Cavs sign G Devin Brown, deal G Wesley (AP)

Cavs sign G Devin Brown, deal G Wesley (AP) - The Cleveland Cavaliers finally made a few offseason moves, signing free agent guard Devin Brown on Saturday and trading guard David Wesley to the New Orleans Hornets for forward Cedric Simmons. Brown averaged 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists -- all career-highs -- for the New Orleans Hornets last season.

More: continued here

Hornets re-acquire G Wesley from Cavs (AP)

Hornets re-acquire G Wesley from Cavs (AP) - The New Orleans Hornets traded forward Cedric Simmons, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft, to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday for David Wesley and undisclosed cash considerations. Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said the trade freed salary cap space. They plan to waive Wesley once Simmons passes a physical and the trade is final.

More: continued here

Heat embrace end of difficult offseason (AP)

Heat embrace end of difficult offseason (AP) - One of the slogans the Miami Heat's marketing crew used this summer was "There is no offseason." Oh, how the Heat probably wish that were true. It's often been difficult during the five months since Miami's championship reign ended. The Heat missed some free-agent targets, lost three rotation members, endured forward Antoine Walker being robbed at gunpoint in his home and had other players'...

More: continued here

Injured Nets PG Williams to miss camp (AP)

Injured Nets PG Williams to miss camp (AP) - New Jersey Nets backup point guard Marcus Williams broke a bone in his right foot and will have surgery on Monday. Nets president Rod Thorn did not know how the second-year pro from Connecticut broke his fifth metatarsal. Williams is expected to be sidelined about six weeks, which will cause him to miss training camp.

More: continued here

Timberwolves open camp without Garnett (AP)

Timberwolves open camp without Garnett (AP) - In many ways, the first day of training camp for the Minnesota Timberwolves was like so many that came before it. Coaches hollered instruction. Players gasped for air during conditioning drills. Optimism abounded at the start of a new season. But someone was certainly missing. For the first time in 13 seasons, Kevin Garnett isn't here.

More: continued here

Bryant expected to be at Lakers camp (AP)

Bryant expected to be at Lakers camp (AP) - The time has come for Kobe Bryant to end months of silence regarding the Los Angeles Lakers. That's assuming he joins his teammates Monday at media day in suburban El Segundo and then on the flight to Hawaii for the start of training camp Tuesday. Although Bryant is expected, his spokesperson Catherine Sebring declined comment when asked about his plans, lending a bit of intrigue.

More: continued here

Jury deliberates in Isiah, MSG trial (AP)

Jury deliberates in Isiah, MSG trial (AP) - The jurors asked for hundreds of pages of testimony and documents, for guidance on a legal point, even for Madison Square Garden's organizational chart. But they reached no verdict in their first full day of deliberations in a former top New York Knicks executive's sexual harassment case against coach Isiah Thomas.

More: continued here

LeBron hosts 'SNL' premiere this weekend (AP)

LeBron hosts 'SNL' premiere this weekend (AP) - LeBron James is treating his appearance on the 'Saturday Night Live' season premiere like a fast break. "I'm going to just wing it," the Cavaliers All-Star forward said Thursday during a rehearsal break. James is practicing this week with his new teammates at 'SNL,' where he'll become the latest superstar to host the show.

More: continued here

Knicks F Balkman out at least 4 weeks (AP)

Knicks F Balkman out at least 4 weeks (AP) - Forward Renaldo Balkman will miss at least four weeks because of a stress reaction in his right ankle, leaving the Knicks without a key reserve just days before the start of training camp. An MRI exam performed this week also revealed a small cartilage injury in the ankle, the team announced Thursday.

More: continued here

Oden on crutches, talks about surgery (AP)

Oden on crutches, talks about surgery (AP) - Top NBA draft pick Greg Oden doesn't remember much from immediately after knee surgery. He was with his mother at home when he found out how serious it was. "I kinda looked at my mom and said, 'I'm out for the season? You kidding me?' " he said. Oden will be on crutches for six more weeks. Full recovery likely will take six to 12 months.

More: continued here

Some in gay community embrace Hardaway (AP)

Some in gay community embrace Hardaway (AP) - The topic was finding ways to keep transgender children safe, and someone asked for volunteers to share an idea. Tim Hardaway was the first to raise his hand. "He was so genuine," said Martha Fugate, the director of the YES Institute, a children's advocacy group based in South Miami which hosted that discussion.

More: continued here

Lawyers trade allegations at Isiah trial (AP)

Lawyers trade allegations at Isiah trial (AP) - She maintains she was booted from a top executive job for the New York Knicks solely because she accused famed head coach Isiah Thomas of boorish and bizarre behavior. The team says she was fired because of her own failings. It's up to a jury to decide whose version to believe in a $10 million sexual harassment lawsuit.

More: continued here

Westhead leaves Mercury to join Sonics (AP)

Westhead leaves Mercury to join Sonics (AP) - Paul Westhead is leaving the WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury to return to the NBA, accepting an assistant coach job with the Seattle SuperSonics on Thursday. Westhead's move to join the staff of friend P.J. Carlesimo was not unexpected after the Mercury won their first title two weeks ago. The WNBA crown was the second title for the 68-year-old Westhead, who also won the NBA championship in 1980 as a...

More: continued here

With son ill, Boozer may miss camp start (AP)

With son ill, Boozer may miss camp start (AP) - Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer could miss the start of training camp next week while his son recovers from a bone-marrow transplant in Miami. Camp starts Tuesday and runs through Oct. 6 in Boise, Idaho. "As soon as my son is home from the hospital and stable, I will join my teammates," Boozer said in a statement released by the team Thursday.

More: continued here

Tarpley sues Mavericks, NBA (AP)

Tarpley sues Mavericks, NBA (AP) - Former Dallas Mavericks forward Roy Tarpley filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday, claiming the NBA and the team violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by refusing to reinstate him to the league. Tarpley, who was permanently banned from the NBA in 1995, claimed in his lawsuit that the league and the Mavericks discriminated against him on the basis of his disability as a recovering drug and...

More: continued here

Williamson retires, now college asst. (AP)

Williamson retires, now college asst. (AP) - Corliss Williamson considers himself lucky. From Nolan Richardson to Larry Brown, he's played for some accomplished coaches. Now he's ready to try his own hand at the profession. "I want to be able to give back to the game," Williamson said. Williamson announced his retirement Wednesday after 12 seasons in the NBA -- and was introduced as an assistant coach at Arkansas Baptist College.

More: continued here

After rough summer, refs prep for season (AP)

After rough summer, refs prep for season (AP) - Tim Donaghy is gone. Chances are, NBA fans will make sure he's not forgotten. "We've discussed that those things would come about and we'll just thicken our skin concerning that, because it's not abnormal to hear things from the stands," Ronnie Nunn, the league's director of officials, said Wednesday.

More: continued here

Garnett, Allen make Celtics hot ticket (AP)

Garnett, Allen make Celtics hot ticket (AP) - The buzz over the acquisition of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen has led the Celtics to cap their season tickets sales for the first time since they played in the venerable Boston Garden. "Winning is the best marketing," Celtics president Rich Gotham said Wednesday. "The second-best marketing is the hope of winning." The NBA's most decorated franchise was 24-58 last season and has won three playoff...

More: continued here

Isiah says he never cursed at team exec (AP)

Isiah says he never cursed at team exec (AP) - New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas testified Wednesday that he never cursed at a fired team executive who has accused him of sexual harassment. In his second day on the witness stand at a trial in federal court in Manhattan, Thomas denied allegations in a $10 million lawsuit that he repeatedly addressed the plaintiff, Anucha Browne Sanders, as "bitch" and "ho" while they worked together at Madison...

More: continued here

Suns' Marion says he wants to be traded (AP)

Suns' Marion says he wants to be traded (AP) - Phoenix Suns forward Shawn Marion, the team's highest-paid player and a four-time All-Star, says he wants to be traded after eight years with the club. Marion said he decided to ask to leave because the team considered trading him over the summer and won't talk about a contract extension. Marion told The Arizona Republic late Tuesday that he had informed the team of his desires and has struggled...

More: continued here

Williamson to retire after 12 seasons (AP)

Williamson to retire after 12 seasons (AP) - Corliss Williamson is set to retire from the NBA and become an assistant coach at Arkansas Baptist College, the school's athletic director said Tuesday. Williamson, who led Arkansas to the 1994 national championship, has played 12 pro seasons with Sacramento, Toronto, Detroit and Philadelphia. He was on the Pistons when they won the 2004 NBA title.

More: continued here

Dell Curry resigns as Bobcats assistant (AP)

Dell Curry resigns as Bobcats assistant (AP) - Former Milwaukee Bucks assistant Mike Sanders was hired Tuesday to replace Dell Curry, who stepped down as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Bobcats. Curry changed his mind three months after accepting the position, saying he was concerned about the time commitment of the job. Instead, Curry will work in community relations for the team and have more time to attend the basketball games of his...

More: continued here

Pierce hopes Celtics bond in Europe (AP)

Pierce hopes Celtics bond in Europe (AP) - A trip to Europe is the perfect opportunity for Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce to get to know new teammates Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. The Celtics, who won the last of their 16 NBA titles in 1986, signed the pair over the summer to add scoring punch to a team that finished with a 24-58 record last year, the second worst in the league.

More: continued here

Isiah Thomas takes stand in sex case (AP)

Isiah Thomas takes stand in sex case (AP) - Smiling New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas climbed onto the witness stand Tuesday, charming a federal jury and recalling his storied basketball career as he defended himself against sex discrimination charges brought by a fired team executive. As he described his past, Thomas elicited smiles from jurors in U.S.

More: continued here

Lawsuit filed to keep Sonics in Seattle (AP)

Lawsuit filed to keep Sonics in Seattle (AP) - Seattle officials filed a lawsuit Monday to keep the SuperSonics from leaving town, saying the team's profitability in much-maligned KeyArena "has less to do with KeyArena than perhaps the Sonics' ability to defend the high pick-and-roll." The lawsuit was filed in King County Superior Court just a few days after new Sonics chairman Clay Bennett issued a demand for arbitration, seeking to buy out...

More: continued here

Dee Brown leaving Jazz to play in Turkey (AP)

Dee Brown leaving Jazz to play in Turkey (AP) - Second-year player Dee Brown will spend next season in Turkey. Brown decided over the weekend to accept an offer from Turkish club Galatasaray rather than try to make the Utah Jazz roster in training camp, agent Henry Thomas said Monday. "At this point, he realizes that this is where it is for him," Thomas said.

More: continued here

Wizards re-sign G Mason to 1-year deal (AP)

Wizards re-sign G Mason to 1-year deal (AP) - Washington Wizards guard Roger Mason re-signed with the team on Monday, agreeing to a one-year deal. The 6-foot-5 Mason averaged 2.7 points in 62 games as a reserve last season. "My heart is in D.C.," Mason said. "I feel like I can have a great role with the Wizards and that we have a chance to be a great team this year." He signed with the Wizards as a free agent before last season.

More: continued here

Warriors sign veteran G Hudson (AP)

Warriors sign veteran G Hudson (AP) - The Golden State Warriors signed Troy Hudson on Monday, adding a veteran free-agent guard to their young roster. Hudson played 34 games last year in his fifth season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who paid more than $12 million to buy out his contract Aug. 3. He struggled with ankle injuries for nearly three years in Minnesota before getting stuck behind Mike James and Randy Foye on the bench last...

More: continued here

MSG employee: Marbury sex was consensual (AP)

MSG employee: Marbury sex was consensual (AP) - A Madison Square Garden employee testified Monday that she had consensual sex with New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury, contradicting earlier claims by a former executive suing the organization for sexual discrimination. Kathleen Decker took the witness stand in a crowded Manhattan courtroom to try to settle for a jury what happened the night of her birthday in 2005 when she met Marbury at a...

More: continued here

Bucks sign free-agent F Michael Ruffin (AP)

Bucks sign free-agent F Michael Ruffin (AP) - Forward Michael Ruffin signed with the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday after playing the last three seasons with the Washington Wizards. Ruffin, a 30-year-old free agent, has spent seven years in the NBA. He also has played with the Utah Jazz and was drafted in the second round by Chicago in 1999.

More: continued here

Wolves hire Pinckney as assistant coach (AP)

Wolves hire Pinckney as assistant coach (AP) - The Minnesota Timberwolves hired Ed Pinckney as an assistant coach Friday. Pinckney, who has been an assistant at Villanova, his alma mater, since 2003, will join head coach Randy Wittman on the Timberwolves bench. He will work primarily with Minnesota's post players, including Al Jefferson, who was acquired from Boston in a trade for Kevin Garnett in July.

More: continued here

Warriors waive disgruntled Jasikevicius (AP)

Warriors waive disgruntled Jasikevicius (AP) - The Golden State Warriors waived Sarunas Jasikevicius on Thursday, agreeing to a contract buyout with the disgruntled guard. Jasikevicius joined the Warriors along with Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington in an eight-player trade with Indiana last January, but the Lithuanian point guard never cracked coach Don Nelson's rotation.

More: continued here

Ex-coach Versace plans congressional run (AP)

Ex-coach Versace plans congressional run (AP) - Former NBA coach and commentator Dick Versace is looking for a new job: congressman. The 67-year-old Versace, a Democrat, said Thursday that he will bid for the 18th Congressional District seat in central Illinois. Incumbent Republican Ray LaHood announced in July he will retire when his term runs out in 2009.

More: continued here

Mavs G Harris finally signs extension (AP)

Mavs G Harris finally signs extension (AP) - The Dallas Mavericks signed Devin Harris on Saturday to the five-year agreement they reached earlier this month. The extension is worth about $42 million and locks up the speedy point guard through the 2012-13 season. He would have been entering the final year of his rookie contract. Harris averaged career-highs across the board last season, including 10.2 points and 3.7 assists, as the Mavericks...

More: continued here

Plenty of foul language at Isiah's trial (AP)

Plenty of foul language at Isiah's trial (AP) - This is a courtroom where Lenny Bruce would feel at home. Twenty-three floors above Manhattan, inside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan federal courthouse, the legal niceties are few and the obscenities plentiful in the sexual harassment trial of New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas. Four-letter words fly like three-point shots, along with a steady flow of gender slurs and crude sexual come-ons -- all...

More: continued here

Jazz F Kirilenko still wants to be dealt (AP)

Jazz F Kirilenko still wants to be dealt (AP) - Disgruntled forward Andrei Kirilenko is apparently willing to accept any option that will get him away from Utah. Whether he really has any choices will be up to the Jazz. Kirilenko repeated his trade request to a Russian newspaper, saying he is unhappy playing the structured style Utah coach Jerry Sloan demands.

More: continued here

Clippers' Brand has cast taken off leg (AP)

Clippers' Brand has cast taken off leg (AP) - Clippers forward Elton Brand had the cast removed from his left leg and was fitted for a removable walking boot Tuesday, six weeks after he had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles' tendon. The Clippers said Brand will begin a rehabilitation program under the supervision of their training and medical staff.

More: continued here

Bucks still mulling Heat's offer to Bell (AP)

Bucks still mulling Heat's offer to Bell (AP) - Guard Royal Ivey signed a one-year contract with the Bucks on Tuesday, a day after Milwaukee backup point guard Charlie Bell signed an offer sheet with the Miami Heat. The Bucks have a week to match Bell's five-year, $18.5 million offer and have not ruled out re-signing Bell, even though he said Monday he did not want to return to Milwaukee.

More: continued here

Witness: Isiah loved, hated his accuser (AP)

Witness: Isiah loved, hated his accuser (AP) - Lawyers for a former Madison Square Garden executive suing New York Knicks coach and president Isiah Thomas for sexual harassment rested her case after four days of testimony portraying him as a foul-mouthed lout who loathed and then loved her. Plaintiff Anucha Browne Sanders wrapped her case up Tuesday with friends and family recounting conversations where she detailed Thomas' alleged...

More: continued here

Isiah denies accuser's vulgarity claim (AP)

Isiah denies accuser's vulgarity claim (AP) - To New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, hearing a white man refer to a black woman using a certain vulgar term would be "highly offensive." But he said he wouldn't be so offended if he heard a black man use the same term to refer to a black woman. "I do make a distinction," Thomas said in a videotaped deposition played for a jury Monday in his sexual harassment trial.

More: continued here

Heat sign Bucks G Bell to offer sheet (AP)

Heat sign Bucks G Bell to offer sheet (AP) - Restricted free-agent guard Charlie Bell signed a $18.5 million, five-year offer sheet with the Miami Heat on Monday, and now will wait to see if the Milwaukee Bucks choose to match that deal. The 6-foot-3 Bell has made it clear in recent days that he wants to play for the Heat, who were foiled in a bid earlier this offseason to woo guard Mo Williams away from the Bucks.

More: continued here

Isiah denies accuser's vulgarity claim (AP)

Isiah denies accuser's vulgarity claim (AP) - To New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, hearing a white man refer to a black woman using a certain vulgar term would be "highly offensive." But he said he wouldn't be so offended if he heard a black man use the same term to refer to a black woman. "I do make a distinction," Thomas said in a videotaped deposition played for a jury Monday in his sexual harassment trial.

More: continued here

NBA reinstates referee Joey Crawford (AP)

NBA reinstates referee Joey Crawford (AP) - NBA referee Joey Crawford was reinstated by commissioner David Stern on Monday, five months after he was suspended indefinitely for improper on-court conduct. San Antonio Spurs star Tim Duncan contended that Crawford challenged him to a fight during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on April 15. Crawford ejected Duncan while the player was laughing on the bench.

More: continued here

Pacers F Williams to plead guilty (AP)

Pacers F Williams to plead guilty (AP) - Indiana Pacers forward Shawne Williams intends to plead guilty to charges of driving without a license. Defense attorney John Tompkins said Friday that Williams plans to enter a plea agreement on the misdemeanor charge by Oct. 1, the day before the Pacers open training camp. Williams did not attend Friday's initial court hearing, but later apologized for his actions and said he would accept a...

More: continued here

Bell does not want to return to Bucks (AP)

Bell does not want to return to Bucks (AP) - Restricted free-agent guard Charlie Bell said Saturday that he does not want to return to the Milwaukee Bucks this season. "They told me they were going to take care of Mo Williams and that they would take care of me, but they haven't," Bell said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

More: continued here

Warriors, Nelson agree to new contract (AP)

Warriors, Nelson agree to new contract (AP) - Don Nelson and the Golden State Warriors agreed to a new contract Sunday, keeping Nelson as the team's coach again this season. The Warriors did not announce terms of the new deal but the Contra Costa Times reported that Nelson would get a raise from $3.1 million to $5.1 million for the next two years.

More: continued here

Oden injury stirs bad Blazers memories (AP)

Oden injury stirs bad Blazers memories (AP) - The season-ending injury to Greg Oden dredged up a bad memory for Portland Trail Blazers fans -- that fateful draft day in 1984 when the team used the second overall pick to choose Sam Bowie instead of Michael Jordan. Bowie proved injury-prone and Jordan proved to be, well, Jordan. The news Thursday that the No.

More: continued here

No marijuana charge for Pacers\' Williams (AP)

No marijuana charge for Pacers' Williams (AP) - Prosecutors decided not to file marijuana possession charges against Pacers forward Shawne Williams on Thursday following his arrest this week, but the team suspended him for three games for poor judgment. The Marion County prosecutor's office said police found marijuana in the vehicle Williams was driving, but felt it couldn't prove the drugs belonged to him.

More: continued here

Mavs give Harris 5-year, $42M extension (AP)

Mavs give Harris 5-year, $42M extension (AP) - The Dallas Mavericks and Devin Harris have agreed on a five-year contract extension worth roughly $42 million, locking up the speedy point guard through the 2012-13 season. Harris would've been going into the final year of his rookie contract. Instead, he has the comfort of knowing he'll be teammates with reigning MVP Dirk Nowitzki and All-Star Josh Howard for years to come.

More: continued here

Blazers say Oden likely to miss season (AP)

Blazers say Oden likely to miss season (AP) - With the news that top draft pick Greg Oden had season-ending knee surgery, the Portland Trail Blazers steeled themselves to move on without the 7-foot center they had pinned so much of their future on. "Whatever happens today, nobody's going to feel sorry for the Blazers, and we can't feel sorry for ourselves," coach Nate McMillan said Thursday.

More: continued here

Rockets\' Reed cleared of drug charge (AP)

Rockets' Reed cleared of drug charge (AP) - Houston Rockets player Justin Reed was cleared of misdemeanor marijuana charges Tuesday because others submitted affidavits claiming the drugs, his attorney said. Reed was arrested on Sept. 4 and charged with possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, which carries a fine from $100 to $250. He posted a $500 bond and was released later that night.

More: continued here

Bill Russell goes into FIBA Hall of Fame (AP)

Bill Russell goes into FIBA Hall of Fame (AP) - Boston Celtics great Bill Russell and former North Carolina coach Dean Smith were among 20 former players, coaches and technicians inducted into FIBA's Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Russell, winner of 11 NBA championships and an Olympic gold medal, led a list of 12 players from 10 different countries, while Smith headlined the four coaches.

More: continued here

Marbury: Isiah\'s sex harass suit \'funny\' (AP)

Marbury: Isiah's sex harass suit 'funny' (AP) - Knicks guard Stephon Marbury testified Wednesday in the case of a fired team executive who has accused coach Isiah Thomas of sexual harassment, calling the lawsuit absurd while downplaying an encounter with a drunken intern. After hearing about the lawsuit brought by Anucha Browne Sanders, "I laughed," Marbury said in U.S.

More: continued here

Pacers\' Williams arrested on drug charge (AP)

Pacers' Williams arrested on drug charge (AP) - Pacers Forward Shawne Williams was arrested on marijuana possession and other charges, Tuesday, the third incident in less than a year involving Indiana players. Team president Larry Bird said the organization was "extremely disappointed" by Williams' arrest. "Although the legal process needs to be followed, we will not accept Shawne putting himself in this position, regardless of innocence or...

More: continued here

Belkin has setback in bid to buy Hawks (AP)

Belkin has setback in bid to buy Hawks (AP) - Boston-based businessman Steve Belkin suffered a setback on Tuesday in his long-running attempt to buy out the other owners of the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers. The Maryland Court of Special Appeals threw out a 2006 lower court ruling that Belkin is entitled to buy out his fellow Hawks-Thrashers owners at cost and take over the teams.

More: continued here

Harassment trial against Isiah begins (AP)

Harassment trial against Isiah begins (AP) - The former New York Knicks executive who filed a $10 million sexual harassment lawsuit against coach Isiah Thomas testified Tuesday that the NBA legend repeatedly called her derogatory names in private conversations before abruptly switching gears and professing his love. Anucha Browne Sanders told a jury of five women and three men that Thomas, the Knicks' head coach and president of basketball...

More: continued here

Bucks sign 2nd-round pick Sessions (AP)

Bucks sign 2nd-round pick Sessions (AP) - Point guard Ramon Sessions, a second-round draft pick out of Nevada, signed a multiyear contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. Sessions played four games for the Bucks at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in July, averaging 5.8 points and 2.5 assists. "Ramon was an excellent college point guard and we think he can develop into a solid pro," Bucks general manager Larry Harris said Tuesday.

More: continued here

Rockets\' Reed cleared of misdemeanor (AP)

Rockets' Reed cleared of misdemeanor (AP) - Houston Rockets player Justin Reed was cleared of misdemeanor marijuana charges Tuesday because others submitted affidavits claiming the drugs, his attorney said. Reed was arrested on Sept. 4 and charged with possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, which carries a fine from $100 to $250. He posted a $500 bond and was released later that night.

More: continued here

Blazers\' Oden to undergo knee surgery (AP)

Blazers' Oden to undergo knee surgery (AP) - Trail Blazers center Greg Oden, the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, will undergo exploratory arthroscopic surgery this week because of pain in his right knee. An MRI taken last week showed Oden may have some cartilage problems, general manager Kevin Pritchard said Monday. A timetable for Oden's return will be set following the surgery, which will take place Thursday in Vancouver, Wash.

More: continued here