As the NBA regular season dies down and the playoff races heat up, we’ll keep you updated every day at 6 O’Clock. What’s happening today?
Here’s the latest news around the league:
Are the Philadelphia 76ers hoping Doug Collins doesn’t return?
It’s no secret that Doug Collins has had an up-and-down coaching career. He has never coached a single team for more than three years, a label that he finally shrugged off this year with the Sixers. But despite some mild success with the Sixers — the apex being a seven-game series with the Boston Celtics in last years Eastern Conference Semifinals — there are rumors floating around in the organization that they are hoping Collins steps down after this season. More from Bob Ford of Philadelphia Inquirer: “According to multiple league sources, the 76ers organization privately hopes that coach Doug Collins decides not to return for the 2013-14 season and, regardless of his decision, it does not intend to extend his contract – which has one year remaining.”
“I think he’s gone at the end of the year. He’ll be moving on,” said one NBA source with intimate knowledge of the situation. “He’ll decide to leave, and they won’t be upset about it. They would like to see it work out that he decides to move on.”
NBA asks Sacramento investors to reimburse Seattle if they don’t get Kings
First reported by Sports Business Daily, the NBA has asked the team of Sacramento investors to reimburse the Seattle ownership group for its $30 million non-refundable deposit they’d lose if Seattle doesn’t get the team. According to Ryan Lillis and Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee: “Chris Hansen, Seattle’s lead investor, gave the Maloofs, who own the Kings, a $30 million non-refundable deposit as part of his deal to buy the team. Spokesmen for the NBA and the Sacramento bidders declined comment on the report.”
Mavericks miss the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, Dirk refuses to comment
Despite the Dallas Mavericks officially being eliminated from this years playoff race, we’ll have to wait a little while longer for the perspective of their star, Dirk Nowitzki. Although he did not comment on his teams elimination, he did have some good quotes for ESPN Dallas’ Tim MacMahon: ““I’ll be reflective after the season’s over,” Nowitzki said after Thursday’s practice, about 12 hours after the Los Angeles Lakers’ late win in Portland officially eliminated the Mavs from playoff contention. “We’ve still got four games and I don’t want to mail it in.””
“I want to play hard and hopefully win some. I think a winning season would be nice for this tough, up-and-down season, so that’s what we’re going for.”
Ben Baroff is a basketball journalist who blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter here.