The Fayetteville Observer reports: A concealed weapon charge against NBA player Chris Wilcox was dropped Wednesday in Bladen County Superior Court, according the Bladen County Clerk of Superior Court Office. An aiding and abetting of DWI charge was also dropped. Wilcox was represented in court by Tabor City lawyer Dennis Worley. Wilcox did not attend the court proceedings, said a court official. Worley and Assistant District Attorney Scott Ussery, who handled the case for the District Attorney’s Office, could not be reached for comment.

The National Basketball Association announced today that the Professional Basketball Club, LLC, owner of the Oklahoma City NBA franchise, has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League from Southwest Basketball, LLC. Oklahoma City becomes the third NBA team to purchase an NBA D-League affiliate, joining the Los Angeles Lakers (L.A. D-Fenders) and the San Antonio Spurs (Austin Toros) as sole owners of their affiliates.
“As owners of the Tulsa 66ers, we will be able to oversee the team’s business operations and provide a valuable developmental vehicle for some of our young players,” said Clay Bennett, chairman of Professional Basketball Club, LLC.  “We have received tremendous support from Tulsa for our NBA team in Oklahoma City and we are excited to be a part of the NBA D-League in the Tulsa area. It’s going to be a great partnership.”
Oklahoma City will oversee all aspects of the organization, including implementing the offensive and defensive systems the 66ers run in practices and games, and hiring all business and basketball staff. Oklahoma City will also have exclusive rights to assign its players with one or two years of NBA experience to the 66ers. The 66ers will play their home games in the new SpiritBank Event Center in Bixby, OK.
“As the third NBA team in as many years to purchase its own NBA D-League team, Oklahoma City and Clay Bennett are demonstrating the value the NBA D-League is creating for fans and NBA teams alike,” said NBA D-League President Dan Reed.  “Fans and families in Tulsa will enjoy the affordable, NBA-caliber entertainment experience resulting from the deep integration with a nearby NBA team, while Oklahoma City will benefit greatly from the ability to closely manage its top prospects’ development with the 66ers.”
The 66ers saw meaningful contributions from NBA-assigned players Nick Fazekas (Dallas Mavericks) and Ramon Sessions (Milwaukee Bucks) last season. Following his time with the 66ers, Sessions became the first player with NBA D-League experience to earn an NBA monthly award when he was named April’s T-Mobile Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month. Head coach Joey Meyer, who is the winningest coach in NBA D-League history with 175 regular season wins, guided the 66ers to a 26-24 record during the 2007-08 season.
Prior to moving to Tulsa, the 66ers were known as the Asheville Altitude, one of the founding NBA D-League teams which began play in 2001.  As the Altitude, the club won NBA D-League Championships in 2004 and 2005.
“We are excited to have an exclusive affiliation with our NBA D-League team in Tulsa.  It provides a unique and valuable opportunity to have consistency and synergy in how we develop some of our young players, coaches, and staff,” said Sam Presti, general manager for the Oklahoma City NBA team. “Its close proximity will also provide us great convenience and flexibility.”
The acquisition of the 66ers by the Professional Basketball Club, LLC signals another success on the heels of the three-year old NBA/D-League assignment system.  Since the inception of the NBA/D-League assignment system prior to the 2005-06 season, NBA teams have assigned 84 players a total of 130 times, including 19 NBA teams assigning 31 players to D-League rosters during the 2007-08 season.
Additionally, 30 percent of the 2007 NBA Draft class has spent time in the NBA D-League, including first round selections, Daequan Cook (21st overall), Morris Almond (25th overall), Aaron Brooks (26th overall) and Alando Tucker (29th overall), who were assigned to their respective team’s D-League affiliate, while a total of 18 players earned Gatorade Call-ups from 11 NBA teams last year.

The Oklahoman (Mike Baldwin) reports on a team’s 82-game regular season schedule: “Four games against division opponents. Four games against six out-of-division conference opponents. Three games against the remaining four conference teams. Two games against teams in the opposing conference. A five-year rotation determines which out-of-division conference teams are played only three times.”

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has exercised its first right of refusal on guard C.J. Miles’s contract. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.
Miles (6-6, 220, Skyline H.S. (TX)) has appeared in 120 games (26 starts) in three seasons with the Jazz, averaging 4.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 10.5 minutes per game. Miles appeared in 60 games (13 starts) for the Jazz in 2007-08, posting career highs of 5.0 points and 0.9 assists in 11.5 minutes per game. Originally selected by the Jazz in the second round (34th pick overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft, the then 18-year-old became the youngest player in Jazz franchise history.
Miles will be available via conference call in the Salt Lake Community College press room at 6:30 p.m. tonight, prior to the Utah Jazz game vs. the Dallas Mavericks in the finale of the 2008 Rocky Mountain Revue.

Oklahoma City’s new NBA team has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the Performance Sports Center building in north Oklahoma City to use as its temporary home for practice and basketball operations offices, team officials announced today. The 30,000 square foot facility will serve as the team’s practice facility until a permanent one is constructed at a still to be determined location.
“We were quite impressed with what Performance Sports Center was able to offer for our temporary needs.  The NBA size court and weight and training facilities are efficient for us in the interim ” said team General Manager Sam Presti. “It’s an excellent location and we feel our players, coaches and staff will fit in well there. The Oklahoma City area offered several good facilities but we decided this best met our needs,” Presti said.
The facility will require some minor improvements to meet temporary team needs and NBA specifications including changes to the locker rooms, training area, office space, meeting rooms and media room. The team plans to move in once the improvements are made, which should be by the time training camp opens in late September. The City of Oklahoma City is assisting in providing the temporary facility.
Presti added it’s more than just a place to practice basketball. “This is a very important piece of our basketball operations. It’s the players’ office, where they spend a great deal of time practicing, conditioning and continuing to develop as a team.”

Guards J.R. Smith, a restricted free agent who played the last two seasons for the Denver Nuggets, and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City NBA), the No. 4 draft choice in the 2008 NBA Draft,will join the 2008 USA Basketball Select Team for the squad’s final day of training against the 2008 USA Men’s Senior National Team, USA Basketball announced today.
Previously announced members of the USA Basketball Select Team roster include: LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trail Blazers); Jerryd Bayless (Portland Trail Blazers); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City NBA); Jeff Green (Oklahoma City NBA); Luther Head (Houston Rockets); Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks); Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers); Robin Lopez (Phoenix Suns); Kevin Love (Minnestoa Timberwolves); Kevin Martin (Sacramento Kings); O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies); Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) and Rodney Stuckey (Detroit Pistons).
As was the case last summer, Oklahoma City head coach P.J. Carlesimo, who served as an assistant with the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” and who has been a head or assistant coach of six other USA Basketball teams, is serving as head coach of the USA Select Team and assisting Carlesimo for a second straight summer is Toronto Raptors assistant coach Jay Triano.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Dan Raley) reports: Unlike his former NBA team, James Donaldson won’t be leaving town soon. The one-time Sonics center is interested only in making a deeper connection to Seattle. On Wednesday, Donaldson, 50, will announce plans to run for Seattle City Council in 2009, describing himself as a made-to-order leader and a person devoted to his hometown of the past 30 years… A California native and Washington State alumnus, Donaldson played 14 seasons with five teams in the NBA, the first three years for the Sonics. Teaming with Jack Sikma and Lonnie Shelton, he was part of a huge Seattle front line that was nicknamed “the Winnebago Wall.” He was an All-Star selection for the Dallas Mavericks.

The  National  Basketball  Association today announced  that  the  Salary  Cap  for  the  2008-09 season will be $58.680 million.   The  new  Cap  goes  into  effect  immediately  as  the league’s “moratorium  period”  has ended and teams can begin signing free agents and making trades.
The  tax level for the 2008-09 season has been set at $71.150 million.  Any team whose team salary exceeds that figure will pay a $1 tax for each $1 by which it exceeds $71.150 million.
The  mid-level  exception  is $5.585 million for the 2008-09 season and the minimum  team  salary,  which  is  set at 75% of the Salary Cap, is $44.010 million.
For  the 2007-08 season, the Salary Cap was set at $55.630 million, the tax level was $67.865 million and the mid-level exception was $5.356 million.

General Manager Sam Presti announced today that guard Earl Watson underwent successful surgery yesterday in Los Angeles for a fracture of the right thumb. Watson suffered the injury on Monday while preparing for the upcoming season in a basketball game in Los Angeles. Watson is expected to make a full recovery and be available for the start of the 2008-09 season.
Last season, Watson averaged career highs in points (10.7), assists (6.8), rebounds (2.9) and minutes (29.1). Over his seven-year NBA career, Watson has averaged 7.4 ppg, 4.5 apg and 2.2 rpg in 529 games.
InsideHoops.com says: Either Watson or Luke Ridnour (probably Ridnour) may be traded by the time next season starts.

The Sonics are officially moving to Oklahoma City (see the news), but the team name will remain with the city of Seattle. I just spoke with an Oklahoma City-based representative of the team, and was told that they will reveal the new name “soon.” I was told they haven’t actually decided on a final new name yet, and that OKC ownership is working with the league and accepting their suggestions while making the final selection.
- Jeff