NBA Trade Rumors: David Stern Won't Save Face in Revised Chris Paul Deal

The Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Hornets are working toward revising a deal that will be able to send Chris Paul to the Lakers in which NBA commissioner David Stern would approve, according to CBS Sports.

However, there is no way Stern can save face with this revised deal. He already looked like a fool for rejecting the first edition of the deal, and allowing this one would make him look even more inept.

The damage has already been done. Players on all three teams who were part of the initial deal had to go to their team's training camps on Friday with this disappointment and even anger. It was awkward for everyone involved.

Now if this trade does go down, the players will be behind in learning their new team's playbook and defensive schemes. In a shortened season where training camp is shorter and there is a smaller preseason, this is a big problem.

Practice time is vital in the NBA, and once games start in a condensed schedule there will not be many days for hard practices.

The CBS report says that the teams involved are looking for ways to send younger players and more draft picks, but how does that make the deal any better?

The Hornets already got two great talents in the first deal in Kevin Martin and Luis Scola, who are 28 and 31 respectively. These are not young guys, but they are not old either. The Hornets were getting proven talent in the first edition and that is what they need, not unproven young players.

How are the Hornets supposed to get better right away if they have to develop young and inexperienced players? If Stern and the NBA want to sell the team, the first deal should have gone down.

Houston's Patrick Patterson and Courtney Lee are two good young players who could be sent to New Orleans, but nothing I have seen from Patterson leads me to believe he will be a star one day. He could be a good player but he won't help the Hornets anymore now or down the road than Scola will.

There is absolutely no way for Stern to save himself in this ordeal. Approving a trade is the right thing to do, but it has to be to the Lakers.

Stern would not be able to explain why Paul could go to another team when the deal the Lakers had in place gave the Hornets great value for their superstar.

Stern blew this one, and while he can fix the deal and approve it, he cannot fix the fact that his reputation has been shot and it is time for him to retire as commissioner. 

Nicholas Goss is an NBA Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report.

Follow @NicholasGoss35