The NBA owners offered to refund a $30 million non-refundable deposit made by the Chris Hansen-Steve Ballmer ownership group that was made when entering into a purchase agreement with the Sacramento Kings.

The Seattle-based group had agreed to buy the team from the Maloof family.

Hansen and Ballmer declined to accept the offer, which would have come from each of the NBA's 30 owners.

Greg Oden is attempting to return to the NBA after not playing since 2009.

Oden has received interest from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, amongst other teams.

Deshaun Thomas, who attended Ohio State like Oden, said on Thursday that the two have been working out.

"Man, he looks unbelievable," he said at the draft combine. "He's running. He's lifting weights. You might be seeing a comeback. He looks like he's ready to go. He's running, getting in shape. I'll tell you one thing. For a big 7-footer that's all he does, running and getting in shape. He's looking right."

Ettore Messina has emerged as a serious candidate to become the next head coach of the Atlanta Hawks.

Messina was born in Italy and is the current coach of CSKA Moscow. Messina is a four-time Euroleague championship coach and two-time Euroleague coach of the year. 

Messina was part of the Los Angeles Lakers' coaching staff during the 11-12 NBA season.

Messina left the NBA to take a $1 million-plus a year job with CSKA.

Danny Ferry recently scouted CSKA at last weekend's Euroleague Final Four.

Stan Van Gundy and Quin Snyder are also candidates.

The Maloofs have agreed to sell the Sacramento Kings to a group led by Vivek Ranadive for $535 million, according to a source.

The Maloofs had hoped to sell the Kings to a group led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer, but the NBA's Board of Governors voted against the sale by a 22-8 margin. The Hansen-Ballmer group intended to move the Kings to Seattle, which lost their NBA franchise to Oklahoma City in 2008.

Ranadive is currently a part owner of the Golden State Warriors.

The new ownership group is hoping to build a new arena in downtown Sacramento with public financing.

Deshaun Thomas interviewed with the San Antonio Spurs at the NBA draft combine on Thursday.

Among the questions asked of Thomas was his cell phone number and email address.

Thomas declined to give the Spurs his phone number.

“I can’t go around giving it out to everyone,” Thomas said Thursday with a laugh. “Now if they want to draft me, I’d be happy to give it to them.”

Thomas is currently projected as a second-round pick.

Nerlens Noel will not be ready for the NBA season opener and is targeting Christmas as his debut date.

Noel said he is ''ahead of schedule” in his rehab from a torn ACL in his left knee.

''I've started to shoot some free throws the last week with a different type of brace on,'' said Noel, who has yet to start running again. ''I'm 100 percent confident of not just gaining what I had but definitely being stronger, coming back better. During this time that I won't be playing basketball I'll just be working on a lot of things that I needed to polish when I was playing.''

Noel called shooting among his needed areas of improvement.

''I think I'm at a good point, but obviously I can't do too much right now,'' Noel said. ''I'm just doing a lot of form shooting right now. I think when I come back I'll be able to knock down that 15-footer and be able to take my game to another level.''

Jerry Sloan is not interested in taking the Milwaukee Bucks’ vacant head coaching position.

Sloan met with Bucks officials last week.

"The bottom line is, Jerry doesn't really feel it's the right fit for him right now," Keith Glass, Sloan’s agent, said on Thursday. "He's interested (in coaching again). He's in Chicago now watching the Pre-Draft. And his name keeps popping up with every job, and he hasn't applied for anything. He had a real nice meeting with them. They came to see him on his farm (in downstate Illinois). They had a great meeting just in terms of liking each other. (Bucks general manager) John Hammond said 'I wish I could have stayed and watched the game with him.' It's just not the right fit for Jerry, from Jerry's point of view. That's not a negative thing; that's just the reality."

Glass said that Sloan would be interested in coaching a playoff-level team.

"Jerry probably is a lot like Scott, in that the working conditions and where the team is (contender-wise) are important," Glass said. "For Jerry to go to a place that's going to take years to build—and I'm not talking about Milwaukee, I'm talking about anywhere—that's just not right for him. They have to be able to compete. Jerry is a competitor, and he wants to compete and teach."

Mike Zarren turned down an offer to become general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, two league sources said Thursday.

Zarren has served as the Celtics’ assistant general manager and team counsel for the past few years.

Danny Ainge hired Zarren as an unpaid intern in 2003.

"I don’t know all the details, but I know there was strong interest in Mike from Philly," said Ainge. "I don’t know why (he turned it down). You'll have to ask him."

George Hill was ruled out for Game 5 by the Indiana Pacers due to a concussion suffered in Game 4.

The Pacers had kept Hill's injury quiet.

Hill believes he suffered the injury when being hit in the head by Tyson Chandler.

D.J. Augustin will start and Frank Vogel said that Paul George could even see some time at the point.

Doc Rivers will remain as head coach of the Boston Celtics next season, his 10th with the franchise.

"Yeah (he'll be back), Doc and I are talking about our team next year," Danny Ainge said. "(No suspense) from my perspective. We've got a great coach. We've got a coach everybody would love to have and he's got three years left on his contract and I think Doc likes Boston, too.Coaches get tired, though. It's a hard job.

"You guys are the only one (who made it an issue)."

Rivers signed a five-year extension two years ago, but left open the possibility of stepping down following the Celtics' elimination in the playoffs.