Posted by Ben Golliver  

The Bobcats enjoyed a rare win on Tuesday, over the Magic no less. (Getty Images)

Each night, Eye on Basketball brings you what you need to know about the games of the NBA. From great performances to terrible clock management the report card evaluates and eviscerates the good, the bad, and the ugly from the night that was.

	Charlotte Bobcats	When you only win about once every two weeks and your first win since Feb. 17 comes against the No. 3 seed Orlando Magic, in convincing fashion, it's time to celebrate. That was the case for the Bobcats, who relentlessly pounded Orlando's defense and held the Magic offense to one-and-done looks possession after possession down the stretch, to dance their way to a 100-84 victory. Rookie Bismack Biyombo had his best game as a professional, going toe-to-toe with Dwight Howard to score 10 points, grab 15 rebounds and block an astounding 7 shots. He could barely contain his glee by the end, gesturing to the crowd in animated fashion as Charlotte walked off with the win.
	Rodney Stuckey	The Detroit Pistons guard outshot and outscored Kobe Bryant in a dramatic overtime win at the Palace. Stuckey scored Detroit's final seven points in regulation and tacked on another six in overtime, pushing the Pistons to an 88-85 upset win. He also put Bryant on skates with a vicious stepback crossover. He didn't do much else besides score, but that was more than enough.
	Miami Heat	Unlike the Magic and the Lakers, the Heat easily took care of business against lesser competition, stomping the New Jersey Nets, 108-78. Miami also enjoyed a nice soft launch in re-integrating Chris Bosh after he missed some time due to a death in the family. So why a "B"? Well, simple: irreplaceable guard Dwyane Wade suffered an apparently minor foot injury that kept him on the bench late. The good news: the Sun-Sentinel reports indicate he'll be fine and expects to start on Wednesday against the Hawks.
	New York Knicks	Dallas is now 15-7 at home, so expectations had to be somewhat tempered for the Knicks on the road. But a troubling 2-for-12 from Carmelo Anthony plus a decidedly not-superhuman performance from Jeremy Lin -- 14 points on 13 shots, 1-for-5 from deep, 7 assists and 2 turnovers, mixed in with long stretches of passive play -- make this a tough one. It was also New York's third loss in four games, with San Antonio on Wednesday. The next few weeks are critical if New York hopes to be better than the No. 8 seed.
	Kobe Bryant	He was due for an off night after three big scoring games in a row following the All-Star break, but Bryant's 8-for-26 shooting was a major reason the Lakers let what should have been an easy win slip away. While he nailed a pretty buzzer-beater to push the game to overtime, his performance and decision-making in the extra period was erratic. A forced deep three that didn't even come close on the final possession was Bryant at his worst.
	Orlando Magic	This was a hot mess of a loss to the Bobcats. Orlando scored just 13 points in the fourth and couldn't mange a single point in the final 2:47, conceding an 8-0 run to close the game. On the other end, Charlotte, the NBA's worst offense, seemingly scored at will, with Corey Maggette getting to the foul line 11 times and Gerald Henderson tossing in 16 points, including some big late buckets. Do the Magic even care? This was a lacking performance in virtually every area.

E FOR EFFORT
	Dirk Nowitzki (28 points on 18 shots, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, in 34 minutes)
	Kevin Garnett (13 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks in 38 minutes)
	Bismack Biyombo (10 points, 15 rebounds, 7 blocks, 6-for-10 free throw shooting to overcome Hack-a-Biyombo down the stretch)

Barkley does not approve of MJ's work as an executive. (Getty Images)

Posted by Royce Young

Michael Jordan is the greatest ever. Let me be more specific. Greatest player ever. Because in terms of being a basketball executive, he hasn't had a lot of success.

He's the primary owner for the Charlotte Bobcats and was president of the Wizards when they drafted Kwame Brown No. 1 overall in 2001. And as Charles Barkley told ESPN Radio in Chicago, His Airness has not been all that great in the front office.

"I think the biggest problem has been I don't know if he has hired enough people around him who he will listen to," Barkley said Thursday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "One thing about being famous is the people around you, you pay all their bills so they very rarely disagree with you because they want you to pick up the check. They want to fly around on your private jet so they never disagree with you. I don't think Michael has hired enough people around him who will disagree."

[...]

"I love Michael, but he just has not done a good job," Barkley said. "Even though he is one of my great friends, I can't get on here and tell you he's done a great job. He has not done a great job, plain and simple."

Hard to argue with Barkley's assessment, seeing as the Bobcats are an NBA worst 4-29 this season, while losing 19 of their last 20. Jordan fired last season's head coach Larry Brown and basically blew up the roster trading Gerald Wallace while deciding not the re-sign Raymond Felton.

Jordan became a part owner of the Bobcats in 2006 and hired former Bulls teammate Rod Higgins as his general manager ni 2007. Jordan assumed primary ownership in 2010. In June of 2011, Higgins was promoted to president of basketball operations as Rich Cho was hired as general manager after being fired from that position in Portland.

So here's Jordan's record in charge of Charlotte: Drafted Adam Morrison third in 2006, Brandan Wright eighth in 2007 (traded him to Golden State), D.J. Augustin ninth in 2008, Gerald Henderson 12th in 2009, didn't have a pick in 2010 and Kemba Walker ninth in 2011. This will likely be the first time in Charlotte, other than the Morrison pick, that Jordan will have a decision to make in the top five the draft.

That's where you make your moves. That's where you turn things around. As of now, Barkley's right about MJ. He hasn't done a good job. But that doesn't mean all hope is lost.

By Matt Moore 

Michael Jordan wants to work harder as an NBA owner. (Getty)

BOSTON-- At the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Friday morning, NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver was asked about the impact of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement and how it's impacting the smaller market teams, specifically the Charlotte Bobcats. His response was telling about both the Bobcats and the new CBA in regards to how the league has sold the deal to him. Specifically, Silver pointed to ownership and the role it plays in market dynamics.

"Michael (Jordan) has assured us that he's working harder than he ever has in his life & playing less golf," Silver said. Jordan's Bobcats are 4-29 and approaching historic levels of failure. Jordan has often been criticized for heading to the links and taking a passive approach first as minority owner and then later as majority owner. 

Silver noted that the new CBA has put teams in a better position to succeed with good management. Rich Cho is in his first year as GM and the rebuilding plan is very early in its infancy. Having a dedicated staff and ownership working in unison is the only way they're going to escape the gravity of their mediocrity which has only yielded one playoff appearance in team history. 

Silver also referenced the attendance success when the Hornets were located in Charlotte as evidence that the market is viable, while also admitting that small market teams will continue to struggle due to the alignment of market factors. Contraction is talked about a lot in regards to the Bobcats, but every indication from the league is that both the current and former Charlotte franchises (the Hornets) are both safe for the time being. 

Posted by Ben Golliver

Michael Jordan is headed to court in China to defend his likeness. (Getty Images)

Lawsuits don't usually come with a website and a promotional video, but I guess Michael Jordan isn't your average plaintiff.

The Basketball Hall of Famer, Chicago Bulls legend and Charlotte Bobcats owner has announced that he is suing a Chinese company for misrepresenting his name and brand. Jordan is suing Qiaodan according to documentation provided on TheRealJordan.com. The Chinese company's name, Jordan's lawsuit alleges, is a "well known" translation of Jordan's name.

"A Chinese sports company has chosen to build a Chinese business off of my Chinese name without my permission," Jordan explained in a video message on the site. "It pains me to see someone misrepresent my identity. I have no other choice but to turn to the courts."

Jordan's name serves as the title for a global sneaker company and an iconic image of him dunking serves as the brand's famous "Jumpman" logo.
 
"I've established a name, a likeness and an identity that represents me, personally," Jordan said. "When you see the Jordan Brand it's a direct connection of who I am, Michael Jordan. I've always thought my name means everything to me. It's something that I own. When someone takes advantage or misrepresents that, it's up for me to protect that."

According to the website, Qiaodan generated more than $450 million worth of revenue in 2010 alone.

"It's not about money, it's about principle," Jordan said. "Your name is your DNA, I think it's a violation and you want to protect it."

Jordan's lawsuit makes the following accusations, according to the website.

Qiaodan Sports has infringed upon Michael Jordan by illegally using his name on its products: Michael Jordan has never authorized Qiaodan Sports to use his name, yet the company has registered several trademarks that include his name and reference his registered brand and his career.

Qiaodan Sports’ use of Michael Jordan’s name and its aggressive marketing tactics have misled Chinese consumers: Qiaodan Sports uses these names without permission in large scale advertising campaigns, including entering a sponsorship agreement with China Central TV (CCTV) at the World University Games and sponsoring Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur from 2008-2010. In 2009-2010, Qiaodan Sports broadcast its name and logo courtside during U.S. NBA games broadcasted in China. A Shanghai sports product marketing company conducted an independent survey involving 400 respondents in 2009. The survey found out that 90 percent of young people in China’s small cities believed Qiaodan Sports was Michael Jordan’s own brand in China.

Qiaodan Sports has profited from consumer confusion created by its misuse of Michael Jordan’s image and reputation: With over 30 franchises and 4,000-5,000 specialty stores, Qiaodan Sports revenue totals have grown from $45.6MM in 2007 to $456.3MM in 2010.

Jordan's website also states that any monetary compensation resulting from the lawsuit "will be invested in growing the sport of basketball in China."

Clearly, this is big business versus big business in the world's biggest market. A legal undertaking such as this was likely years in the making.

Hat tip: CNBC.com.

Posted by Royce Young

LeBron had the kind of night where you mention him with Ewing, Barkley and Duncan. (Getty Images)

Each night, Eye on Basketball brings you what you need to know about the games of the NBA. From great performances to terrible clock management the report card evaluates and eviscerates the good, the bad, and the ugly from the night that was.

	LeBron James	In 31 minutes, LeBron basically demolished the Milwaukee Bucks. That's what they get for beating the Heat twice this season, I guess. LeBron went for 35 points on 16-21 shooting with eight rebounds just for fun. As pointed out on Twitter, the only players to do that the last 20 years are Tim Duncan, Alonzo Mourning, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing.
	Dallas Mavericks	The Mavericks continue to steadily climb the hill as they picked up a very nice win over the Clippers Monday. Dirk scored 22 but on 5-15 shooting. He did close the game especially well, which he tends to do. The Mavs though got a bit of everything from a lot of different parties -- Shawn Marion had 16, Vince Carter 10, Delonte West 10, Brendan Haywood 10. Not that anyone ever wrote the Mavs off, but now they're actually getting our attention again.
	Chris Kaman	The big guy started for New Orleans and did his job putting up 27 points and 13 rebounds in a win over Utah. He was deactivated as the Hornets shopped him around so this does two things: Helps the Hornets win because a good player played well and increases his trade value. The Hornets probably prefer losses to help the lottery ball odds, but Kaman playing well is a very good thing for New Orleans.
	Kenyon Martin	Martin played his best game with his new team scoring 10 points in 26 minutes while adding four blocks. He's absolutely everything the Clippers need off the bench. He's a big, physical body and if he's in good shape, he'll probably be a 25-30 minute fixture in that rotation.
	Dwight Howard	The Magic picked up a nice win over the Wolves, but it certainly wasn't because of Howard. He was in constant foul trouble which limited him to only 11 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes. And as for being a closer: He scored three points in the fourth on three shots.
	Charlotte Bobcats	The Bobcats put up a fight against the 76ers, but as you might've assumed, lost. Why do you assume? Because that makes 15 in a row Charlotte has lost.
	Utah Jazz	Maybe the Jazz are coming back down to Earth. Another loss, with this one coming to the dreadful Hornets. Granted, it was the second night of a back-to-back and they won in Memphis the night before, but that's five of seven in the loss column for Utah, with this one being against a terrible team. You can't do that when you're trying to compete for a playoff spot in the West.

Let's see how many kids' dreams we can crush with contraction just to make the Knicks and Lakers better, shall we? (Getty Images)

By Matt Moore 

Oh, no, there's (insert problem in the NBA)! Quick, let's contract some teams!

That's pretty much the standard fare from a lot of mainstream basketball scribes. Their proximity to large cities, usually coastal, is something you should try and not look at too closely. It's like one of those 3-D images. Yes, it's a schooner, which is a sailboat, and you still have a headache.

The answer always seems to pop up. "Oh, we don't have enough stars!" Contract! "There's a lockout and the owners want more money!" Contract! "We're out of sandwiches in the media room!" Contract!

There's about a billion reasons why contraction won't be happening. David Stern won't allow it on his watch. Losing games, twice in 12 years? Sure. Losing teams? No way. One thing hurts your fans. The other hurts your business.

But let's say it did, because there are more fans of big market teams than small market teams, and big market teams love the idea, because they get a talent influx. Who goes on the chopping block? Here are teams that would be up for contraction, if we're going to go ahead and kill off sections of fans.
(Franchise valuation data courtesy of Forbes, attendance via ESPN.)

1. New Orleans Hornets: Trying to avoid this conclusion is something I spent a solid hour on. Surely there's a way around this. But there just isn't. The Hornets staged a massive ticket sales promotion in order to try and boost their attendance profile for a potential buyer as well as to satisfy various city and state requirements regarding their lease. The result? They're 26th this season. With Chris Paul having gone to the Clippers, things are going to get worse before they get better. If we absolutely have to chop off a team, you have to start with the Hornets, as much as it pains me.

There are a lot of factors here, but George Shinn's horrific ownership should not be overlooked, nor should two natural disasters in the span of five years. But it's never been a strong market, and if we have to make cuts with our minds and not hearts, the Hornets have to be silenced.

Biggest argument against: Have you no soul? Honestly?

2. Memphis Grizzlies: Such a great playoffs run. But here are the facts. It's one of the newest franchises, with little in the way of successful history (as in, none outside of last season). It's been evaluated as 29th in overall worth by Forbes. Despite making the playoffs last season and being expected to contend for the West this year, they are 21st in attendance, Z-Bo or no Z-Bo.

The Grizzlies are trying to build a new culture of passion and success in Memphis. But if we have to make the cut today, they have to be on the block. If you need me I'll be in the corner gurgling arsenic.

Biggest argument against: Memphis' playoff run shows what can happen if that fanbase is engaged.

3. Charlotte Bobcats: Terrible team. The newest in the league. No success to speak of. Poor ownership. A fanbase damaged by George Shinn's tenure in Charlotte (hey, look, a theme!). The overriding influence of college basketball and its permeating stench throughout any sports discussion. The reasons go on and on. I mean, just look at their attendance.

They're... 14th this season?

That's up from 21st, which really isn't that horrible. And that's why they manage to slide to three. If you took the way the Bobcats have been run and put them in Memphis, New Orleans, or Sacramento, they're toast, first out the door. But Carolina gets basketball. So they slide to third. So... uh... good for them?

Biggest argument against: Decent attendance, run by the sport's biggest icon, awesome mascot.

4. Milwaukee Bucks: We're going to kill off the first team Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then Lew Alcindor, ever played for? The 1971 champs?

Yeah. We are. Milwaukee is rated last in the league by Forbes in overall value. Despite some promising drafts, they have yet to put together a contending core. Their arena situation is not dire, but it's going to get there in the next five years, and Milwaukee voters are unlikely to come streaming to the polls to help the team out. Killing off a franchise with this much history is pretty horrific, but at some point the dollars and cents have to matter.

Biggest argument against: Championship team, history, good ownership, active fanbase.

5. Sacramento Kings: No one has fought harder to keep their team than Kings fans have. They have staved off their owners feeding vultures from Anaheim. They have scrapped up enough support for a new arena plan coming to vote this month during a recession. They have chanted and made documentaries and brought signs and banners and petitions.

And it still might not be enough.

This may be the best example of why contraction is flawed. Ten years ago, even six years ago, this would be incomprehensible. The Kings were on the verge, the doorstep, had their foot jammed into the entryway of the Finals. The biggest problem with contraction is that we look at it through the lens of the present. "Oh, the Bobcats/Kings/Bucks are terrible." But in five years, those teams could be San Antonio. Or OKC. Or Orlando. Winning will change your bottom line, and losing will change it just the same. But considering the arena situation at present time, the financial situation of the club, and their ongoing attendance issues, it's impossible to leave them out.

Biggest argument against: Here we stay.

Five more.

6. Atlanta Hawks: You want to talk about history, this one's like chopping off a limb. But the Hawks are 28th in value, have been unable to put together legitimate success, and feature one of the most lackluster fanbases in the league. Atlanta may simply be oversaturated for the NBA.

Biggest argument against: It's called the Highlight Factory, for crying out loud.

7. Philadelphia 76ers: You can already hear the sounds of those coastal writers crying out in agony. Start talking about an East Coast team that won a title within the past 30 years and it's a whole different story. But the 76ers come in at 22nd in value, just had the team sold, no real success even if you count the Iverson years that victimized a terrible, terrible Eastern conference, and continually have horrible attendance. They're bottom ten this season, and their team is a handful of games out of first in the conference.

Biggest argument against: Erasing what Moses Malone and Julius Erving did should be a federal crime.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves: 27th in value, 24th in attendance despite all the excitement. The only reason this team gets put so high is out of practical considerations. Basically, despite killing Kevin Garnett's prime and bobbling the next All-Star they landed in Kevin Love, their owner is close friends with David Stern and one of the heads of the Board of Governors. You see that guy getting his team lopped off any time soon?

Biggest argument against: Rubio? Rubio.

9. New Jersey Nets: Is there enough room in New York for two teams? Of course. Is there room for two fairly terrible teams? Additionally, if they can't get Dwight Howard, they should just pack up and go home, anyway.

Biggest argument against: They will always make money because they will play in New York now, and Prokhorov may come after you.

10. Indiana Pacers: No NBA championships (3 ABA). They are 25th in value and dead last in attendance, despite being a top five team in the East. The Pacers have simply been unable to capture the city's attention since The Brawl. Maybe that just did too much damage, combined with the emergence of the Colts. Yes, it's a historic team, but without any championships since the ABA. And with the Fieldhouse eventually needing a new home and all the money the city has spent on sports and event facilities, hard to see it coming through.

Biggest argument against: 8 points. 9 seconds.

--------------------------------

In the end, any of these teams could become the Spurs in the next ten years. Or the Blazers. Or the Jazz. Or the Magic. It takes ownership, a little luck, and the subsequent success. Get that, and you're good to go. But we never see that when we talk about contraction. We only see the benefits for the Bulls, the Lakers, the Knicks. And we forget that while there are more fans in cities than towns, having an NBA nation makes the game that much stronger. But if we have to do the deed, those are the teams that should get the axe.

Posted by Royce Young



It was a pretty wild Wednesday in the NBA with some close games, some massive blowouts, some top teams losing and some big stat lines. Let's grade the action.

Serge Ibaka

What a game from Oklahoma City's paint protector. Ibaka set a franchise record with 10 blocks and finished with an unconventional double-double with 11 rebounds to go with it. He only had four points, which is a shame because a points-rebounds-blocks triple-double is pretty awesome. But Ibaka's impact in the Thunder's win over Dallas can't be understated.


Steve Nash

Nash went for 30 and 11 assists but that's not the best thing from his game against the Hornets. He also became the Suns all-time assists leader with 6,522 passing Kevin Johnson's mark of 6,518. Oh, and the Suns won, scoring 120 points. Just the way it should've happened for Nash.


Overlooked East teams

The Pacers beat the Timberwolves by 10 in Minneapolis and the 76ers beat the Bulls in Philadelphia. Two big wins for teams that are in the top half of the East, but that don't command the same kind of respect or attention as the Bulls or Heat. Andre Iguodala was fantastic defensively on Derrick Rose and Danny Granger poured in 36 for Indiana.


Russell Westbrook

With co-star Kevin Durant struggling a bit, Westbrook took over for the Thunder scoring 33 points to go with four assists and six rebounds. As he tends to do, Westbrook hit a dagger 3 with a minute left to ice the game for Oklahoma City. The six turnovers though were the only blemish in his line, but he had a fantastic game and showed why his scoring can often be incredibly valuable to the Thunder in close games against good teams.

Brandon Jennings

The Bucks won and Jennings scored 31. So why a C? Because he went 9-25 from the field and quite frankly, I was having trouble finding a C tonight. Jennings was pretty good though. He hit seven 3s, dished out eight assists and didn't turn the ball over once. He loved to shoot and does it without conscience, so the 31 points on 25 shots shouldn't really come as any kind of surprise.


Top East teams

While the Pacers and Sixers won, the Heat and Bulls both lost. Miami wasted a 40-point effort from LeBron and 23 from Dwyane Wade as Chris Bosh didn't provide much help at all with only nine points as the Heat lost to the Bucks. A Bucks team missing Andrew Bogut, mind you. Those type of games happen to everybody, but both the Bulls and the Heat definitely revealed a few dings in their armor. Neither executed well offensively and neither were able to consitently find baskets whether in transition or the halfcourt.

Dallas shooting

Credit the Thunder defense, but the Mavericks were absolutely awful shooting the ball Wednesday. Dallas shot only 35.7 percent from the field and went just 8-38 from the floor in the second half. Dirk Nowitzki clearly isn't entirely right as he went just 2-15 from the field. Dallas was without Jason Kidd and Lamar Odom, but that doesn't matter if you only hit 35 percent of your shots. Ten of those shots though never had a chance as Serge Ibaka was blocking them, but still.

Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Bobcats

The Suns scored 120 points. The Raptors and Bobcats combined for 132. The Raptors lost 100-64 to the Celtics and the Bobcats lost 112-68 to the Blazers. Scoring has been ugly on some nights in the NBA this season, but good grief, those are some major league whippings right there. The Bobcats and Raptors aren't good to start with, but an NBA team should be losing by 40 or 44.

By EOB Staff

The deadline for rookies from the 2008 draft class to receive extensions is Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.. We'll help keep track of those getting the big payday, and those left out in the cold for restricted free agency, below. 

Wednesday 10:40 p.m.

• Yahoo Sports reports that New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon will not receive a contract extension, instead heading on the path towards restricted free agency next summer. The Hornets reportedly made a 4-year offer to Gordon but the sides could not reach an agreement.

Wednesday 7:03 p.m.

• Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported on Wednesday afternoon that an extension for Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum was not expected. On Wednesday night, Blazers president Larry Miller told The Oregonian that a deal was not reached. Batum will proceed on the path towards restricted free agency.

Wednesday 7:03 p.m.

• Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports that the Nuggets have given Kosta Koufos a 3-year, $9 million extension. Koufos has actually played well in short stints for Denver and with bigs in this league at a premium, not a bad pickup. 

Wednesday 6:34 p.m.

• The Indianapolis Star reports it's unlikely the Pacers will exend George Hill. That seems weird considering they traded Kawhi Leonard for him, but it's likely they'll manage a better deal for him in restricted free agency. 

Wednesday 3:50 p.m. 

• The Houston Rockets will not offer a contract extension to guard Courtney Lee, the Houston Chronicle reports, so he will become a restricted free agent. The paper also reports that Hasheem Thabeet, Terrence Williams, Jonny Flynn and Jordan Hill all will not receive extensions. Earlier we noted a report that said Hill was a maybe.

Wednesday 12:50 p.m. 

• Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports that the Nuggets have signed Danilo Gallinari to a four-year, $42 million extension. That's great value for a player of Gallo's upside and ability. He's expanded his ball-handling abilities and is operating in a hybrid point-forward role at times in the pick and roll, attacking the rim and working the offense. Great value for a player that looks to be part of the Nuggets' contending core going forward. 

• Fox26 TV in Houston reports that the Rockets will not be extending Hasheem Thabeet, Terrence Williams or Jonny Flynn, and Jordan Hill is still up in the air. No shockers here as none of those players have proven themselves to be legit NBA rotation players on a consistent basis. 

Wednesday 9:30 a.m.: 

• Ryan Anderson of the Magic is not expected to receive an extension. This despite Anderson scoring 20 points and 8 rebounds per 36 minutes and being an anchor for the Magic this season in an attempt to hold on to Dwight Howard. As Mike Prada of SBNation.com pointed out on Twitter, the Magic will give Jason Richardson a four-year deal, but not extend Ryan Anderson. Yup, can't figure out why Dwight Howard hasn't signed an extension.

• The saga of Eric Gordon and the NBA-owned Hornets continues. Yahoo Sports reports that the league has finally given the Hornets permission to offer Gordon a four-year extension. This is clearly short of the five-year "designated player" extension. The Hornets want to hedge their bets a bet with whoever they land in the draft this season as well as Gordon's injury issues. Still, the league not granting permission until the day-of is really an absurd approach and again hinders the Hornets' ability to maximize efforts to lock up their solitary star player. 

• Fox Sports Arizona reports that the Suns say they reached out to Robin Lopez' representatives, but that Lopez' agent preferred to see what Lopez could pull in in restricted free agency rather than take what is likely to be a lesser extension offer. No shocker. Lopez shows flashes but has yet to put together any sort of consistent ability and the safer approach is to wait and see if Lopez can boost his value in the next five months headed into free agency. 

• A report surfaced Tuesday night that Kevin Love and the Wolves had agreed to a four-year, $60 million extension, but Love later tweeted that conversations were ongoing and reports indicate that the deal is not done. It's clear the Wolves will get this done today, the question will be for how much, and how much they're going to frustrate and anger their star player through this process. There's absolutely no reason the Wolves have not just offered love the max, five-year, designated-player offer. 

Earlier:

• Russell Westbrook received a five-year, $80 million extension from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he's likely worth every penny. The only question is how much that will allow them to get back when Westbrook demands a trade within three years so he can get out of Durant's shadow. I'm kidding. Mostly. 

• Roy Hibbert is unlikely to receive an extension, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. It's more than a little shocking, especially considering Hibbert is coming off one of his most dominant performances of his career against the Lakers, backing down and scoring over Andrew Bynum, even. The Pacers tried to make a bid for Nene in free agency, but without him, if they were to lose Hibbert, their center position would be a massive question mark. Hibbert has been uneven through four seasons, but there's every reason to believe he'll continue to develop ino a top-ten center in the league. A player with his abilities on both sides of the ball should not be overlooked. 

• Berger also reports D.J. Augustin and J.J. Hickson won't be receiving extensions. Augustin is no shock, as the Bobcats have continually looked for improvements over Augustin at point guard including drafting Kemba Walker, and his value in restricted free agency may wind up less than the extension anyway. Hickson has failed to be a difference maker in Cleveland and Sacramento, especially with DeMarcus Cousins' spot in Sactown.