Report: Hornets to become "Pelicans" next year

The New Orleans Hornets are expected to officially change their name to the Pelicans at a news conference Thursday, according to Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

NBA New Orleans Pelicans colors will be blue, gold and red.

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) January 23, 2013

It's expected the team will announce the change effective for next season.

Back In November, Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan suggested he would be interested in bringing the Hornets nickname back to Charlotte.

From Jordan via the Charlotte Observer:

"It's definitely an interest down the road, but right now it's the New Orleans Hornets."

This season, the Hornets are 14-27, 14th in the Western Conference.

Image via: thescore.tumblr.com

Note: the official logo will be announced soon.