It has been nearly a month since David McDavid signed a letter of intent to purchase the Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena operating rights from AOL Time Warner. And it is expected to be nearly another month before the sale -- estimated at $350 million to $400 million -- is completed. So the Fort Worth-based automobile tycoon wants to make it clear that he is not the owner -- yet.

But, "we will be surprised if it doesn't close," McDavid said Friday afternoon from the spacious glass office in one of his many car dealerships in Texas.

This two-story building stands behind a huge red and white sign that reads "David McDavid Auto Group" and is easy to spot on West Airport Freeway in Irving. McDavid is sitting at as his cherry wood conference table, where an autographed basketball and an autographed Dallas Cowboys helmet serve as the centerpieces. A rubber chicken, seemingly misplaced, is resting near a mound of paperwork.

Since there are "a few points" still to be resolved -- including the approval of both the NBA and the NHL -- McDavid can't outline his plans for a team that technically is still owned by AOL Time Warner. But he was quick to point out what he thinks the Hawks, Thrashers and their fans need.

"They need some love," McDavid said with his Texas twang. "Somebody needs to love those teams. If the owner doesn't love them, why should anybody else? Our vision is to embrace the community. Embrace our fans [and] do the best we can to bring the best people we can find to have a winning team.

"We think that AOL has done the best they can do. But we think because it will be our 'core business,' if you will. We're going to be involved and interested in it," McDavid said, leaning back in a green leather chair. "If we lose, we're going to bleed. And if we win, we're going to be happy. We're going to live and die with those teams."

The Detroit Pistons fired coach Rick Carlisle and will hire Larry Brown, a source within the league said Saturday.

Carlisle was fired late Friday and the Pistons will replace him with Brown on Monday, the source told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Carlisle led the Pistons to a 50-win season and a spot in the conference finals for the first time since 1991. Detroit's playoff run ended May 24, when the Pistons were swept by the New Jersey Nets in the Eastern Conference finals.

Brown resigned as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday after six seasons. The 76ers released the Hall of Famer from a contractual clause that prohibited him from coaching another NBA team if he left Philadelphia prematurely.

At 19, O'Connor said, one can't help but ask, "Who is the best player available?"

Regardless of position, age and experience, that is to say.

"I think we'll continue to go along those lines ? to try to take what we think is the best player available," O'Connor said. "Because we do have so many positions to fill."

At 19, O'Connor said, one can't help but ask, "Who is the best player available?"

Regardless of position, age and experience, that is to say.

"I think we'll continue to go along those lines ? to try to take what we think is the best player available," O'Connor said. "Because we do have so many positions to fill."

The Cavaliers have offered Jeff Van Gundy their vacant head coaching job, according to several NBA sources.

Team owner Gordon Gund has agreed to give the former New York Knicks coach a five-year contract believed to be worth $25 million after negotiating with his agent Jim Ornstein this week, the sources said.

Van Gundy is mulling the offer, waiting to see how the coaching search plays out for the Houston Rockets, with which he is also a candidate. Van Gundy said Thursday he is only 50 percent sure he'll return to coaching next year.

No official announcement on his decision is expected by the team until early next week. But the Cavaliers probably are in no mood to wait considering the number of coaching vacancies in the league and may press Van Gundy to make a choice quickly so the team can move on.

General Manager Jim Paxson used a similar tactic to land former coach John Lucas two years ago when Lucas was being courted in Cleveland and by the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Rockets' coaching search Friday moved on to the next top name of free-agent coaches when owner Leslie Alexander and general manager Carroll Dawson met with former Hornets coach Paul Silas in Houston.

Silas, who called the position with the Rockets "the premier job," was the first coach to interview in Houston, touring the Rockets' new downtown arena, offices and training facility with Dawson before meeting with Dawson and Alexander on Friday afternoon.

"I've known Paul for 35 years, since he was at Creighton," Dawson said. "It was another good interview. I think it went very well. We talked about a lot of things. It was good."

Silas and former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy, who met with the Rockets on Monday, are the top candidates for the position with the Cavaliers. Sources indicated the Cavaliers could try to secure a coach by the end of the weekend.

"I think it's the premier job out there," Silas, 58, said. "Whoever gets it has the opportunity to really do well. They are really on the right track to do something special.

Nets assistant coach Eddie Jordan has been granted permission to interview with another team about its head coaching position sometime after the NBA Finals. Nets director of scouting Ed Stefanski may be on his way to Washington to take a job as Wizards general manager.

Most intriguingly, Stefanski may get hired in Washington and bring Jordan with him.
   
That was the fallout from a busy day in an NBA rumor mill that really got churning once the Wizards finally made it official and fired head coach Doug Collins.

Nets president Rod Thorn confirmed he had given approval to another NBA team to talk to Jordan about its head coaching vacancy, but Thorn would not say which team.

"We gave permission to talk at an appropriate time, yes," Thorn said. "I'm not going to say which team. There are nine possibilities."

There are nine teams with vacancies, but the Raptors, Hawks, Sixers and Clippers seem among the more likely candidates.

Not since 1987, when Utah selected Jose Ortiz with the 15th pick, have the Jazz used their No. 1 choice on a power forward, and Ortiz was quickly rendered obsolete by the future Hall of Famer who has manned the position nearly every night for 18 seasons.
   
But Karl Malone, who reaches free agency July 1, might not return to Utah next season, and even if he does, at age 40 he is nearing the end of his career. The Jazz, spared the necessity of replacing the NBA's No. 2 career scorer for nearly two decades, finally have a reason to shop around for another power forward.
   
"I don't think 'replace' is the right word," said vice president of basketball operations Kevin O'Connor, mindful that Malone hasn't ruled out another season or two in Utah. "Would it be time for us to have a [power forward] on our roster that's young? Yeah, you can certainly say that."
   Which means Brian Cook and Mario Austin, two of the top collegiate players at the position last season, had plenty of reason to make a strong impression on O'Connor and his scouting staff during pre-draft workouts in the Jazz's practice facility Friday. Cook, a 6-foot-11 senior from Illinois, and Austin, a 6-9 junior from Mississippi State, joined Detroit Mercy guard Willie Green and Wake Forest forward Josh Howard as the first players to personally audition for O'Connor.

No, that wasn't a Rob Evans nightmare being played out at America West Arena Thursday morning.

But Arizona State's basketball coach has probably awakened in a cold sweat more than once thinking about Oregon's Luke Ridnour and Nick Collison of Kansas.

It was Ridnour, the Pac-10 Player of the Year, who drove around the Sun Devils in the final seconds to knock them from the Pac-10 Tournament. Collison helped shut down ASU freshman star Ike Diogu as the Jayhawks drilled the Sun Devils 108-76 and ousted them from the NCAA Tournament.

Both are possible draft choices for the Suns, who have the 17th pick of the first round. The two, along with Marquis Daniels of Auburn and Marvin Stone of Louisville, were in town for predraft workouts Thursday.

The Jazz's shopping list for next month's NBA draft has an unusual item at the top: power forward.

Not since 1987, when Utah selected Jose Ortiz with the 15th pick, have the Jazz used their No. 1 choice on a power forward, and Ortiz was quickly rendered obsolete by the future Hall of Famer who has manned the position nearly every night for 18 seasons.

But Karl Malone, who reaches free agency July 1, might not return to Utah next season, and even if he does, at age 40 he is nearing the end of his career. The Jazz, spared the necessity of replacing the NBA's No. 2 career scorer for nearly two decades, finally have a reason to shop around for another power forward.

"I don't think 'replace' is the right word," said vice president of basketball operations Kevin O'Connor, mindful that Malone hasn't ruled out another season or two in Utah. "Would it be time for us to have a [power forward] on our roster that's young? Yeah, you can certainly say that."