Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets Trade Debacle: What Is the NBA Thinking?

The NBA is the owner of the New Orleans Hornets—that's a fact. Another fact? When the NBA purchased the franchise, it stated that general manager Dell Demps would remain in control of the team.

Well, until they try to trade Chris Paul that is.

Between today and last Thursday, the NBA has essentially squashed two separate deals to send the Hornets' star point guard to Los Angeles—one with the Lakers and another potential deal with the Clippers. The league has taken over control of Demps' decision making in the process, requesting extraordinarily steep prices from other clubs looking to make deals for Paul.

And as much as the league may think they're helping the Hornets, they're not. No, in fact, they're killing them.

Chris Paul will not be a Hornet come next season. That much has already been decided.

What hasn't been decided is what—if anything—the Hornets' can get in return for the departing superstar.

Two separate times, New Orleans has set up deals that, under the circumstances, would have been more than fair and benefited the future of the club tremendously. But for whatever reason (possibly thinking that he makes the club more attractive to potential owners?), David Stern and the NBA refuse to allow the club to make a reasonable deal involving Paul.

But what they fail to realize is that if they don't allow New Orleans to make a deal soon, their leverage—already minimal—and in turn their asking price, can only drop. If teams aren't going to get a full season out of Paul before his contract expires, why give away as many pieces?

Demps realizes that and it's why he is trying to make a deal. Now. But the NBA is killing him and his franchise by blocking their progress along the way.

And frankly, the NBA is killing themselves in the process.

As if the terrible PR of the recent lockout wasn't bad enough, apparently the league is intent on fully ruining its public image by disallowing New Orleans to get a fair deal for a piece they are going to lose one way or another, and by refusing to allow another team to pick up Paul and become a competing force for the NBA title this season.

Everyone else wants to see what Paul can do in another NBA city with big time talent around him. Why doesn't the league?