NBA Trade Rumors 2013: Could Commissioner David Stern Nix Celtics-Clippers Deal For Doc Rivers And Kevin Garnett?

While it appears that the Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics have a deal, in principal, to send Kevin Garnett and head coach Doc Rivers out west in exchange for DeAndre Jordan and two first round draft picks, the league office may veto the agreement altogether.

ESPN is reporting that the commissioner has informed both Boston and the Clippers that the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) rules may have been broken by including Rivers into any possible trade agreement.

CBA rules dictate that not only are teams prohibited from formally trading coaches, but they are prevented from making any trade or free-agent signing with contingencies or side deals attached to the offer.

"I would say in the language of diplomacy that the teams are aware that the collective bargaining agreement doesn't authorize trades involving coaches contracts," NBA commissioner David Stern said on the "Stephen A. Smith Show" on ESPN Radio. "The only consideration that can be done here in players transactions are other players, draft picks and a very limited amount of cash. But, coaches contracts don't qualify as extra consideration or acceptable consideration in player transactions. The teams know that."

The Clippers and Celtics have been going back and forth trying to make the trade happen - with Los Angeles at one point balking at the idea of including guard Eric Bledsoe as part of the transaction - hoping to use him as trade bait to upgrade the team.

Negotiations had winded down until Wednesday afternoon, with sources telling ESPN that Chris Paul - who the Clippers are looking to re-sign to a long-term deal - pushing hard to get Rivers into the fold.

While Boston general manager Danny Ainge has insisted that Rivers will remain the Celtics coach, even as negotiations with Los Angeles were unfolding, Rivers, for his part, met with the front office and expressed no desire to return to Boston, according to ESPN. Rivers is prepared to take a television job rather than put up with the growing pains that go with coaching a younger team.

"He wants another championship or at least another chance at it," one source close to Rivers said. "He doesn't want to go through a rebuilding process."