Illinois’ Brown Breaks Foot

Illinois guard Dee Brown broke his right foot at an NBA camp in Chicago and might withdraw from the June 28 draft. He is expected to be sidelined six to eight weeks.

Illini teammate Roger Powell also was injured at the predraft camp Wednesday at Moody Bible Institute, spraining his right ankle and leaving on crutches.

Brown made himself eligible for the NBA draft last month but did not hire an agent, leaving open the possibility of returning to Illinois for his senior year.

“What we’re telling Dee is that the most important thing now is for him to get healthy,” Illinois assistant coach Jay Price told the Champaign News-Gazette. “Whether he comes back or not is still his decision, and he has enough people around him advising him that he can make that decision.”

Illinois Coach Bruce Weber was on vacation and unavailable for comment.

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Denver Nugget General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe had an informal conversation with the Cleveland Cavaliers about the team’s president position.

With one year left on his contract and negotiations for an extension yet to get underway, Vandeweghe is keeping his options open in case things don’t work out with the Nuggets.

“I’d love for [an extension] to happen, but it’s not something I can talk about right now,” Vandeweghe said.

Initially told by Nugget owner Stan Kroenke that he couldn’t talk to other teams, Vandeweghe was given the green light earlier this week. Cleveland was the first team Vandeweghe talked to, but it was far from a formal job interview.

Detroit Piston Coach Larry Brown is expected to take over as Cleveland’s president once the playoffs are over, but Vandeweghe is said to be high on the Cavaliers’ list if things break down with Brown.

Vandeweghe, who became Denver’s general manager in 2001, is considered one of the league’s sharpest front-office minds, helping guide the Nuggets to consecutive playoff appearances after a nine-year postseason drought.

Meanwhile, new Cavalier Coach Mike Brown added his first assistant, bringing Hank Egan, his former college coach, onto his staff. Egan, 69, who had been retired for two years, coached Brown for two seasons at the University of San Diego.

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Casino regulators recommended suspending bets by bookmakers on the 2007 NBA All-Star game, if Las Vegas is awarded the event. The league will not consider the city’s bid without the ban.

Non-gambling revenue from fans, players and media coming to the city would outweigh any losses to bookies, Gaming Control Board chairman Dennis Neilander said.

“I think this event is something that could be a great benefit to the state,” he said, adding the game isn’t much of a draw for gamblers anyway because it’s hard to handicap.

The three-person Gaming Control Board unanimously approved the betting-suspension request, which was made on behalf of the NBA and supported by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The state Gaming Commission, the board’s parent, will rule June 23.

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Guard Calbert Cheaney, 33, exercised his $1.6-million player option to return to the Golden State Warriors next season. ... Assistant coach Gordon Chiesa left the Utah Jazz after 16 years to take a similar job with the New Jersey Nets.