Following the NBA's decision to kill his trade of Chris Paul, Dell Demps considered stepping down from his job on Thursday as GM of the Hornets, league sources said, but was talked out of it.

Demps made a trade that was lauded by some of his peers throughout the league.

Officials involved in the trade talks said the league office was consulted throughout the negotiations, and there was never an indication Demps didn’t have the power to make a deal.

Several teams negotiating with New Orleans to get Paul asked the league office, and were told Demps had full authority to execute a trade.

But David Stern listened to enraged owners on Thursday insist this trade went against everything the lockout was intended to fix.

As one rival executive with strong ties to the league office said, “Stern cared about two things: Selling that franchise for the best possible price; and showing the players that they weren’t going to dictate where teams could trade them. But now, there’s no way that the league can allow Chris Paul to be traded at all, otherwise Stern is basically deciding where one of the top players in the league is going versus having any fair process.”

The Lakers were going to send Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom in exchange for Paul, while the Rockets were also involved by sending Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic and a first round pick.

“We were all told by the league he was a trade-able player, and now they’re saying that Dell doesn’t have the authority to make the trade?” said an NBA executive who had periodic talks with New Orleans throughout the process. “Now, they’re saying that Dell is an idiot, that he can’t do it his job. [Expletive] this whole thing. David’s drunk on power, and he doesn’t give a [expletive] about the players, and he doesn’t give a [expletive] about the hundreds of hours the teams put into make that deal.

“To me, this makes the league feel like it’s rigged, that Stern just does whatever Stern wants to do. He’s messed up the competitive balance of this league a lot worse by killing the deal, because you’ve completely destroyed the planning that New Orleans, Houston did and left them in shambles over this. I’ve never been so discouraged about this league, never so down.

“I mean, come on: Chris Paul is leaving New Orleans in 66 games. He’s gone. And what’s Dell Demps, and that franchise, going to have to show for it?”