On a conference call Monday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke about the upcoming season.
And in that, he had to take questions about some of the biggest stories surrounding the league in the offseason.
Including the James Harden ordeal.
Silver was asked about the Houston Rockets star’s reported demand for a trade, but noted Harden hasn’t publicly demand a trade.
“James is a great player in this league but he’s also player under contract and there’s responsibilities that come with that contact,” Silver said, via The New York Post’s Brian Lewis.
“To the extent that a player is unhappy with his team or a team is unhappy with a player, it’s always the league’s strong view that those matters get handled behind closed doors,” Silver said, via The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. “The expectation is everyone is professional.”
Harden made an Instagram post just 15 minutes later that seemed a little cryptic.
Though it’s not out of the question that this is more than a coincidence, it’s highly unlikely Harden was reacting to the commissioner’s comments with this post.
Harden wouldn’t have been the first high-profile player to force the hand of their team, but who is to say how the rest of the season will play or if the forward remains in Houston.
