A much-awaited analysis due for release today says a new arena and entertainment facility in downtown Sacramento would cost $387 million, would fit on city-owned land near Fifth and H streets and would be open by 2015.

Yet the 40-page document is most notable for what it doesn't include: a way to pay for the sleek glass-fronted building shown in the colorful renderings released with the report.

Downtown Sacramento developer David Taylor and officials with national arena builder ICON Venue Group of Denver reportedly have a tentative list of funding sources. But the group hasn't had time to do enough detail work to make them public, city officials said.

In particular, the analysis has not yet concluded how much money might come from private sources, including the Kings' owners, and how much might come from the public, potentially from hotel taxes, car rental taxes and arena district sales taxes.
Instead, Mayor Kevin Johnson said he will form a regional coalition of elected officials and community leaders to spend the next 100 days working with Taylor and ICON to fashion a proposal for a financing plan.

Ten months after LeBron James left the team as a free agent, the Cavaliers took a major step toward rebuilding their franchise by winning the first overall pick in Tuesday's draft lottery.  

Ironically, the ping pong ball that bounced Cleveland's way was attached to the Clippers' selection, which the team acquired in the Baron Davis trade, not their own. The latter pick fell to fourth despite the Cavaliers having the second-best chance at taking one of the top three spots, given that the team owned the league's second-worst record.   

The Wolves, with the NBA's worst record, took the second selection and the Jazz will pick third, by way of the pick Utah acquired from New Jersey in the trade of Deron Williams to the Nets.

Full lottery results are as follows:

1.  Cleveland (via Clippers)

2.  Minnesota

3.  Utah (via Nets)

4.  Cleveland 

5.  Toronto

6.  Washington

7.  Sacramento

8.  Detroit

9.  Charlotte

10.  Milwaukee

11.  Golden State

12.  Utah

13.  Phoenix

14.  Houston

Sacramento Kings co-owner George Maloof said Wednesday he has agreed to make team financial data available to a city-commissioned group studying ways to finance a new sports and entertainment facility.

That group, headed by national arena builder ICON Venue Group and downtown Sacramento developer David Taylor, is due to present an arena feasibility study to the City Council on May 26.

Team officials previously refused to provide business data for the study.

The team was negotiating a move to Anaheim for the upcoming season but decided last week against that move for now.
On Wednesday, Mayor Kevin Johnson and ICON representatives met in Las Vegas with George Maloof, who runs the family's Palms hotel and casino, and has been designated his family's point man on the Sacramento arena project.

"Whatever (business data) they need, we'll help out," Maloof said after the meeting.

At the rally Tuesday, Kings co-owner Joe Maloof was reluctant to talk about an arena plan, declaring the word "arena" unmentionable for the day.

"I don't really even want to mention that word right now," he said. "I want to take a break from that word for at least 24 hours."

As for filling their current arena for next season, Maloof said ticket sales over the past week have been "terrific." Tickets are being bought at 10 times the normal rate per day, he said, declining to provide exact sales figures.

"The last seven days we've had record days every day," Maloof said.

Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof told reporters the team would take advantage of its available salary cap space this off-season. Also of note: Maloof said the Kings would try to re-sign guard Marcus Thornton and center Samuel Dalembert.

"We have money, we have cap space, we have the most cap space of any team in the NBA," Maloof said. "That's how you win. You need players. And we have money and we're going to spend it."

Mayor Kevin Johnson, was also attended the meeting, said Maloof's message that the team would spend money "means a great deal for sponsors because their investment has a lot to do with what's on the court."

Blake Griffin is the recipient of the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the 2010-11 T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year, the National Basketball Association announced. Griffin is the first unanimous Rookie of the Year selection since David Robinson in 1989-90, receiving 118 first-place votes (590 points) from an equal number of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Other than Griffin and Robinson, the only other unanimous selection since the award’s inception was Ralph Sampson in 1983-84.

"Foremost Blake is a team first guy, which was evident in all 82 games this season,” stated Vice President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey. “His work ethic, production and commitment to his coaches and teammates during his rookie campaign was unparalleled in my eight year tenure with the Clipper organization. I know being named Rookie of the Year was one of the individual goals he set for himself when we drafted him and I'm thrilled that all of his hard work has been recognized."

Finishing second was John Wall with 295 points, followed by DeMarcus Cousins, Landry Fields, Gary Neal and Greg Monroe.

Sources close to Knicks president Donnie Walsh say he has targeted Kings 6-foot-11 shotblocker Samuel Dalembert as the likeliest free-agent catch this summer.

Walsh's old-school principles have made adding a big, bruising starting defensive center to play alongside power forward Amar'e Stoudemire as his No. 1 priority. It might be a strong enough urge to sacrifice what could be maximum cap room in 2012, essentially sacrificing a shot at point guard Chris Paul.

The Knicks realize some top free agents likely will stay put or be out of their financial range. Memphis' Marc Gasol and Dallas' Tyson Chandler are expected to re-sign, and the Clippers probably will match an offer to the young DeAndre Jordan.

Former Kings great Chris Webber is working with a group of people to keep the Kings in Sacramento.

"It is one more year," Webber began. "But we do have to have our due diligence.  And as a community (we must) show that fans are going to support, show that we have a new arena, which are things we're going to do.

"It's a great day in Sacramento because the Kings were gone," Webber emphatically added. "And I'm glad we have them there for another year.  And within this year, we're going to make some special things happen."

Webber also added that he's hopeful in renewed efforts to build an arena, stating he has private investors lined up to help pay for a new entertainment-and-sports complex.

"I'm very optimistic," he said.  "And to the fans, keep the faith and keep praying.  But I'm working with a group, I'm working with the mayor, I'm working with the Maloofs.  And the goal is to keep the team there."

The Kings have announced that they will remain in Sacramento for the 2011-12 season.

The franchise faced a Monday afternoon deadline to apply for relocation to Anaheim.

The owners of the Kings are giving Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson and others a year to follow through on their pledge to move significantly toward a new "entertainment and sports complex" in the city.

The Kings have cap space this offseason and Geoff Petrie hopes to be able to use it as he has been largely reliant on the draft in recent seasons. The collective bargaining agreement, however, will be a factor.

"That's going to play a factor, but I think for us to start building additional value with the roster, basically for the last two or three years, we've tried to draft it," said Petrie. "But for us to accelerate building value in the roster, we have to come out of hibernation in competing for free agents and trade for value … I think at some point that has to happen, and hopefully coming out of this next offseason, we'll get back to being able to do some of those things."

Petrie was asked where the Kings will look to improve.

"I think we need another creator, ballhandler. We need some more leadership on the court, either by the form of maturity or addition to the roster. Certainly we need to try to improve our three-point shooting, which fell off from a year ago. … We'll have to look to fill out our roster with another frontcourt player of some kind."