Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

This is why he is called the “Zen Master”….The Chris Paul deal was nixed by the NBA last night but Phil Jackson saw this happening a while ago.

Check the excerpt of the story that ran on ESPNLosAngeles.com almost a year ago after the jump…

“Who’s going to trade who to whom? Who’s going to pull the button on trading player or when Chris [Paul] says he has to be traded? How’s that going to go? I don’t know. Somebody’s going to have to make a very nonjudgmental decision on that part that’s not going to irritate anybody else in this league … I don’t know how they’re going to do that.”

The Hornets basketball decisions and day-to-day operations will continue to be controlled by team president Hugh Weber and general manager Dell Demps, but Jackson was skeptical any move made by New Orleans would be viewed as the league helping out another franchise.

“That’s what everybody is going to be afraid of: Who is going to be helping who out?” Jackson said.

SOURCE: Dave McMenamin at ESPN.com