There is another dimension to the power dynamics Silver is bound to be asked about: In a league in which three-quarters of the players are black, some have pushed back on the very term “owner” as outdated, offensive and feeding a tone of servitude.

The levels of player-to-player plotting appear to be rising, but much of this discourse is hardly new. Even before Silver replaced David Stern in February 2014, league officials had insisted that it would be overly intrusive, as well as complicated, to try to police player conversations unless there was evidence to suggest that the players were taking directives from their teams’ front offices.

A case can likewise be made that the league, at least this summer, has benefited from the players’ machinations. Although each star acted with his own intent, the N.B.A. may be more competitive than it has been for years, after what is already being called the most frenzied week of free-agent action in the league’s history.

The Golden State Warriors began each of the past four seasons as an overwhelming title favorite, but stars around the league suddenly are now more evenly spread out. That is thanks in no small part to Leonard, who could have chosen to form perhaps the most feared trio of all time had he swapped his newfound status as a hero of Canada for life alongside James and Davis with the Lakers.

The Lakers would have supplanted the Warriors as runaway favorites had they, rather than the Clippers, managed to lure Leonard away from the Toronto Raptors — just three weeks after Leonard led the Raptors to their first championship. The 2019-20 season is now likely to begin with no clear-cut juggernaut for the pack to chase. The Warriors have lost Durant while Klay Thompson could miss the whole season recovering from a knee injury.

There are a number of thriving small-market teams that the league can point to beyond the wide-open title chase. The Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Pelicans appear poised to make jumps in the standings in the wake of their smart off-season maneuvers. Fans in Oklahoma City, however, would undoubtedly tell a sadder story after seeing the Thunder absorb yet another direct hit.