The Charlotte Bobcats are beginning the process of becoming the Hornets, again. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

The Charlotte Bobcats are beginning the process to change their name back to the Charlotte Hornets, according to a CBS Sports report. According to the report, a source told CBS Sports the Bobcats hope to acquire digital assets to allow a return to their old nickname. Commissioner-in-waiting Adam Silver told Bobcats season ticket holders in April that any change to the Hornets would take 18 months.

The Hornets relocated to New Orleans in 2002 but the team will now be known as the New Orleans Pelicans, opening the door for a possible return of the Hornets in Charlotte.

Bobcats owner Michael Jordan recently acknowledged that the Bobcats were doing field research to asses how fans felt about a possible change back to the old nickname.

Former Phoenix Suns head coach Alvin Gentry will interview next week for the Charlotte Bobcats head coaching position. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Former Phoenix Suns head coach Alvin Gentry will interview next week for the head coaching position with the Charlotte Bobcats, according to a report late Wednesday night from David Aldridge of NBA.com.

Gentry, a North Carolina native and former college basketball player at Appalachian State, had expressed interest in the job in late April after the team parted ways with first-year head coach Mike Dunlap, who finished the season with a 21-61 record.

But Gentry’s record as a head coach, first with the Miami Heat in 1994-95 and subsequent stints with the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns, is below .500. Despite taking the Suns to the Western Conference Finals in 2010, he has an overall record of 335-370 (.475) as a head coach and was relieved of his coaching duties midway through last season in Phoenix amid a 13-28 record.

The Suns will also interview Gentry’s assistant coach in Phoenix, Elston Turner, who has served as an assistant coach in the NBA for 15 years. He has interviewed for several head coaching positions, including the one with the Chicago Bulls in 2010 that ended up going to Tom Thibodeau, but has yet to be hired as a head coach.

Rockets assistant Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson is on the radar of the Charlotte Bobcats for their vacant head coaching job. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

The Charlotte Bobcats requested permission to speak with Houston Rockets assistant coach Kelvin Sampson about their vacant head coaching job, reports the Houston Chronicle.

The Bobcats are looking to replace Mike Dunlap, who was fired last week after only one season with the team. The Bobcats finished the 2012-13 season with a 21-61 record.

Houston is currently down three games to one in their first-round series with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Sampson has been on the Rockets staff since 2011 after spending three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. He was a candidate for the Brooklyn Nets job when Avery Johnson was fired in December.

Sampson is a Charlotte resident and was acting head coach during head coach Kevin McHale’s absence in the midseason to deal with personal issues.

Sampson was a college head coach at Washington, Oklahoma and Indiana, leading the Sooners to the Final Four in 2002. He resigned at Indiana in 2008 amid an NCAA investigation.

Michael Jordan married Yvette Prieto before 500 guests on Saturday. (Isaac Brekken/Getty Images)

NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan married model Yvette Prieto in Palm Beach on Saturday, reports the Miami Herald.  

It is Jordan’s second marriage. Jordan, currently the owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, was married for 17 years before divorcing in 2006 and the couple have three grown children together.

More from the Miami Herald:

Jordan, 50, and Prieto, 35, were married before about 500 guests at the Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, a massive Gothic revival building in the heart of the ritzy island.

Among the dozens of relatives, friends and business associates of Jordan’s were other aging basketball stars, including former New York Knicks big man Patrick Ewing and former Chicago Bulls Scottie Pippen, Ron Harper and Toni Kukoc as well as NBA TV announcer Ahmad Rashad.

GALLERY: SI’s 100 Best Photos of Jordan

Mike Dunlap was fired on Tuesday as head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. (Marc Serota/Getty Images)

The rash of firings continue in the NBA, one week after wrapping up the regular season. On Tuesday, the Charlotte Bobcats announced that the team has parted ways with first-year head coach Mike Dunlap, who was hired in June 2012 as the fifth head coach in franchise history. The team, coming off an all-time NBA worst winning percentage of .106 (7-59) last season, finished this year with a 21-61 record.

According to a statement issued by the team via its Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon, Bobcats president of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins met with General Manager Rich Cho to talk about changes and ultimately decided that a new coach was needed. There was no immediate comment from team owner Michael Jordan but Higgins said the search for a new coach will begin immediately:

“Rich Cho and I conducted our season-ending review and met with Coach Dunlap to reflect on this season.  As an organization, it was decided that we needed to make a change with the head coach position. We want to thank Mike for his contribution and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

Some of the lottery-bound teams have wasted no time in moving forward with a new coach for next season; the 24-58 Cleveland Cavaliers parted ways with Byron Scott last week and the Detroit Pistons decided not to retain head coach Lawrence Frank after finishing 29-53 this season. Doug Collins also announced at the end of the season that he would not return as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.

https://twitter.com/bobcats/status/326745716288520192

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Mario Chalmers and Ray Allen are expected to take the night off on Friday when the Miami Heat take on the Bobcats in Charlotte, reports Ira Winderman of the South Florida SunSentinel.

Wade and James missed the team’s past two games and Chalmers the past three. The team received criticism for resting players for minor injuries with the playoffs coming up — hamstring tightness for James, a sprained ankle for Chalmers, and a variety of nagging injuries for Wade. But the NBA chose not to discipline the team.

The last time the two teams met on Nov. 29, San Antonio rested starters Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green and Miami went on to win the game 105-100. The NBA fined San Antonio $250,000 for the incident because the team did not give the NBA or Miami prior notice of the players’ absences.

ESPN opted to broadcast the Heat-Bobcats game over a potentially more exciting game between the Thunder and Pacers, two playoff-bound teams.

Word out of Heat practice is LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Mario Chalmers, Ray Allen not expected to play Friday in Charlotte.—
Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) April 04, 2013

Heat, though, announce, "All players participated in at least some portion of today's practice, the entire team will travel to Charlotte."—
Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) April 04, 2013

This would be third in a row without James-Wade-Chalmers, with Ray Allen twisting his ankle when he tripped over camer man Tuesday.—
Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) April 04, 2013

Terribly premature decision by ESPN, which also is doing Saturday in Miami. RT @GarrisonCarr: ESPN really glad they ditched OKC/IND for that—
Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) April 04, 2013

Greg Oden expects to sign with an NBA team next season after his third microfracture surgery. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Greg Oden expects to discuss returning to the NBA with the Miami Heat this summer and also is interested in Charlotte, Cleveland and San Antonio according to his agent Mike Conley Sr. in an interview with FOX Sports Florida.

Oden has been linked to interest from several other NBA teams including the Celtics and Mavericks, a year after undergoing his third microfracture surgery.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft has played in just 82 games for the Trail Blazers because of multiple knee surgeries. He has averaged 9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.

Conley said the Heat discussed adding Oden before signing Juwan Howard, but both sides opted to wait.

“No doubt,’’ Conley Jr. said of Oden’s interest in the Heat. “He’s obviously displayed interest in Miami and the team they have and the guys they have. I think any situation would be great for him, but Miami obviously would be great for him to be around a bunch of veteran guys and a winning team.’

“The Heat are interested in him and he’s interested in them,’’ Conley Sr. said. “In Miami’s situation, it just made sense to wait until after the season.’’

Michael Jordan asked a Georgia court on Monday to dismiss a paternity suit against him. (Kent Smith/Getty Images)

The Charlotte Bobcats were in Portland Monday night to visit the Trail Blazers, but earlier in the day team owner Michael Jordan was busy with a Georgia court over a paternity suit against him.

According to a report from the Associated Press, Jordan asked the judge to dismiss the case, which is scheduled to go to court March 12, on the grounds that the paternity of the teen was “conclusively established” during 2oo3 divorce proceedings between the woman alleging Jordan is the father and her ex-husband. Jordan called it a “shameless, bad faith attempt to abuse the legal system.”

The mother, Pamela Y. Smith, wants Jordan to take a paternity test because she believes he is the father of her 16-year-old, Taj. She also wants him to pay child support and some health care costs not covered by her insurance. Smith, 48, also requested that her son’s last name be changed from Reynolds — the boy’s father, as identified in the divorce proceedings, is Glenville G. Reynolds — to Jordan and wants the Georgia Department of Vital Records to issue her son a new birth certificate to reflect the name change.

According to Smith’s publicist, April Love, Jordan had met Smith in Chicago in the late 1980s. Love said that the former NBA star should do the right thing and submit to a paternity test:

“Pamela had no choice but to support her son and his desire to forge a relationship with his father,” Smith’s publicist, April Love, said in a statement Friday. “That’s why she is now speaking out and prompting Michael to do the right thing.”

Taj posted a video to YouTube on Christmas 2012 urging Jordan “to come out of the dark and stop being secretive about it because he knows I’m his son.”

Looking to unload troublesome and expensive guard Ben Gordon, the Charlotte Bobcats are hoping to find a suitor in the Toronto Raptors, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein is reporting.

According to Stein, Charlotte is “a suitor” for Raptors forward Andrea Bargnani, the team’s former No. 1 draft pick who it has been open to unloading.

However, the Bobcats appear to be more interested in such a deal than the Raptors, who already have a number of talented wing scorers.

But financially, the trade could have similar appeal to the rumored Bargnani-for-Carlos Boozer swap, as Gordon’s contract expires a year before Bargnani’s. Gordon’s $12-plus-million and Bargnani’s $10-million salaries could be swapped one-for-one.

All-Star Weekend trade rumble: Charlotte's growing determination to move Ben Gordon has presented Toronto w/another Andrea Bargnani suitor—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 16, 2013

Sense I get, though, is that Toronto ain't gonna bite on Bargs-for-Gordon deal. Raps have Terrence Ross & Alan Anderson playing well there—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 16, 2013

Gordon easier to take back $-wise than Boozer w/one less year on deal, but Raps unlikely to just trade ex-No. 1 overall pick for sake of it—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 16, 2013

Gordon, 29, is averaging 12.6 points on 42.8-percent shooting this season compared to career averages of 16.2 and 43.5.

The 27-year-old Bargnani’s 14.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game are his lowest numbers since his second year in the league. The 7-foot Italian has struggled with injuries in recent years, playing just 31 games last season and 25 thus far this season.

Michael Jordan’s longetime trainer said that even at 50 years old, Jordan would be the best player on the Bobcats, the team he currently owns. (Kent Smith/Getty Images)

Michael Jordan’s upcoming 50th birthday has brought the basketball legend back into the spotlight and even fueled speculation that he could attempt a comeback.

If Jordan chooses to go that route, longtime trainer Tim Grover is prepared to help. Grover has done extensive research to put together a program for Jordan to follow should he attempt a return to the NBA, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, and believes that Jordan “is still the best player on the Charlotte Bobcats.”

The soon-to-be 50-year-old beat 19-year-old No. 2 draft pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in a game of one-on-one last month, according to CSNHouston.com’s Dave Zangaro.

Jordan’s duties as owner of the Bobcats are the main obstacles preventing him from planning a comeback, Grover told Yahoo! Sports. But Grover also said that if he ever gets the call, he will “be ready for him.”

Fifty pages inside a binder sit on Grover’s desk inside his suburban Chicago home now, information and studies and research and innovations into regenerating the muscle fibers and anti-aging advances and nutrition. From his trips to Europe and Asia and the Far East, Grover has incorporated a small library of intelligence – backed with the most intimate knowledge of Jordan’s body and mind and drive – to create a program that awaits the comeback of all comebacks at 50 years old.

In his last comeback attempt at 38-40-years-old, Jordan averaged more than 20 points per game over two seasons with the Washington Wizards. Grover believes that the Hall of Famer could pull off a similar feat a decade later.

“His skill level was so superior to everyone else, his understanding of the commitment to the task so different, I absolutely believe [Jordan] playing again at 50 is obtainable,” Grover said. “Of course, things have been diminished away from the game so long, but even with what’s diminished by age, by not playing, I still think he’s superior to a lot of the players out there now.”

Jordan has been working out more frequently in hopes of shedding pounds to reach his former playing weight of 218, as detailed in Wright Thompson’s ESPN.com feature.

The Bobcats are reportedly more interested in trading Ben Gordon after the guard got into an argument with coach Mike Dunlap. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Bobcats guard Ben Gordon exhibited disruptive behavior during a shootaround Monday morning, increasing the team’s inclination to trade the nine-year veteran, reports Yahoo! Sports.

Coach Mike Dunlap asked Gordon to stop bouncing a ball while he was speaking, and Gordon began talking back to Dunlap, saying the coach need to “humble himself.” Gordon refused to return the ball to Dunlap and instead tossed it toward a ball rack. Bobcats GM Rod Higgins eventually intervened.

The Nets have expressed interest in Gordon, although they are wavering because they are uncertain Gordon can make a significant impact. Gordon, 29, is averaging 12.6 points and 2.2 assists per game thus far this season.

Bobcats shooting guard, Gerald Henderson, is expected to miss two to four weeks with a left foot sprain, reported the team’s VP of Communications via Twitter:

Update: @bobcats guard Gerald Henderson @GhJr09 could miss approx. 2-4 weeks with left mid-foot sprain suffered at Dallas (Nov. 3).—
B.J. Evans (@BobcatsBballPR) November 06, 2012

Henderson, 24, injured the foot during the third quarter of the Bobcats’ 126-99 loss to the Mavs on Saturday. He did not practice on Monday.

Henderson was taken 12th overall by the Bobcats during the 2009 draft after his junior year at Duke. He has improved each year and averaged 15.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season. Bobcats owner Michael Jordan once said Henderson had All-Star potential, and he told the Charlotte Observer that this will be a key year for Henderson, who becomes at restricted free agent at the end of the season, to show it.

“He’s a captain this year… To be a captain is a responsibility of leading by example. Don’t talk about it, do it. Be there every day in some capacity. If your shot’s not there, then rebound or play defense,” Jordan said. ”These are the things I’m expecting to see from Gerald. He’s shown the signs. Now can he take the next step? I’m pretty sure this is the year he’s going to sit in my office and ask for a raise. These are the things I need to see. I don’t like to overpay for things I don’t see.”

Michael Jordan tried to bring James Harden to Oklahoma City. (Davi Cannon, Getty Images)

Bobcats owner Michael Jordan has admitted that he tried to attract James Harden to Charlotte before the swingman signed an extension with the Houston Rockets.

In an interview with the Charlotte Observer, Jordan noted that the Bobcats may not be the most ideal destination for free agents given their small-market stature, but that didn’t stop him from trying to get the Oklahoma City Thunder’s sixth man.

Q: James Harden was just traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Houston Rockets. Were the Bobcats ever in the mix to acquire him?

A: “We made a couple phone calls. That’s all I can say.’’

Q: Do you still believe a major free agent would come to the Bobcats?

A: “If the (collective bargaining agreement) operates the way it’s supposed to, there will be very few teams with the right cap space (to pursue major free agents). Hopefully we can start picking them off that way, by maintaining our flexibility. Maybe we can provide them with the financial reward most players are starting to look for. Hoping the CBA will work that way for small-market teams – some parity.’’

Utah Jazz unrestricted free agent forward Josh Howard is reportedly working out with the Charlotte Bobcats and also has the eye of the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, according to a tweet from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Earlier in August, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com named the Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers as two other teams interested in the swingman:

Howard may ultimately return to Utah, but he’s also receiving interest from the Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets among other teams.

Howard insists he’s 100-percent healthy after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery last season. He played in 43 games for the Utah Jazz, averaging 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 23 minutes per game.

Though hardly the player he once was from his days of averaging nearly 20 points per game as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, Howard can still provide depth on both ends of the floor and for multiple positions.

He signed a one-year contract with the Jazz in December 2011 worth approximately $2.2 million and is expected to sign with a team for near the veterans minimum next season.

Free agent F Josh Howard, a Winston Salem native, has been working out with Charlotte this week, sources tell Y! CHI, NY amongst interested.—
Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) August 29, 2012

Josh Childress could be headed to the Wizards. (Barry Gossage/Getty Images)

Phoenix Suns unrestricted free agent Josh Childress has reportedly caught the interest of the Washington Wizards, according to a tweet on Tuesday afternoon from Michael Lee of The Washington Post.

Childress played in only 34 games last season for the Suns before amnestied by the team in July. He scored 2.9 points and grabbed 2.8 rebounds in 14 minutes per game last season.

Despite averaging nearly 12 points and five rebounds per game in 2007-08, Childress made a move to Greece in summer 2008 to play for the Olympiacos team for two seasons. He made $6 million with the Suns last season and was owed $13 million over the next two seasons before he was cut under the Suns’ amnesty clause this summer.

If picked up for a veteran’s minimum, Childress could provide a lanky, low-cost perimeter player off the bench if the Wizards end up starting their recently acquired swingman Trevor Ariza.

One player who may follow in Childress’ footsteps is Indiana Pacers unrestricted free agent Lou Amundson, who is reportedly in talks to sign with a team in Greece. But according to Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports, it’s unlikely Amundson will go to Greece. He is instead looking at the New York Knicks or Charlotte Bobcats:

Panathinaikos has been mentioned as a possibility but the Amundson camp is wary about how Josh Childress’ game fell off after he went to play in Greece and returned to the NBA.

Amundson, who made $2.7 million last season, is looking for another salary in the ballpark of $3 million. The Knicks, under their current roster, would not be able to afford him. He averages over 10 rebounds per 36 minutes, so the team that does pick him up will get a cost-effective upgrade to their rebounding.

Probably a long shot, but #wizards are among a handful of teams that have expressed interest in Josh Childress, according to a source—
Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) August 07, 2012

Antawn Jamison has signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, joining Steve Nash as the team’s offseason additions. (Gary Dineen/Getty Images)

Free-agent forward Antawn Jamison will sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, The Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell reported Monday night. Jamison had drawn interest from the Charlotte Bobcats, the Brooklyn Nets and the Golden State Warriors. From Bonnell’s report:

The Bobcats were recruiting free agent Jamison as both a power forward and a veteran mentor to a young team. Jamison was torn between the chance to play for his hometown team or to pursue a championship with what figures to be his last NBA contract.

The Lakers targeted Jamison in their search for backup big men, along with Elton Brand and Jermaine O’Neal, ESPN Los Angeles reported on Friday.

The 36-year-old Jamison scored 17.2 points per game and had 6.3 rebounds per game last season while playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. But he also hit a career-low 40.3 percent of his shots from the field.

Jamison becomes another piece to the Lakers’ veteran puzzle. They have also added point guard Steve Nash this offseason.

Given that the Brooklyn Nets needed someone to take Kris Humphries off their hands in order to facilitate a trade for Dwight Howard, it seems odd that they are now focused on re-signing him. Worse for the Nets, they have competition for Humphries’ services.

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets:

Exclusive: The #Bobcats are re-engaged in acquiring Kris Humphries to upgrade their power forward spot, an informed source tells Observer.—
Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) July 12, 2012

Humphries reportedly wants a multiyear deal, and both the Bobcats and the Nets are happy to oblige, reports ESPN.com’s Marc Stein:

Numbers circulating in Kris Humphries' bidding war: Word is Nets offering three-year deal worth $24 mil; Bobcats offering three years, $22M—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 12, 2012

If those numbers are accurate, the Bobcats may have to sweeten their offer to get Humphries, who averaged 13.8 points and 11.0 rebounds last season, to fly south — unless he feels more secure moving on than remaining in Brooklyn as trade bait.

UPDATE: David Aldridge of NBA.com says that Humphries appears likely to stay with the Nets.

League sources believe that, eventually, Kris Humphries is likely to return to the Nets rather than go to Charlotte. No other teams involved—
David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 13, 2012

The Charlotte Bobcats are looking to acquire forward Kris Humphries from the Nets. (Gary Dineen/NBA/Getty Images)

The Charlotte Bobcats, who are in desperate need for some frontcourt help, are once again inquiring about the services of Brooklyn Nets forward Kris Humphries, according to the Charlotte Observer.

The Cleveland Cavaliers backed out of a deal yesterday that would have sent Humphries there because they did not like what they would have gotten in return.

The 6-foot-9, 235-pound Humphries would likely command a paycheck of $10 million a year over three or four seasons, according to reports.

In 2011-12, Humphries made $8 million and averaged career highs in points, rebounds, blocks and minutes per game

RT @rick_bonnell: Exclusive: Bobcats are re-engaged in acquiring Kris Humphries to upgrade their power forward spot, source tells Observer—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 12, 2012

Los Angeles Lakers free agent Ramon Sessions will reportedly sign with Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Bobcats, according to a tweet Thursday afternoon from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Sessions spent last season with the Lakers, playing only 23 games because of injury. But he averaged 12.6 points and 6.2 assists in 30 minutes per game for the team last year and shot 48-percent from the field and 49-percent from three.

He has shown flashes of brilliance at times; as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, Sessions recorded a team record 24 assists to go with 20 points and eight rebounds in a 2008 game against the Chicago Bulls. That same year, he scored 44 points against the Detroit Pistons.

Sessions made $4.2 million in his one year with the Lakers. Terms of his new contract have not yet been disclosed.

Bobcats are finalizing a deal to sign Lakers free agent guard Ramon Sessions, sources tell Yahoo! Sports.—
Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 12, 2012

Having traded last year’s starting point guard, Darren Collison, to the Dallas Mavericks, the Indiana Pacers are trying to acquire another veteran to team with George Hill, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Indiana is pursuing a trade with Charlotte for restricted free agent point guard DJ Augustine, sources tell Y! Sports.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 12, 2012

Pacers have considered offer sheet, but prefer to make a trade for Augustine. As @DraftExpress reports, Indy traded Darren Collison to Mavs.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 12, 2012

Augustin has posted decent numbers since being selected ninth overall in the 2008 draft, averaging 14.4 points and 6.1 assists in 2010-11 and 11.1 and 6.4 last season.

Someone named Evan Massey from something called CenterStageSports.com claims that Tyler Hansbrough could be headed back to North Carolina, where he played his college ball, in exchange for Augustin.

UPDATE: Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets the following:

I hear an Augustin-to-Indiana sign-and-trade is unlikely. More to come.—
Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) July 12, 2012

Antawn Jamison has the offseason to decide if he wants to join his hometown Bobcats or chase the elusive NBA title. (David Kyle/Getty Images)

Lacking on Antawn Jamison’s résumé is an NBA title, but he may not pursue a ring if it’s not in the best interests of his family.

Jamison told Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer on Friday that there is interest between the hometown Charlotte Bobcats and the veteran.

“We broke the ice,’’ Jamison said of his two-hour meeting over dinner Thursday night. “To say there’s interest on both sides is definite. “Now it’s up to me. Do I want to come home to be with my kids? Or should I pursue the best opportunity to win a ring?’’

Jamison met with Bobcats executives Rod Higgins and Rich Cho on Thursday night in Charlotte, where Jamison grew up and currently resides in the offseason. He played three years at the University of North Carolina and won the 1998 Player of the Year award before going to the NBA.

He averaged 17.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game last year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team with which he signed in 2009 when LeBron James was still there in an effort to secure an NBA title.

The 14-year veteran would serve as a mentor to a young Bobcats team that just finished with the worst winning percentage in the history of the NBA. Charlotte could use the power forward to help nurture the development of Bismack Biyombo, especially after trading Corey Maggette prior to the draft for Ben Gordon.

With Deron Williams re-upping with the Nets, Steve Nash off to the Lakers, Jeremy Lin apparently either a Rocket or a Knick, and Jason Kidd either a Knick or a Maverick … the top remaining free-agent point guard might very well be Goran Dragic, late of the Houston Rockets.

That means interest in Dragic is starting to pick up. After he passed on Houston’s reported offer of $8 million per year, Dragic could very well have his pick of the remaining teams in need of help at the point.

Marc Stein of ESPN.com cites sources who say that the Suns will now make a hard push to sign Dragic, who began his NBA career in the Valley of the Sun. Stein also says that one of Nash’s spurned suitors is a possibility.

Sources w/knowledge of Suns' plans say PHX now making hard push to sign free agent Goran Dragic. Raps also trying to sign PG away from HOU—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 05, 2012

Sources tell Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that the Charlotte Bobcats, of all teams, also are interested in Dragic, who averaged 11.7 points and 5.3 assists in just 26.5 minutes last season.

The Charlotte Bobcats are preparing an offer sheet for restricted free agent Goran Dragic, league source tells @CBSSports.—
Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) July 05, 2012

The Charlotte Bobcats surprised some by choosing Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist over Kansas’ Thomas Robinson with the second pick in last week’s NBA Draft. Now, the reason behind that decision is becoming clear – The Charlotte Observer‘s Rick Bonnell reports that the Bobcats have interest in a free agent that plays Robinson’s power forward position.

#Bobcats have expressed interest in former N.C. State big man J.J. Hickson, agent Andy Miller confirms to Observer.—
Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) July 02, 2012

Hickson, 23, started last year with the Sacramento Kings, but was waived and played the rest of the season with the Portland Trail Blazers. Hickson averaged a career-high 15 points per game in 19 appearances with Portland, 10 of which came as a starter. The 2011-2012 season was Hickson’s last under his rookie contract.

The Portland Oregonian reported last week that the Blazers would not extend a qualifying offer to Hickson, meaning the Blazers do not have the right to match any other team’s contract offer.

TNT’s David Aldridge is reporting the Charlotte Bobcats have a handful of offers on the table for the anybody-but-Anthony Davis sweepstakes.

Source: Bobcats have five legit offers they're currently exploring to trade the second pick overall in tonight's NBA Draft.

—
David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) June 28, 2012

According to an earlier report, in order for the Bobcats to relinquish the No. 2 pick, they will try to unload Tyrus Thomas and his $26 million contract.

The Bobcats are coming off a season to forget. Compiling the worst winning percentage in NBA history, Charlotte narrowly missed receiving the No. 1 overall pick, which is understood by all to be Kentucky forward Anthony Davis.

Regardless of what they do, general manager Rich Cho and team owner Michael Jordan will make tonight the biggest draft decision in the history of the young franchise. After dealing Corey Maggette to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Ben Gordon, it seemed the Bobcats had settled on taking Kansas’ Thomas Robinson.

Charlotte needs a power forward with the departure of Maggette, but wing scoring is also a hole that needs filling. Florida’s Bradley Beal, Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes are all possibilities for the Bobcats at No. 2, as well.

The Bobcats are shopping the No. 2 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, but the team reportedly wants bidders to take on the $26 million contract for Tyrus Thomas as well. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Rumors have swirled in recent days of Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Bobcats looking to trade the team’s No. 2 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft for proven talent and/or multiple first round-picks.

But Michael Lee of The Washington Post reports that the kicker to the Bobcats trading away that highly-coveted pick could be getting a team to also take on the contract for Tyrus Thomas, the team’s forward who is owed more than $26 million over the next three years:

According to multiple sources, the Bobcats are trying to convince teams interested in the second pick to also take back disappointing power forward Tyrus Thomas. [W]hen asked if teams would be willing to touch Thomas, one Western Conference executive said, “I don’t think so.”

Thomas had his best season statistically in 2008-09 with the Chicago Bulls, averaging 10.8 points 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.2 steals in nearly 28 minutes per game. But he’s coming off one of his worst seasons in the league, averaging 5.6 points and 3. 7 rebounds in 18 minutes per game for the Bobcats last season.

After coming off the worst seasons in NBA history, the Bobcats are definitely showing they’re interested in making moves this off-season. On June 26, the team traded Corey Maggette to the Detroit Pistons for Ben Gordon and a lottery-protected first round draft pick.

Gordon’s production did not match his hefty salary, leading the Pistons to move him. (J. Dennis/Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Adrian Wojnarski of Yahoo! Sports first reported, and several other NBA writers have confirmed, that the Detroit Pistons have traded guard Ben Gordon and a lottery-protected first-round pick to the Charlotte Bobcats for swingman Corey Maggette.

Gordon hasn’t lived up to expectations since signing a five-year, $55 million free-agent deal before the 2009-10 season. In three years in Detroit, Gordon was unable to match his lowest scoring average from his Chicago days.

Wojnarski says that money was the motivation behind the deal, as Gordon has two years and $25.6 million remaining on his deal, while Maggette has just one year (at $10.9 million) remaining on a five-year, $50 million contract he signed before the 2008-09 season with Golden State Warriors (three teams ago).

Maggette averaged 15.0 points in just 27.5 minutes per game last season, although injuries limited him to just 32 contests.

The Cleveland Cavaliers want to draft Florida guard Bradley Beal, but would have to trade up to do it. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The Cleveland Cavaliers want to trade up to the second pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft to select Florida guard Bradley Beal, but they are still deciding whether it is worth the high price of making a trade with the Charlotte Bobcats, reports ESPN.com‘s Chad Ford (via IamaGM.com).

The Washington Wizards, picking third, are also interested in Beal. If Cleveland doesn’t trade up, the Cavaliers will likely be left with a choice between North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes and Kentucky’s Michael-Kidd Gilchrist.

Ford reports that Cleveland prefers Barnes because of his shooting ability and all-around offensive game.

In his Mock Draft 3.0, SI.com‘s Sam Amick had Cleveland taking Barnes over Kidd-Gilchrist.

The Charlotte Bobcats unveiled new uniforms on June 19, with the most striking update being the name change to “Cats” for their home jerseys. (Kent Smith/Getty Images)

The Charlotte Bobcats unveiled new uniforms on June 19, with the most striking update being a name change to Cats on the home jersey, according to photos released on the team website.

The name change is perhaps a move to give the franchise a new identity under current owner Michael Jordan, who succeeded original owner Bob Johnson in March 2010.

The team finished with the worst winning percentage in NBA history last season under Jordan, following a nationally televised loss to the New York Knicks in which it dipped to .106. On the season, the Bobcats finished 7-59 which included a 23-game losing streak, a franchise record.

The other noticeable difference is the use of dark blue accented by Carolina blue, the same color used on the jerseys of the neighboring North Carolina Tarheels, where Jordan starred in college. The road jerseys will still read “Bobcats,” but the home jerseys will feature “Cats” and neither version will include as much orange as previously used.

The Charlotte Bobcats have hired St. John’s assistant coach Mike Dunlap to be their next head coach, The Charlotte Observer‘s Rick Bonnell reported Monday night.

CHARLOTTE OBSERVER EXCLUSIVE: St. John’s assistant Mike Dunlap has been has accepted the head coach of the Charlotte #Bobcats. (cont.)

— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) June 19, 2012

The hire was confirmed by The Associated Press, which cited a person familiar with the decision within the organization. Dunlap replaces Paul Silas, who coached the Bobcats to an all-time NBA worst season.

Dunlap was among a long list of candidates considered for the Bobcats job. ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard reported on May 8 that Dunlap was interviewing for the position. But he’s a highly unexpected choice. SI.com’s Sam Amick reported last Thursday that Bobcats owner Michael Jordan had narrowed his choices to Pacers assistant Brian Shaw or Lakers assistant Quin Snyder. That came after Jerry Sloan told SI.com that he had taken himself out of consideration for the job.

Though Dunlap was not one of the three finalists, a source told SI’s Amick last week that Jordan was thinking about re-opening his search to include more candidates. On Monday, Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc Spears reported that Shaw and Snyder were both out of the picture as well.

That gave way to news of Dunlap’s hire to take over the Bobcats, a team that finished the 2011-12 season with a .106 (7-59) winning percentage. They have the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Dunlap took on a larger role this year with St. John’s, as Red Storm head coach Steve Lavin was absent from the bench while recovering from successful prostate cancer surgery. The New York Post‘s Lenn Robbins detailed in February how many of the head-coaching duties fell to Dunlap in Lavin’s absence.

But when it comes to calling timeouts, or making subs or deciding which late-game play to run — all those in game decisions — are Dunlap’s.

Before St. John’s, Dunlap coached at the University of Oregon and University of Arizona. He was also an assistant with the Denver Nuggets under head coach George Karl.

The Charlotte Bobcats are asking for names like Memphis’ Rudy Gay (above) or Oklahoma City’s James Harden in return for the No. 2 pick. (Joe Murphy/Getty Images)

The Charlotte Bobcats appear very interested in trading away the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, but they may be looking for too much in return.

Alex Kennedy, of Hoopsworld, broke down some of the rumors on Bobcats’ trade possibilities:

In recent weeks, Charlotte has been in contact with a number of teams and they’ve made it clear that the No. 2 pick is available. However, multiple league sources have said that the Bobcats are looking for a lot in return. They would like to add a face of the franchise player, which is why they’ve reportedly expressed interest in young stars like Rudy Gay and James Harden. If the Bobcats can’t use the pick to make a splashy move, they’ll likely draft Thomas Robinson. However, Charlotte continues to hold out hope that they can move the pick and bring in a player who can make an impact right away.

Uncertainty lies beyond Kentucky star Anthony Davis, who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. The Bobcats aren’t sold on types like Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Kansas’ Thomas Robinson as franchise-altering players.

Between the two options of Harden and Gay, Oklahoma City’s Harden might be more of a realistic option. Both Harden and forward Serge Ibaka will be free agents for the Thunder after the 2012-13 season, and they may not be able to afford to keep both in addition to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

The Bobcats are coming off an all-time NBA worst winning percentage, finishing the 2011-12 season at 7-59.

Now that former Utah Jazz coach has taken his name out of the running for the Charlotte Bobcats head-coaching position, according to SI.com’s Sam Amick, only two candidates remain: Pacers assistant Brian Shaw and Lakers assistant Quin Snyder.

But Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register writes that Shaw is thought to prefer the Orlando Magic opening, which would leave the Bobcats job to Snyder.

Ding writes:

Snyder, 45, doesn’t have the NBA experience of Shaw, who was passed over as Phil Jackson’s replacement when Brown was hired as Lakers head coach. But Snyder has an outstanding grasp of the NBA pick-and-roll game and connected very well with Lakers star Kobe Bryant in just one year together.

Snyder, a former Missouri head coach who rebuilt his career in the D-League after NCAA violations in Columbia, was in Charlotte for a second interview on Wednesday, this time with owner Michael Jordan. Snyder’s Duke pedigree doesn’t seem to be an issue with North Carolina alum Jordan.

Amick tweets the following, however:

I'm told that Brian Shaw has not pulled himself out of the running for the Charlotte job, FWIW. Stay tuned. No final decision expected today—
Sam Amick (@sam_amick) June 15, 2012

Multiple sources tell Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com that the Charlotte Bobcats are looking to move the second overall pick in the June 28 draft.

Kennedy writes that Bobcats officials have yet to contact Kansas forward Thomas Robinson, whom some project as the second pick after Kentucky forward Anthony Davis. Instead, Kennedy writes that Charlotte has met with players expected to be available later in the first round, such as North Carolina center Tyler Zeller.

The Bobcats don’t seem to be in love with anyone at this point, which means a different team could be selecting second on draft night.

Charlotte’s track record in the first round is not exactly stellar, with the likes of Raymond Felton, Adam Morrison and D.J. Augustin littering the team’s ledger. And let’s not forget that Michael Jordan took Kwame Brown first overall in 2001 when he was with the Washington Wizards.

The Charlotte Bobcats interviewed Quin Snyder for their heading coaching job. (Chris Covatta/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Quin Snyder on Monday became the 10th person to interview for the Charlotte Bobcats’ head coaching opening, the Associated Press reports.

Snyder, who formerly coached at the University of Missouri, has never been an NBA head coach.

The report also said Charlotte could still interview one more person for the job before narrowing down the list to a smaller group of finalists who would presumably then interview with owner Michael Jordan.

Long-time Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and former Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan are among the people who have interviewed for the position. Former NBA star Patrick Ewing also interviewed, but according to reports, Jordan called him to inform him he had been eliminated from consideration.

The Charlotte Bobcats are offering a deal on tickets to try to increase attendance. (Fernando Medina/Getty Images)

The struggling Charlotte Bobcats, who finished with the lowest winning percentage in NBA history and then failed to land the top pick in the NBA Draft lottery on Wednesday, are using a ticket deal to try to drum up support.

Fans who purchase season tickets for the 2012-13 season will receive season tickets for the 2013-14 season for free, according to a report by CBS Sports‘ Ben Golliver. The team is offering the deal on upper-level tickets at prices that range from $537.50 for corner seats to $732.50 for center court seats, Golliver reports.

This season, Charlotte was the third-worst team in the league at filling its stadium. The team averaged only 14,757 fans at home games.

The Bobcats went 7-59 this season. As a result, the organization had a league-best 25 percent chance of winning the top pick in the draft, which most expect will be Kentucky star Anthony Davis. Instead, the New Orleans Hornets jumped Charlotte in the lottery, leaving the Bobcats with the second-overall pick and without the well-known college star to build a team — and marketing plan — around.

Anthony Davis, the consensus No.1 pick in this years NBA Draft, said he wants to shut down Kobe Bryant and that his family wanted him in Charlotte. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Anthony Davis, the projected No. 1 pick in this years NBA Draft, said Thursday that he wants to shut down Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and that his family wanted him to play for the Charlotte Bobcats — especially his mother — according to comments he made on the Dan Patrick Show:

“He’s a monster. So I just want to go out there and play my hardest. There’s a lot of guys that can’t stop Kobe. So if I stop him I could be one of the guys that say ‘I shut Kobe down’.”

He went on to say that his family hoped that he would play for Michael Jordan’s Bobcats in Charlotte. The New Orleans Hornets won the Draft Lottery on Wednesday night and will likely take Davis with the first pick:

“A lot of disappointment inside my family. My mom wanted me to go to Charlotte. I have a lot of good friends in Charlotte. At the same time, it wasn’t my call. A lot of guys are disappointed but they have to move on and make the best out of New Orleans.”

He said if the Hornets draft him, he won’t move his mother down to New Orleans. He thought about getting her a house there, he said, “but that’s too close.”