NBA Notebook | NBA working on rule to fine players for flopping

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The NBA will begin fining players guilty of flopping beginning next season.

Although the exact amount of fines has not been determined, the clubs have been informed that a new rule is on the way.

"We have not finalized what the system's going to be and certainly we will before the beginning of next season," NBA vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson said Friday.

In-game observers at the arenas and video reviewers will report theatrical flops as part of postgame reports, according to ESPN.com, which first reported the plan to penalize floppers.

"Our objective is to get the most egregious flops, the ones where the player's just flat taking a dive," Jackson said.

Whether suspensions could be a part of the punishments is not clear. The league has an escalating scale of punishments for technical fouls and could use something similar for flops.

Players who flop in international basketball get a technical foul.

No Chicago hire yet

Doug Collins' second tenure as Chicago Bulls coach may be coming, but there was no announcement as of Friday evening.

The Bulls and Collins, who coached a young Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen before the 1990s dynasty took off, acknowledged Thursday discussing a return engagement. The sides also said there would be more talks once Collins' obligations with TNT ended, which happened when the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals that night.

And Collins was adamant during a pregame interview with TNT on Thursday: "I have not been offered. I have not accepted."

On Friday, general manager John Paxson did not return a call to his cellphone, and Collins' representative John Langel declined to comment. A message seeking comment was left Friday night on Collins' cellphone.

Notes

• Michael Beasley went through some shooting and other on-court drills alongside O.J. Mayo, Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan on Friday, on the final morning of the NBA's predraft camp at the Disney complex near Orlando, Fla.

Beasley said Friday that he'll only do individual workouts with Chicago and Miami, the teams that hold the No. 1 and No. 2 picks, respectively, in the draft. He did not say when those workouts would occur.

Beasley left Kansas State after one season.

• Kansas' Darrell Arthur, who was in Orlando performing a physical for NBA teams, told reporters that he plans to hire an agent next week, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Arthur, a 6-foot-9 sophomore power forward, has been shooting up the draft boards since the lottery order was decided last week. He is seen by most draft experts as a lottery pick (top 14) who shouldn't slide further than pick 16 or 17.

• The rebuilding of the Knicks officially begins here this weekend, where the entire basketball operations staff, including all 14 scouts, has come together for a meeting to decide the future of the franchise. It is here where Donnie Walsh and his staff will discuss everything from the sixth overall pick in the draft to how they can improve the roster by both addition and subtraction.

High on the list of issues up for debate is what to do with Stephon Marbury.

Newsday and McClatchy newspapers contributed to this report.