Clippers reject trade for Chris Paul

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Clippers made a pitch for all-star point guard Chris Paul but rejected a possible trade as too costly, a team official said Monday.

Neil Olshey, the team's vice president of basketball operations, told the Los Angeles Times he talked with the New Orleans Hornets about Paul Sunday but the talks had ended by Monday.

"We entered into discussions with the New Orleans Hornets," Olshey said. "They proposed a trade we felt was too high for our team to accept."

The Times reported New Orleans was seeking shooting guard Eric Gordon in return.

The Hornets, which are owned by the NBA, vetoed an earlier deal in which Paul would have been sent to the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Lakers backed out of a second attempt to swing a deal, the Times said.

The Clippers, meanwhile, won the "amnesty waiver" bidding for former New York Knicks guard Chauncey Billups Monday, the Times reported, citing people "familiar with the process."

He had threatened to not show up to the team claiming him because he was upset the Knicks had waived him under the new amnesty process, which allows any team under the salary cap to make claims on such players.

The Clippers announced Monday they have matched the four-year, $43 million offer sheet restricted free agent center DeAndre Jordan signed Sunday with the Golden State Warriors.