NBA teams resubmit Chris Paul trade proposal

NBA stars continued to orbit the Lakers’ system, but one moved a step further from arriving in Los Angeles and another came slightly closer.

The Lakers, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Hornets resubmitted a Chris Paul-to-the-Lakers trade proposal to the NBA office Saturday, hoping to obtain the 26-year-old Hornets guard after a mess of days that could only be described as awkward.

Many of the particulars were the same as the original trade that was blocked Thursday and set off a firestorm of criticism aimed at NBA Commissioner David Stern.

Pau Gasol still goes to Houston, Lamar Odom to New Orleans and Paul to the Lakers.

The deal is “still on life support, even though people tried to kill it,” according to a person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly.

It was unknown when the NBA would review the new proposal, but it might not happen until Monday, making Sunday with the Lakers another fun experience.

Houston’s Luis Scola and Kevin Martin and a first-round pick were still ticketed for New Orleans. The Hornets would send free agents Jason Smith and Marcus Banks to the Lakers in the reconfigured trade, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Smith, 25, is a 7-footer who averaged 4.3 points for the Hornets last season. Banks is a 30-year-old point guard who has been with five NBA teams and scored six points in three games with Toronto last season.

Meanwhile, Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard officially asked for a trade Saturday but reportedly wanted to play for the New Jersey Nets, not the Lakers, somewhat surprisingly.

The Lakers, Nets and Dallas were granted permission to talk to Howard’s agent about a trade, but the Nets have substantially more to offer than the Lakers.

Brook Lopez is a top-10 center who has played all 82 games in his three NBA seasons. Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu has a cumbersome contract (three years, $34.8 million) that the Nets would gladly take off Orlando’s hands. Plus, a first-round draft pick from New Jersey would presumably be higher than one from the Lakers.

If the Lakers lose Gasol and Odom in the Paul trade, they could offer Andrew Bynum and...?

Howard and Paul can both become free agents next July, forcing their teams to try to work out trades instead of losing the perennial All-Stars for nothing after the season.

Odom skipped practice for a second consecutive day but was at the Lakers’ training facility for an annual physical. Gasol was also at the facility and actually took part in practice.

“It’s just not been easy mentally and emotionally,” said Gasol, speaking with reporters for the first time since the NBA blocked Thursday’s trade.

“It’s a hard situation to deal with. You come in and you’re excited about a new challenge, new season, new coaching staff ... and then obviously all these talks are on and it was very close to happening.

“If the NBA hadn’t stopped it, I would be gone. I wouldn’t be here today. It’s tough to keep your balance. I’m happy that it hasn’t happened because my heart is here, my mind is here. That’s the reality.”

Gasol’s interview lasted a few minutes before he ducked into the locker room.

“I was looking forward to the opportunity of winning another [championship], making another run,” he said before he left, not knowing what the immediate future held.

As the Lakers waited to see which new All-Star, if any, might arrive at their team facility, there were plenty of observations on the second day of training camp in El Segundo.

Luke Walton scrimmaged on the first team with Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Bynum and Gasol.

Metta World Peace was on the second team, playing power forward, along with Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, Derrick Caracter and Jason Kapono.

Bynum had the play of the day in an otherwise sloppy scrimmage, dunking one-handed off an alley-oop pass from Fisher.

Also, this much is known: Mike Brown is a lot louder than Phil Jackson at practice. The new Lakers coach was seen bounding up and down the practice court, enthusiastically trying to get players to follow his new schemes.

Bryant was reluctant to compare the style of the two coaches, allowing only with a smile that, “Phil was, like, 80. Phil can’t move.”

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

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