All Blacks captain Kieran Reads wrist surgery will delay his return to rugby next year until April.Read, who has been replaced as Crusaders skipper by Sam Whitelock for the 2017 Super Rugby season, underwent surgery earlier this month after being dogged by pain through the latter part of the season.Crusaders coach Scott Robertson says Read is unlikely to be available through the opening rounds in February and March.If the 31-year-old returns in mid-April, he will miss the first seven rounds but still be free to play up to 10 games before leading the All Blacks against the British and Irish Lions in June and July.Whitelock was already set to assume the captaincy on a fulltime basis, with Robertson keen for Read to enjoy playing by lightening the leadership load in 2017.Experienced Test lock Whitelock, 28, was captain during the opening weeks this year while Read was rested.Robertson believes the change will provide some zest for 31-year-old Read, who was dealt a heavy playing and captaincy role in 2016.Kieran has been an excellent captain, he is a courageous leader who the players admire and love, Robertson said.But this will allow Kieran to focus on just playing and enjoying himself in the Crusaders environment, rather than juggling the responsibility of being both All Blacks and Crusaders captain.It will also allow Sam to really take ownership of this position and influence the team in his own way.Whitelock, an 83-Test veteran, describes his new role as a privilege. Mikal Bridges Jersey .C. -- Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said after all of these years in the NBA hes still amazed at some of the things LeBron James does. Devin Booker Jersey . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. http://www.officialsunsfanstore.com/ . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. Kevin Johnson Suns Jersey . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. Charles Barkley Jersey .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. NEW YORK -- Outfielder Jay Bruces $13 million option has been exercised by the New York Mets, who also exercised an option on infielder Jose Reyes for next years major league minimum.New York also declined a $10.5 million option on Jon Niese and will play a $500,000 buyout to the left-hander, who becomes a free agent.Bruce was an All-Star for the third time this year, hitting .265 with 25 homers and 80 RBI for Cincinnati before the Mets acquired him on Aug. 1. The 29-year-old slumped badly with New York and was benched at times late in the season. He hit .219 with eight homers and 19 RBI for New York.Reyes was released by Colorado in late June after serving a domestic violence suspension, and the Rockies owed him the remainder of his $22 million salary this year plus $22 million next year and a $4 million buyout of his 2018 option.He signed with the Mets, his original big league team, a few days later for a prorated share of the minimum $507,000 and played primarily at third in the absence of injured captain David Wright.ddddddddddddA four-time All-Star while playing for the Mets from 2003-11, the 33-year Reyes hit .267 with eight homers, 24 RBI and nine stolen bases.Drafted by the Mets in 2005, Niese was traded to Pittsburgh last December and reacquired on Aug. 1. He had an 11.45 ERA in two starts and four relief appearances before a torn meniscus in his left knee ended his season.New York also said Thursday that infielder Eric Campbell was assigned outright to Triple-A Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League and right-hander Jim Henderson refused an outright assignment and elected to become a free agent. ' ' '