"There is renewed momentum to push through a trade that would send Chris Paul from the league-owned New Orleans Hornets to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to sources close to the process.

After a seemingly imminent trade routing Paul to the Clippers collapsed earlier Monday, sources told ESPN.com that the league officials negotiating on the Hornets' behalf had aggressively re-engaged the Clippers in talks in hopes of completing a deal as soon as Tuesday.

One source close to the process also told ESPN that league officials also definitely did not see talks with the Clippers as "over," since they rank as the Hornets' most natural trade partner given L.A.'s trade assets and how it ranks as Paul's preferred destination if he can't land with the Los Angeles Lakers or New York Knicks. The NBA remains "hopeful," according to the source, that Paul's fate can be resolved "soon."

Two other sources went so far as to say that a deal could be in place by Tuesday, with the league officials who have essentially taken over the entire negotiating process from the Hornets eager to finally bring an end to this saga after NBA commissioner David Stern vetoed a three-team trade Thursday that would have landed Paul with the Lakers."