Newsmakers

Out The United States has lost another big man, as David Lee will miss the basketball world championships because of an injured middle finger on his right hand. USA Basketball said Wednesday that Lee will have his finger placed in a splint and could miss six weeks. The All-Star forward is expected to be ready in time for the Golden State Warriors’ training camp. Lee was hurt Tuesday, the first day of practice. He flew to San Francisco to see doctors, who diagnosed him with “mallet finger,” an injury to the tendon. The Americans already are missing Amare Stoudemire and Robin Lopez, who were forced to pull out Tuesday.

Traded The Milwaukee Bucks have completed a deal with the Sacramento Kings for former Washington Huskies forward Jon Brockman in exchange for forward Darnell Jackson and a 2011 second-round pick. Brockman, 23, averaged 2.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in limited minutes as a rookie with the Kings. He appeared in 52 games with Sacramento after being picked in the second round of last year’s draft. Jackson began last year with Cleveland and appeared in 28 games before moving to Milwaukee.

Hired The New Orleans Hornets have completed a coaching and front-office overhaul that emphasized promise over experience. A little more than a month after making 38-year-old Monty Williams the youngest coach in the NBA, the Hornets have hired Williams’ longtime friend and former NBA teammate, 40-year-old Dell Demps, as general manager. Demps takes over for Jeff Bower, who stepped down last week.

Signed The Trail Blazers have signed shooting guard Wesley Matthews after the Utah Jazz declined to meet Portland’s five-year, $34 million offer for the restricted free agent. Matthews averaged 9.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 24.7 minutes for the Jazz last season as a rookie.

Rejected Forward Ilya Kovalchuk is no closer to figuring out his future than he was when NHL free agency opened three weeks ago. Kovalchuk’s landmark 17-year, $102 million contract with the New Jersey Devils was rejected by the NHL, which ruled that the longest deal in league history violated its salary cap. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said that the Devils, Kovalchuk and the players’ association still have several options if they choose to restructure the deal.

Expanded The group that determines soccer rules has expanded the experimental use of two extra assistant referees into this season’s European Champions League, a move made following a series of mistakes during the World Cup.