticism over the NBA’s handling of domestic abuse and sexual violence cases, most notably Miles Bridges and his de facto 10-game suspension.

The NBA has avoided work stoppages under Silver, with two collective bargaining agreements negotiated by his office since he took over. The more recent one came last year and puts the league in position for labor peace through 2029.

The league’s bigger concern will now be its upcoming television negotiations. While the NBA’s franchise valuations have continued their growth under Silver, its postseason ratings have been in decline, much like the rest of the television industry.

Silver’s office is in the middle of negotiating their next round of deals, with multi-billion-dollar stakes. Looking further, the NBA has been flirting with expansion and Silver’s extension means he will be overseeing that process as well.