Chicago Bulls general manager John Paxson didn’t travel with the team Tuesday to New Jersey, where the Bulls open the season tonight against the Nets.

Paxson was busy at home, apparently working on trade negotiations with the Los Angeles Lakers for Kobe Bryant. But those talks seemed to have lost some intensity. Los Angeles Lakers vice president Magic Johnson said the deal isn’t going to happen.

”A deal can’t get done because they won’t include [Luol] Deng,” Johnson said Tuesday on TNT. ”And without Deng, a deal can’t get done.”