A three team deal was under way on Thursday that would have sent Chris Paul to the LA Lakers and include the Houston Rockets. NBA spokesman, Mike Bass said that the NBA League did not let the deal go through for basketball reasons. Could it be the NBA League wants to keep the competitive balance going for the New Orleans Hornets?

Hugh Weber, Hornets president previously said that the team had been preparing for months that Paul would resist signing an extension to play with them. In the deal the NBA stopped the LA Lakers would have traded Lamar Odom to the Hornets and Pau Gasol to the Houston Rockets. The LA Lakers would have then gotten Chris Paul and the Houston Rockets would have sent Luis Scola,  Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic to the Hornets.

The NBA Board of Governors voted 25-5 to ratify the collective bargaining agreement. The Union stated that 86% of 200 players who voted electronically approved the deal. The agreement includes a 50-50 split of basketball related income, a higher luxury tax with progressive tax rates and soft salary cap system.