NBA Trade Rumors: Chris Paul to Clippers Dead, David Stern is Out of Control

The trade talks between the New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers surrounding point guard Chris Paul are now dead, and commissioner David Stern has struck again.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that the deal was dead after speculation that it may have been in jeopardy:

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The NBA has been been running the trade talks for Paul, usurping the power of general manager Dell Demps. The league took over the Hornets in December, and are angling to maintain value to sell the franchise for the highest possible price.

This circumstance is unprecedented in NBA history.

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The last sentence says everything, doesn't it?

What was the point of putting Demps in charge as GM of the team if the league wasn't going to allow him to do his job?

After the commissioner vetoed a deal which would have sent Chris Paul to the Lakers, his inability to be reasonable in trade discussions with the Clippers has led to another failed deal.

That's right. Stern has now been the driving force that has broken down two separate trades that would've brought Paul to Los Angeles.

Instead, Paul remains in New Orleans.

Stern continues to portray the NBA as a full-fledged circus less than a full week after a new Collective Bargaining Agreement was agreed upon by the players and owners following a grueling lockout, and his legacy is going down the drain in rapid fashion.

This is just a stunning development for the league after opening its doors for business on December 9, and it's hard to imagine any team wanting to deal with this debacle going forward.

Let's break down both deals from the Lakers and Clippers exclusively from New Orleans' point of view.

In the Lakers scenario, the Hornets would have netted Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic and a future first-round pick.

That's a really strong offer, and the league balked at it due to the Hornets getting back players who were too old, citing concerns that the team needed more youth and future draft picks for its franchise player.

In the Clippers scenario, the Hornets would have done even better, but Stern's clear and complete desire to dictate the Paul situation led to a breakdown in talks—again.

The Hornets would have received Chris Kaman (along with his $12.2 million expiring contract), young forward Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe and Minnesota's unprotected 2012 first-round draft pick in exchange for Paul.

However, the league didn't feel that was enough of a haul. Stern insisted that promising shooting guard Eric Gordon also be a part of the package.

Los Angeles' response? The team has walked away from the negotiating table.

Stern wants competitive balance, but his message indicates otherwise. The Clippers have been a doormat franchise of the league prior to the arrival of Blake Griffin, but now he wants to take every valuable trade asset from the team in exchange for Paul.

Competitive balance, redefined by the NBA.

While all of this information is being made public and fans continue to feel outraged, Stern remains silent, hiding from the public eye after becoming the clear-cut villain.

Could Stern still get a better deal for Paul? It's possible, but that doesn't make it probable, or anything close to it.

If the Hornets don't find a deal that's better than either of the proposals that have now been wiped from the slate and wind up ultimately dealing Paul, Stern will have no explanation.

He won't be able to cite "basketball reasons" or franchise value, nor will he be able to use his infamous competitive balance argument.

Stern will have absolutely nothing to fall back on, nor will he have an owner willing to buy the New Orleans franchise.

Paul walks out the door at the end of the season as an unrestricted free agent, leaving nothing for the Hornets in return for his departure.

Stern wastes the time of all parties involved, Paul wastes a season of his career playing for a Hornets team that will not contend and the league continues to be the butt of jokes as a result of this hoopla.

This is why the league should've never owned a team.

No matter what winds up being the end result, David Stern has tarnished his legacy as commissioner of the NBA, and he will never be able to recover.

It's time for Stern's reign atop the NBA to come to its conclusion.