Four NBA teams are on the verge of a five-player trade that will send Trevor Ariza to the New Orleans Hornets and Darren Collison to the Indiana Pacers, two league sources said.

In the proposed deal, the Houston Rockets will send Ariza to the Hornets, who in turn will send Collison and James Posey to the Pacers.

The Pacers will send Troy Murphy to the New Jersey Nets. And the Nets will send Courtney Lee to the Rockets.

According to the sources the Rockets, Hornets, Pacers and Nets are in advanced discussions on the deal and the principals involved are set. The teams were ironing out details, including Posey's trade kicker and possible cash payments.

The deal, if completed, could fulfill some long-term needs for the Hornets, Pacers and Nets, as well as provide needed salary relief for the Rockets.

For the Hornets, while moving Collison leaves the team without a credible backup for Chris Paul, the addition of Ariza gives them a young, athletic wing entering his prime.

The Hornets are hoping that the addition of Ariza quiets the complaints address Paul's concerns about the team's commitment winning by showing that they're willing to spend money to get better. Ariza signed a six year, $35 million dollar deal with the Rockets last summer.

For the Pacers, landing Collison gives them the young starting point guard they've been looking for and adds another piece to a young core of players including Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert and promising rookies Paul George and Lance Stephenson.

The Pacers did take on the last two years and $13 million of Posey's contract, but the deal also sliced another $4 million off the team's overall payroll.

In Murphy, the Nets get the veteran big man that new coach Avery Johnson has been coveting. Murphy is also on the last year of his contract, which could make him an important trading chip for the Nets at the 2011 trade deadline.

For the Rockets, aside from acquiring Lee, the move is largely a salary dump. This summer the Rockets spent a lot of cash signing Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry and Brad Miller to free agent contracts and their payroll ballooned to $81 million. Before the trade, the team was bracing for a $10 million-plus luxury tax hit. The deal would save them $28 million on the life of the contracts and $10 million this season, including luxury tax considerations.

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Trading Collison for Ariza is stupid. Considering it's a PG league now Collison's value should be a lot higher than Ariza's.

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They need to move Collison but I agree they should be able to get more for him. Houston doesnt seem to have any clear direction their team is headed. The only team this move is a slam dunk for IMO is the Pacers, although I laughed out loud a little at the article trying to pump up Hibbert, George, and Stephenson.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul