David Stern, presumably speaking in his role as an owner of the Hornets and not commissioner, commented on the proposed trade sending Chris Paul to the Lakers that was vetoed by the NBA on Thursday.

"The decision was taken that Chris Paul in New Orleans was more valuable than the trade that was being discussed," Stern said.

"I don't want to speak on the basketball side, but that particular one was weighed against Chris Paul's continued presence in New Orleans," Stern said.

However, when asked about other trades, Stern said, "I'll leave that to the team as the discussion goes on," perhaps indicating that the NBA is in fact willing to sign off on a trade for Paul that meets the league's standard for sufficient return.