New Orleans told to sell more club seats

NEW ORLEANS -- The Hornets must get more corporate sponsors and sell 1,168 additional club seats in the New Orleans Arena before the NBA relocation committee will recommend approval of the team's move from Charlotte, the team announced Friday.

The NBA also set two other goals that the team must meet in order to win recommendation -- finalize the sale of all 55 suites already sold and finalize radio and television rights, the team said in a news release.

Hornets co-owner Ray Wooldridge said Thursday that the team has sold 1,232 club seats and has two corporate sponsors with multiyear, multimillion dollar agreements. The NBA wants the team to sell a total of 2,400 club seats and add to the two corporate sponsors, the statement said.

NBA owners are expected to vote on the move April 8 or 9. The Hornets need support from at least 15 of the league's 29 teams.

RAPTORS:Vince Carter will have knee surgery next week, and the guard will miss the rest of the regular season.

He will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, the team said.

NETS: Forward Kenyon Martin met with NBA officials for 45 minutes to discuss his concern that he wasn't being treated fairly by officials.

"It was just some guys saying what they thought," Martin said. "Nothing really happened, nothing."

The physical Martin has been suspended for four games this season, either the direct result of flagrant fouls or for the accumulation of flagrant foul points.

MAGIC: Guard Tracy McGrady was taken off the floor on a stretcher after injuring his back during the second quarter of the Magic's game against the Hornets.

McGrady drove the lane and was sandwiched between Charlotte's Robert Traylor and George Lynch. He appeared to land awkwardly, and immediately collapsed face-down under the basket.

76ERS: NBA scoring leader Allen Iverson could miss the rest of the regular season and the playoffs after breaking his left hand against the Celtics.

Iverson is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with the injury to his non-shooting hand, diagnosed by X-rays taken at New England Baptist Hospital after he played the entire first half of the 76ers' 96-91 victory

-- From wire reports