Hornets star passes on option year: David West, the New Orleans Hornets’ leading scorer, says he will test free agency. West, a two-time All-Star who was drafted by New Orleans in 2003, started 70 games last season, averaging 18.9 points to go with 7.6 rebounds before tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament during a game on March 24. West had an option to extend his contract for one more season at $7.5 million; but after mulling his options with his agent, Lance Young, he informed the Hornets he would not exercise the option and made the decision official today. West had surgery April 12 and his rehabilitation is expected to take six to eight months. The Hornets general manager, Dell Demps, has said he would still try to re-sign West if he opted out.
Team owner blames commissioner for need to file: The Los Angeles Dodgers have filed for bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt cites Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig’s interference with club operations and refusal to approve a Dodgers TV deal with Fox Sports as the cause for today’s bankruptcy filing. In a news release, the team says Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection will provide the Dodgers with a process to address its immediate financing requirements and obtain the capital necessary to ensure the baseball franchise’s long-term financial stability. McCourt says the Dodgers have tried for almost a year to have Selig approve the Fox transaction, saying it would make the Dodgers one of the strongest capitalized franchises in Major League Baseball.
