NEW RAPTORS COACH: Sam Mitchell skipped Sunday's practice with the Charlotte Bobcats, furthering speculation he would become the new head coach of the Toronto Raptors.
Charlotte coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff didn't confirm that Mitchell has gotten the Raptors job but sounded like he's already planning to find a new assistant.
"He's fortunate enough to get the opportunity, and we're really pleased about it," Bickerstaff said. "We appreciate the way they've handled things. Whatever happens, we'll make a smooth transition."
The Toronto Sun and Toronto Star both reported that Mitchell, the lead assistant coach with the Bobcats, has been picked to replace Kevin O'Neill as coach of the Raptors.
"He didn't call me today, I don't know where it is," Bickerstaff said. "But whatever happens, we wish him well. It's in Toronto's hands."
The Raptors did not have anything to announce Sunday about the coaching search.
Mitchell had been a candidate for the job last season before it went to O'Neill, who was fired after a 33-49 season in which Toronto missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Mitchell played 13 seasons in the NBA, beginning with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1989. He played briefly with the Indiana Pacers, before rejoining the Timberwolves in 1995 and playing there until his 2002 retirement. He ended his career as the second-leading scorer in team history.
He joined Minnesota's coaching staff upon his retirement and spent two seasons on the bench, leaving to become the lead assistant with the Bobcats.
BOBCATS FIND FOUR: The Charlotte Bobcats added to their expansion team Sunday, selecting four players from an open-tryout session to advance to their minicamp.
Guards Pierre Wooten and Patrick Jackson, forward Anthony Greenup and center Moustapha Diouf were picked to participate in the rookie/free agent minicamp that begins Tuesday.
The Bobcats invited 44 players to try out on Saturday, then whittled the list down to 20 players for a Sunday game.
Greenup, who played at Shaw University, had 14 points and 10 rebounds in the final audition.
"I knew I had a really slim chance," he said. "But I worked hard and chased after loose balls and that got me picked. I'll have to work a lot harder in camp to make it past that."
Diouf, who played at Queens College in Charlotte, was thrilled just to have been invited to the tryout.
"It was a good first step for me and it was very hard," he said. "I got a letter about three weeks ago to come to this and I was so excited. We'll see what comes next."
Wooten, who played at Winthrop and spent last season playing for a team in Turkey, and Jackson, from Ball State, both advanced because of Charlotte's desperate need for a point guard.
The Bobcats did not select any point guards in the NBA expansion draft last week and picked forward Emeka Okafor and swingman Bernard Robinson in the NBA draft.
"It was a good session, very organized," coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff said. "No one embarrassed themselves and it was a great opportunity for them to play some basketball."