Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan is changing his team’s name to the Hornets, said a person familiar with the situation.

The person said Jordan will detail the timetable for the change to be completed at a press conference the Bobcats have scheduled for Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press Monday on condition of anonymity because the name change has not been publicly announced.

NBA deputy commissioner and COO Adam Silver previously said it would take ”about 18 months” for the Bobcats to change their name. That means Charlotte could once again become the Hornets by the 2014-15 season.

The Hornets resided in Charlotte from 1988-2002 before then-owner George Shinn moved the franchise to New Orleans.

The New Orleans Hornets recently changed their name to the Pelicans.

– Reported by Steve Reed of the Associated Press

Chris Hansen is not going away in his pursuit of bringing the NBA back to Seattle.

Hansen released a statement on his SonicsArena.com website on Monday afternoon, congratulating Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson on his efforts to keep the Kings in California, while also vowing to keep up his pursuit of getting the NBA back to Seattle.

”Even as we are disappointed with the developments related to our efforts to purchase the Kings, we would just like to reiterate our dedication to bringing the NBA back to Seattle,” Hansen wrote. ”We will continue to press forward with our arena plans with the same commitment and effort we have over the last two years, and look forward to working with the City (of Seattle) and (King) County to see the project through the hurdles that remain. Likewise, we plan to continue to work with the league regarding opportunities that may arise to return an NBA franchise to our City.”

– Reported by Tim Booth of the Associated Press

The point guard scored 13 of his 26 points Tuesday night in the fourth quarter, helping the Grizzlies beat Oklahoma City 99-93 and even this Western Conference semifinal at 1-1. He also had 10 rebounds and nine assists to join Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Baron Davis as the only players with such a performance in a road playoff game in the past 25 years.

Conley says it was tough losing (Rudy) Gay but has embraced his former teammate’s role, though Conley’s still getting used to the pressure that comes with both making and missing shots.

– Reported by Teresa M. Walker of the Associated Press

Kobe Bryant is playing some of his toughest defense yet, demanding his mother keeps her hands off his merchandise.

Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers guard, said in a court filing that he never gave his mother permission to sell mementos from his high school days and early professional basketball career.

Bryant is in a court battle over whether hundreds of items - from high school jerseys to trophies and championship rings - can be auctioned off.

Pamela Bryant said the NBA star told her the memorabilia was hers. She arranged earlier this year to auction it off through Berlin, N.J.-based Goldin Auctions and received a $450,000 advance.

Last week, lawyers for the son wrote to the auction house demanding it cease the June sale. Goldin is suing to assert its right to sell.

– Reported by the Associated Press

In the morning before their season-defining game, Nets players voiced their support for interim coach PJ Carlesimo – whose fate as interim coach has yet to be addressed by upper management.

“He’s been great,” said Joe Johnson. “Our whole coaching staff, but PJ has been terrific. He always takes our input in games, practice, whatever. He’s a coach that really listens to us and gives us great feedback. I would love to see him back. He’s done a great job since he took over.”

Andray Blatche, while noting that he doesn’t know whether he’d return as a free agent after the season, echoed Johnson’s sentiment.

“As far as the job he’s done, he’s done a great job,” Blatche said. “The whole coaching staff in preparing us and getting us ready for these games. Our scouting report has been pretty good, that’s what has helped us in getting back from 3-1.”

Carlesimo has been criticized for his inconsistent rotations and lack of youth development, but he’s also reeled off an impressive 38-23 record since taking over for Avery Johnson.

– Reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Blog)

New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith has been suspended one game without pay for throwing an elbow and striking the chin of Boston Celtics’ guard Jason Terry, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, for which Smith was assessed a Flagrant Foul Two and ejected, occurred with 7:06 remaining in the fourth quarter of New York’s 90-76 win over Boston last night, at the TD Garden.

Smith will serve his suspension tomorrow, Sunday, April 28, when the Knicks face the Celtics at the TD Garden.

The battle to reach the NBA Finals from the Western conference just got even more wide open today.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery in the coming days to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee, the team announced today.

Westbrook suffered the injury in the second quarter of Game 2 of the First Round of the Western Conference Playoffs, when he collided with Rockets guard Patrick Beverley.  The three-time NBA All-Star averaged 23.2 points (6th in NBA), 7.4 assists (7th), a career-high 5.2 rebounds and 1.77 steals (9th) in 82 games this season.

“Our players’ health is our first and foremost concern. The Thunder’s medical team and several specialists we consulted with determined that Russell undergo a procedure to address the issue,” said Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. “We have thoroughly discussed this with Russell. Despite being the competitor and teammate that he is, he respects and understands the decision and is committed to come back even stronger. Certainly Russell is a leader and core player for this team, but we are in the midst of the playoffs and I know other players are determined to step up and contribute. We have a resilient group of players who have always taken pride in playing as a team and that approach will continue.”

There is no timetable set for his return.

Read NBA fan reaction and share your opinion in this basketball forum topic.

NBA fans will be able to purchase tickets for the first-ever NBA Draft in Brooklyn beginning May 22 at 10 a.m., the league announced today. Barclays Center, the home of the Brooklyn Nets, will host the 2013 NBA Draft presented by State Farm on June 27 at 7 p.m.

“We are excited to be holding the NBA Draft in Brooklyn, a borough long associated with great basketball talent,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “In addition to being a state-of-the-art arena, Barclays Center has quickly become a go-to destination for world class events. We are confident Barclays Center is an ideal venue for introducing the next generation of NBA stars to a global audience.”

“Brooklyn has become a major NBA market and basketball fans throughout the borough will be excited to welcome the next class of outstanding talent into the league,” Barclays Center and Brooklyn Nets CEO Brett Yormark said. “Many of the borough’s greatest all-time players have been drafted into the NBA, making this night a perfect fit for Brooklyn. We are honored to host the 2013 NBA Draft as we continue to bring many of the most high-profile sports and entertainment events to Barclays Center.”

The NBA Draft became a public event in 1979, and was held in various venues in New York City through 1991. It was held in Portland in 1992, followed by Detroit (1993), Indianapolis (1994), Toronto (1995), East Rutherford, N.J. (1996), Charlotte (1997), Vancouver (1998), Washington D.C. (1999), Minneapolis (2000), New York (2001-2010), and Newark (2011-2012).

The home of the Brooklyn Nets, Barclays Center opened on Sept. 28, 2012, and is a major sports and entertainment venue in the heart of Brooklyn.

When the Cavaliers hired Mike Brown as their coach in 2005, owner Dan Gilbert first talked to Phil Jackson about coaching in Cleveland.

Eight years later, that same scenario appears to be playing out again.

Brown remains the leading candidate to return to Cleveland and replace Byron Scott, who was fired last week following his third losing season with the Cavaliers. On Saturday, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Brown was open to reuniting with a franchise he led to five straight playoff appearances and the NBA finals.

Brown met on Sunday night with Gilbert, who fired him in 2010 after the Cavs were ousted by Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals. It’s not clear where the meeting took place, but Brown has been in the area recently because he’s moving his family back to Cleveland - a decision he made long before Scott was fired.

WKYC-TV first reported Brown and Gilbert were going to have dinner together. It’s not known if Brown, who went 272-138 with Cleveland, was offered the job.

– Reported by Tom Withers of the Associated Press

Indiana’s Paul George is already thinking big.

He wants that breakout regular season to become the norm and hopes Sunday’s triple-double is just the start of a far more tangible prize.

This is how George rolls - never satisfied with past performances, always intent on proving the doubters wrong - and it will be no different when the Pacers line up for Game 2 against Atlanta on Wednesday night. George’s mission: Proving he can be even better.

”I don’t want people to think it’s a one game type of thing,” he after Monday’s practice. ”I want to do outdo myself from Game 1.”

That won’t be easy after George finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, tied Reggie Miller’s playoff record by going 17 of 17 from the free-throw line before missing his final attempt, joined Mark Jackson as the only players in the franchise’s NBA history to produce a triple-double in the playoffs, and was every bit as efficient on defense.

– Reported by Michael Marot of the Associated Press

The Phoenix Suns today announced that Lance Blanks will no longer serve as the club’s general manager. 

“Lance has been a trusted friend and colleague,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby.  “I thank him personally and professionally for his hard work on behalf of the Suns.  We will continue to prepare for the offseason even as we look for his replacement.”

Blanks was originally named to the post on Aug. 5, 2010, after serving in the front offices of the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs.

University of Kentucky freshman All-America selection Nerlens Noel will forego his sophomore season and enter his name in this year’s NBA Draft.

“I have loved my time at Kentucky, but I feel that I’m ready to take the next step to the NBA,” Noel said. “I’ve learned so much here at UK and am thankful for Coach (John) Calipari, the staff and my teammates for all of their support. I especially appreciate the Big Blue Nation and all of the support, prayers and well-wishes I’ve received from them during my rehab and decision-making process. I’ll always be a Wildcat!”

Noel, an Everett, Mass., native, led the nation in blocks as he averaged 4.4 rejections per game and tallied 106 in 24 games played. Prior to his season-ending knee injury he was the only player standing taller than 6-foot-5 to rank in the top 30 in steals per outing as he had accumulated 50 steals on the year.

He averaged 10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. His rebounds and blocked shots led the Southeastern Conference, while he also ranked among the top-10 players in steals per game, defensive rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game and minutes played per game.

Noel finished the season ranked second in UK single-season history with 106 blocks. His 50 steals ranked as the fifth most in a single season by a freshman. His .590 field-goal percentage is the ninth-best mark in school history, while his steals per game (2.1) is the seventh-best mark in school history.

“I support Nerlens’ decision to enter his name in the draft and am excited for him and his future,” Calipari said. “The hard work and will to win he showed on the floor this year and the dedication and attitude he has shown in his rehab will only be a reward for him and whatever team drafts him in June.”

– Via Kentucky Wildcats

More than the playoffs are on the line in Utah’s regular-season home finale Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The game could be the last in Salt Lake City for as many as nine Jazz players with expiring contracts, including starters Paul Millsap, Mo Williams, Al Jefferson and Randy Foye.

The Jazz have three games remaining as do the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom they are mired in a battle for the final Western Conference playoff spot.

– Reported by Lynn DeBruin of the Associated Press

Dwyane Wade plans to return to the Miami Heat lineup on Friday, when the reigning NBA champions play host to the Boston Celtics.

Wade has missed Miami’s last six games while dealing with knee and ankle issues. Wade tells The Associated Press that doctors eventually discovered three separate bone bruises around his right kneecap, but that rest and treatment has largely taken care of the problem.

Wade says he isn’t sure how much he will play against Boston.

– Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

On the court after Monday’s national championship game, as the Louisville Cardinals cut down a net, Russ Smith Sr. told SI.com that his son Russ will turn pro. Russ Smith Jr., a junior, led Louisville in scoring this season.

“I told him, ‘Man, this is how you go out,’” Smith Sr. said. “All the people who doubted you since high school, you proved them wrong. You have back-to-back (Big East) championships, then you come back and win the national championship. All that hard work comes from working you out since you was three years old, running the beach, running the stairs, running with medicine balls, a boxing bag, it paid off.”

– Reported by Michael Rosenberg of SI.com

Brian Butch of the Bakersfield Jam was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played April 1-7.  The honor is the first for Butch of his career.

Butch (6-11, 240, Wisconsin) helped the Jam to a 3-0 week to close out the 2013 NBA D-League regular season and clinch the West Division title.  He played in two games, averaging 27.5 points while shooting 69 percent from the field, 15.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 34.5 minutes.

He led the team in both scoring and rebounding in both of his outings, including a season-high 28 points  in a 109-102 win over the Santa Cruz Warriors on April 5.  He tied a season high with 18 rebounds on April 1 in a 124-94 win over the Reno Bighorns.  In 47 games for the Jam this season, Butch is averaging 12.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 29.5 minutes.

Other top performers considered include Austin’s Lester Hudson, Canton’s Kyle Weaver, Erie’s Cory Higgins, Fort Wayne’s Tony Mitchell, Idaho’s Reggie Hamilton, Iowa’s Othyus Jeffers, Los Angeles’ Elijah Millsap, Maine’s Chris Wright, Rio Grande Valley’s Royce White, on assignment from the Houston Rockets, Reno’s Samardo Samuels, Santa Cruz’s Stefhon Hannah, Springfield’s Dennis Horner, Sioux Falls’ James Mays, Texas’ Justin Dentmon and Tulsa’s Rasual Butler.

The Miami Heat’s LeBron James and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in March.

James captured his fifth straight Kia NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month award by helping the Heat to a league-best 17-1 record as the team chased history, winning 27 straight games before falling to the Chicago Bulls 101-97 on March 27. The 27 consecutive victories are the second most in NBA history, trailing only the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers (33), while the Heat’s 17 wins in a single month established a league record. James averaged 25.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists while shooting 53 percent from the field for the month. He scored at least 20 points 14 times and shot at least 50 percent from the field in 13 contests.

Durant guided Oklahoma City to a 12-5 mark in March, averaging 27.6 points (tops in the NBA), 8.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 48 percent from the field and 90 percent from the free throw line. On pace to win his fourth consecutive scoring title, Durant scored 20-plus points 16 times and topped the 30-point plateau on seven occasions. Averaging a career-best 4.4 assists, Durant dished out at least five assists seven times. He also recorded two-plus blocks in eight games. 

Other nominees for NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month were Boston’s Jeff Green, Brooklyn’s Deron Williams, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Indiana’s Roy Hibbert, Miami’s Dwyane Wade, Memphis’ Mike Conley, New York’s J.R. Smith and San Antonio’s Tim Duncan. 

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he would consider drafting Baylor All-American Brittney Griner.

Cuban told reporters before Tuesday night’s game between the Mavericks and the Lakers that if Griner is the best player available, “I will take her.”

The 6-foot-8 Griner finished her college career as the NCAA leader in blocked shots and the second-leading scorer in women’s college basketball history.

Cuban says he has already thought about it and “Right now, I’d lean towards yes, just to see if she can do it. You never know unless you give somebody a chance.”

– Reported by the Associated Press

Cuban: “I’ve thought about it already,” he said. “Would I do it? And right now, I’d lean toward yes, just to see if she can do it.

“You never know until you give someone a chance. And it’s not like the likelihood of any late-50s draft pick has a good chance of making it. If we had tryouts, I would have no problem inviting her to work out and see how she did. No problem whatsoever.”

Cuban said he’s watched Griner play a lot, but hasn’t really been able to draw any conclusions. He said he’d like to see her against tougher competition.

– Reported by Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News

Minor nicks, as Heat coach Erik Spoelstra put it, will keep Miami starters LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers from playing against the New York Knicks.

Spoelstra ruled all three out for Tuesday night’s game, with James battling hamstring tightness and Wade and Chalmers dealing with right ankle sprains.

”Everybody’s human,” Spoelstra said.

It’s the second straight game in which Miami will miss those three starters. The Heat won in San Antonio 88-86 on Sunday without them. Spoelstra said all three players are improving, and none of them were available for comment after Miami’s shootaround Tuesday morning.
The Heat were expected to keep the same starting lineup from the Spurs game, with Rashard Lewis starting for James, Mike Miller for Wade and Norris Cole for Chalmers.

– Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Greg Willard, a longtime NBA referee who worked more than 1,600 games before he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, has died. He was 54.

Willard died Monday night, according to the league. He was diagnosed with the illness during last season’s playoffs and worked only one more game, a preseason matchup in October not far from his Huntington Beach, Calif., home.

Some NBA players, including three-time MVP LeBron James of the Miami Heat, New Orleans guard Roger Mason and Sacramento center Cole Aldrich, tweeted condolences to Willard’s family, as did Golden State coach Mark Jackson. More tributes were expected in the coming days, including moments of silence in Willard’s memory at all NBA games Tuesday and Wednesday…

Willard officiated 1,494 regular-season games, 136 playoff games, two NBA Finals games, the 2006 All-Star game and Europe Live games in 2006 in Italy, France and Germany in a career that spanned nearly a quarter-century.

– Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press