That prospect didn't last long, though, as NBA commissioner David Stern stepped in to put a halt to that deal. Stern, serving as the de facto owner for the league-owned New Orleans Hornets, said that the Hornets were not getting enough in return. However, it was also reported that other NBA owners protested the move, leading to Stern calling off the deal.
Of course, everyone had a reaction to the news. Each team stood to lose in its own way. The Lakers, obviously, lost out on Paul, one of the game's best. The Hornets lost a chance to get at least something back for Paul, who is expected to leave at season's end. And the deal's third team, the Houston Rockets, was going to land Pau Gasol and would have cleared salary cap room in sending additional players to the Hornets.
However, that was apparently not meant to be.
In addition to supposedly looking out for the best interests of the Hornets, the veto also — for at least another day — keeps an NBA superpower from gaining even more power. There were those who believed that the Lakers wouldn't stop after getting Paul, as some thought they'd also try to swing a deal for Magic center Dwight Howard.
So for now, the vetoed deal at least maintains some the league's dwindling competitve balance.
