On Thursday, Silver once again reiterated his desire to see the league's age minimum bumped to 20 years old.

"I've been a proponent of raising the age from 19 to 20 because I think it would make for a better league," Silver said Thursday, according to USA Today. "I believe and continue to believe it will be in the best interest of the league. I think that the extra year in college will be a benefit for these young men to grow and develop as people and basketball players."

Silver also said that the Division I basketball isn't going away, but the D-League could play a role for players who don't think college is the right choice.

On the highly debated topic of jersey sponsorship ... well, just get ready. Here's what Silver had to say: "It's inevitable that there will be some sort of branding on our jerseys. We're a global league and we have a unique opportunity to help extend the coverage that our business partners can receive."


NBA FINES BOBCATS' MCROBERTS


Charlotte Bobcats forward Josh McRoberts was fined $20,000 by the NBA on Thursday for making unnecessary and excessive contact with Miami Heat forward LeBron James.

McRoberts' foul against James with 50 seconds remaining Wednesday night in Miami in the Heat's 101-97 playoff victory over the Bobcats has been upgraded to a Flagrant 2.

James drove and was met at the rim by McRoberts, whose right elbow struck the four-time NBA MVP around his chin. James immediately began grabbing at his throat and needed much longer than he usually does to get up after a hard foul, which was not called flagrant.

"I don't need to see it again," James said after the game. "Most important thing is we won the game."

Said McRoberts, who insisted it wasn't intentional: "It looked a lot worse than what it was."

The Heat lead the Eastern Conference first-round series 2-0. Game 3 is Saturday in Charlotte.


REASON FRANK DEMOTED


Much was made of the Brooklyn Nets' decision to demote Lawrence Frank, a move that eventually led to a buyout of one of the NBA's most high-profile assistants.

The perception is that new coach Jason Kidd was threatened by Frank's vocal style and wanted more control over the team. Months later, with Kidd and the Nets in the playoffs, that belief has been dispelled by general manager Billy King.

The Nets were 5-12 to start the season, and King said the move was necessary in order for Kidd to gain ownership of the team.

"In order for [Jason] to be successful, I had to make a decision, so I said, 'Let's reassign him,' " King said during an interview with NBA TV. "He does his report — I got it this morning — and he's helping from afar. But I believe in Jason and so to give him the ability to be successful, we had to make that decision."

King had no doubt that Kidd would succeed without Lawrence, Kidd's former coach in New Jersey, as a security blanket. The basketball pedigree Kidd has established, along with the respect he demanded, worked in concert to convince King things would settle.

"He believed in himself. And that was the biggest thing. When he walked into a room, there was confidence. When he talked to the players, there was confidence," King said. "He went at KG [Kevin Garnett]. KG went back at him. He went at Paul [Pierce]. So he wasn't afraid to challenge guys, and that, to me, showed that he was going to be a good coach.

"You've got a Hall of Famer in KG and Paul — 19 years and 16 years in the league — and you challenge them in front of the rest of the team, they all believe, 'Okay, this guy's real.' "

The Nets have been one of the NBA's best teams since January, and they are now matched 1-1 with the Raptors in the first round of the NBA playoffs.


COLORADO'S DINWIDDLE GOING PRO


University of Colorado junior point guard Spencer Dinwiddie is skipping his senior season and will declare for the NBA draft.

Dinwiddie said at a news conference in Boulder on Thursday that he believes he's a "first-round talent" and doesn't think there are many players in this year's deep draft that are more talented than he is.

Dinwiddie's junior season was cut short when he tore his left ACL Jan. 12 at Washington and needed reconstructive surgery. He said he expects to be back on the court by August.

Dinwiddie was averaging 14.7 points and nearly four assists when he got hurt. The Buffs were 14-2 and ranked 15th at the time. They finished 23-12 and lost to Pittsburgh in their NCAA tournament opener.


UNLV'S BIRCH HEADING TO NBA


UNLV forward Khem Birch announced that he plans to forgo his remaining eligibility to enter the 2014 NBA Draft.

Birch, who started his career at Pittsburgh, averaged 11.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game as a junior.

Birch is expected to be a second-round pick, which means he will not have a guaranteed contract upon being selected.

Contributors: Chris Littmann, DeAntae Prince, The Associated Press