NBA commissioner David Stern told SI.com he understands both sides of the Eddy Curry DNA testing controversy, but he said he doesn't see any harm in a team asking for the test, given the financial commitment given to the player.

The Chicago Bulls want to test the 22-year-old center who has been sidelined since March with heart arryhythmia, to see if his medical condition could be fatal. Curry has been negotiating a new contract with the team and declined the test on the grounds that it would enable the team to search for other pre-existing medical conditions that could hurt the value of his contract.

Stern suggested to SI.com that the teams do the testing in rookie camp: "Let's put it back in rookie camp. If you're thinking about drafting a player, you do blood [tests], you do X-rays, skeletal, you look for scars, for breaks, for weaknesses, for disease. I don't know what you would be looking for with DNAs, but given the size of the contract and the importance of the draft pick, I think that diagnostic testing that tells you whether you're making a good investment is not a bad idea."

Stern also said safeguards should be in place to ensure the results of DNA testing are controlled by the player.

"Always," Stern told SI.com. "It should only be dispersed with the consent of the player. I guess the player, for limited purposes, can make it available to the team, but I'm a firm believer in medical privacy."