Sources: Clippers' deal for Chris Paul off
A seemingly imminent Chris Paul trade has collapsed for the second time in five days.
Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that the league-owned New Orleans Hornets and the Los Angeles Clippers could not complete their proposed Paul trade because the Clippers ultimately decided the NBA's asking price for the All-Star guard was too high.
On Thursday, NBA commissioner David Stern vetoed a three-team trade agreement struck by the Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets to send Paul to the Lakers.
At the NBA's direction, sources said, New Orleans was insisting upon the inclusion of both shooting guard Eric Gordon and Minnesota's unprotected 2012 first-round draft choice in addition to former All-Star center Chris Kaman and prospects Al-Farouq Aminu and Eric Bledsoe.
The Clippers found the demands "too steep," according to one source close to the process, even after Paul told the Clippers he would invoke the 2012-13 option in his contract as part of the trade, ensuring that L.A. would have him next to Blake Griffin for at least two seasons.
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/7345461/new-orleans-hornets-chris-paul-los-angeles-clippers-trade-dies-price-too-high-sources-say
So essentially, the NBA is screwing New Orleans in a roundabout way. There's no way that Chris Paul re-signs with New Orleans, so they are trying to get SOMETHING for him instead of him walking away for nothing. But the NBA is pricing him SOOO high that no team can afford to trade for him. It's a roundabout way of F-ing the Hornets and ensuring that Paul can leave in Free Agency to get his pay day with one of the "Big market" teams.
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As a Knicks fan I'd love to have him here. I'm not completely sold on Carmelo and Stoudemire. 
