NBA approves Hornets name returning to Charlotte

Charlotte is the home of the Hornets once again.

The NBA unanimously approved Charlotte's nickname change from Bobcats to Hornets on Thursday at the league's Board of Governors meeting. The original Hornets built a supportive fan base in Charlotte from the time they entered the league in 1988 until they moved to New Orleans in 2002.

But the new owners in New Orleans have changed the team's name to the Pelicans. That opened the door for owner Michael Jordan to bring the Hornets name back to Charlotte. The change will take place after the 2013-14 season.

The board also approved an expansion of instant replay. Officials can now review block/charge plays after checking the replay to see if the defender was in the restricted area.

Mavs have deal with Dalembert

The Dallas Mavericks have reached a deal with Samuel Dalembert, who will likely be their fifth starting center in the past five seasons.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told reporters at the NBA summer league in Las Vegas on Wednesday night that Dalembert had agreed to a contract but hadn't signed it.

The 6-foot-11 Dalembert is known as a defensive-minded center with career averages of 8.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots per game.

Magic sign big man Maxiell

The Orlando Magic have signed free agent big man Jason Maxiell, adding a veteran presence to an injury-depleted front court.

General manager Rob Hennigan announced the signing Thursday.

The 30-year-old Maxiell comes from Detroit, where he appeared in 72 games last season.

He was drafted in 2005 and has spent his entire eight-year NBA career with the Pistons.

The 6-foot-7 Maxiell joins a Magic roster that was thin behind center Nikola Vucevic, with Glen Davis recovering from foot surgery. Maxiell can play power forward or center.

Maxiell averaged 6.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks last season.

Warriors sign G Toney Douglas

The Golden State Warriors have signed free agent guard Toney Douglas to a contract.

The sides agreed to the deal last week and officially announced the signing on Thursday.

Douglas played for the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings last season, averaging 7.5 points and 2.1 assists in 18.1 minutes per game. The 27-year-old guard gives Golden State some added backcourt depth to help alleviate the loss of Jarrett Jack, who agreed to a four-year, $25 million deal with Cleveland.

Douglas was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 29th pick in 2009. He has career averages of 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 246 career regular-season NBA games with the New York Knicks, Houston and Sacramento.