• Blazers say team hasn’t inquired about Kupchak: Portland Trail Blazers President Larry Miller says the team has not reached out to the Los Angeles Lakers for permission to talk to general manager Mitch Kupchak. Miller would not comment specifically on an ESPN report Thursday that the Blazers are interested in interviewing Kupchak about the general manager’s job in Portland. The team does not want to name potential candidates. But he did say that the Blazers had not taken the step of asking the Lakers for permission to talk with Kupchak, who has been the head of basketball operations for the Lakers for 12 years.

• Wisconsin says Uthoff can’t transfer in Big Ten: Wisconsin will allow freshman forward Jarrod Uthoff to transfer to any school outside the Big Ten, hoping to defuse a situation that has drawn national criticism. The school said Uthoff asked for permission to contact 16 schools and the Badgers rejected four of them. Uthoff appealed over three of those schools and met Thursday with Athletic Director Barry Alvarez and associate AD Justin Doherty. The two officials then met with coach Bo Ryan and decided Uthoff can contact any school he wants to outside the Big Ten. The school said in a release that “Ryan wanted the appeals process to serve as a means for dialogue to occur between Uthoff and UW Athletics administration.” If Uthoff wants to appeal the “permission to contact” denial to any Big Ten school, he may request a hearing to the Chair of the Athletic Board within eight business days, the school said.

• Howard says he will have back surgery: Dwight Howard tells ESPN.com he will have season-ending back surgery. Orlando’s All-Star center will undergo surgery today in Los Angeles to repair a herniated disk. The operation will end his season and keep him from playing in the Olympics in London. Howard tells ESPN: “I tried to play through it and it just made my back worse.” Howard has been dealing with back problems since early March, but it wasn’t until last week that a doctor discovered the herniated disk.

• Larry Brown named coach at Big East-bound SMU: Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown has been hired by SMU. The 71-year-old Brown says he’s looking forward to the challenge with the Mustangs, who are moving from Conference USA to the much-tougher Big East Conference after next season. It is his first college job in nearly a quarter century. SMU athletic director Steve Orsini calls Brown a legend who has made every team he has ever coached a winner. Brown and SMU reached an agreement Thursday.

• Griner won’t play for U.S. team at London Olympics: Baylor standout Brittney Griner will not play for the U.S. women’s basketball team at the London Olympics this summer. The 6-foot-8 Griner, who was considered a candidate for the 12th and final roster spot on the national team, citied an unspecified family illness and her summer school schedule when she said Thursday she would not be able to play.