Man, I don't know. I don't think there can be any good "off the cuff" answer to this question.
Topics related to contracts and employment are always going to be sensitive. Silver is not the sole "ruler" of the NBA. He can only speak in generalities, which fans will point to as fake / empty words.
But I think it's still good for Barkley to speak out though, put a spotlight on this topic. It would be good when he finishes asking and then goes "I know this is a hard one out of the blue. You don't have to answer now, but I'd appreciate it if you can take this back to the league office and come up with an official statement in a few days."
What's the league's (or your) role in setting up or providing player performance analytics at the team level? Do you ensure all teams have the same fundamentals or are teams left entirely to their own devices when it comes to data and analytics - since they could offer competitive advantage