A return for the Sonics
Barry Stavro
Los Angeles Times
David Stern is ready to give whoever buys the Kings a get-out-of-jail-free card and bless a move to Seattle. With an inevitable change in zip codes coming, it's also time to ditch the Kings as a name.
Truth is this franchise, in existence since 1949, has hardly been Kings-like. This will be its seventh straight losing season and it's been more than a decade since the team was a title contender. And after previous stops in Rochester, Cincinnati and Kansas City, this franchise has only a single NBA title, back in 1951 as the Rochester Royals.
The NFL has already shown you can revive a forgotten city by resurrecting an old team name (Cleveland Browns). So once the Kings' moving van arrives, let's rename them the Seattle SuperSonics.
The Wizards should go
Chicago Tribune
The announcement of the New Orleans Pelicans taking the floor is sure to get a chuckle out of NBA fans in the future, but at least the birds aren't the laughingstock of the league right now.
Washington did the right thing by dropping the "Bullets'' nickname in 1997, especially considering the current outcry over gun-control policies. The name "Wizards'' just doesn't fit a squad that plays arguably the dumbest basketball in the league on a nightly basis.
I have a better name for a team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2008: the Washington Waste, because this team is garbage.
The Jazz never fit
Shandel Richardson
Sun Sentinel
It's a wonder the Jazz haven't changed nicknames since moving from New Orleans in 1979.
We get why the franchise was named the Jazz when it was located in New Orleans, but Utah? Give me a break. There is nothing jazzy about the state. The name doesn't fit an organization mostly known for John Stockton's short shorts and Karl Malone's cowboy hats.
So if New Orleans is going to change its nickname to the state bird, then how about something more reflective of Utah? We can even keep the singular mascot by naming the team after something unique about the state.
Utah is the only state to have a national forest in every county. So there you have it: The Utah National Forest.
Change can be good
Brian Schmitz
Orlando Sentinel
I'm not crazy about New Orleans' new nickname — the Pelicans. But at least it gets them attention before they go back to being just another bad team.
I don't know why New Orleans didn't make a trade to get back Jazz from Utah. I hate Heat because I don't need to be reminded I live and sweat in Florida. I like the Miami Ocean Breezes better.
Washington switched from Bullets to Wizards, which was a good idea, even if Wizards mocks them. Rename them the Monuments. They always stay in one place — last.
One LA team desperately needs a new nickname. They used to be called the Lakers, but these are no longer the Lakers, not the way they play.