NEW ORLEANS – The NBA, owner of the New Orleans Hornets, refused Thursday to approve a three-team deal that would have sent guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Yahoo Sports reported that Commissioner David Stern killed the trade after several owners complained. Citing anonymous sources, Yahoo reported that Dallas’ Mark Cuban was one of the most vocal owners upset about the deal, done the same day as the end of the lockout, which was supposed to restore competitive balance.

The Hornets have been owned by the NBA since last December, when the league bought the club from its founder, George Shinn.

The proposed deal would have sent Lamar Odom from the Lakers to New Orleans and Pau Gasol from the Lakers to Houston. The Rockets also agreed to send forward Louis Scola, shooting guard Kevin Martin, point guard Goran Dragic and a first-round draft choice to New Orleans.

CELTICS-BUCKS: Boston has a deal in place to acquire veteran guard Keyon Dooling from Milwaukee for a second-round draft choice. Dooling played 80 games for the Bucks with 22 starts last season, averaging 7.1 points and three assists.

LABOR: Owners and players ratified the labor agreement, the final step to ending the five-month lockout and paving the way for training camps and free agency to open today.

Owners approved the deal, which allows either side to opt out after six years, by a 25-5 vote. The players’ association said 86 percent of the more than 200 players who voted electronically approved the deal.

CLIPPERS: Free agent Caron Butler reportedly is leaving Dallas to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.

TNT reported that it’s a three-year, $24 million deal.

PISTONS: Tayshaun Prince and Jonas Jerebko are expected to re-sign with Detroit.

TRAIL BLAZERS: Center Greg Oden, Portland’s often-injured former No. 1 draft pick, will sign the team’s $8.9 million qualifying offer today.

But it’s not clear when Oden, who is coming off left knee surgery, might be available to play.

 

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