"A source from one superstar's entourage said Chris Webber has hinted to Kings management he'd go to Los Angeles."

"They've discussed Webber and former Laker Vlade Divac for Shaq. But any deal with Sacramento should include Mike Bibby, just as any deal with Dallas -- the odds-on favorite -- should include Dirk Nowitzki."

The Shaq sweepstakes has included many teams; and Sacramento is one of the teams he has said he would like to play for.

He has already shot down the LA Clippers.

A few years ago maybe possible, but today teams don't think the big fella is worth it, including the Kings.

"But the problem is that the Lakers want too much right now," said the Kings source. "We can't gut our team. That wouldn't make any sense. Maybe two, three years ago, when Shaq was a little younger you would have to think about it, but not now."

Some league executives, including Kings president Geoff Petrie, even remain skeptical about the perceived inevitability of a Shaq-Kobe breakup.

"It doesn't make sense," said Petrie, who confirmed Friday that he has spoken with Kupchak, "that with what the Lakers have been able to accomplish with those two guys, that they show him (Shaq) the door before they even know they're keeping Kobe.

"That's not anything I've been told, just what I think. And any time you have a player of Shaq's caliber come up, it always fuels a lot of speculation. But until they decide they're going to do something, nobody can touch him."

Reportedly Isiah Thomas has added the Sacramento Kings as a team interested in acquiring Kurt Thomas, with former Michigan star Chris Webber coming to Gotham in the exchange.  Also, a lot of smoke remains around the possible move for Antoine Walker.

Also reported is the possible return to the organization of Patrick Ewing.

With the Charlotte Bobcats likely to choose 2001 first-round selection Gerald Wallace today in the expansion draft, only 1996 first-rounder Peja Stojakovic will remain on the Kings roster as a Petrie pick.
 
Sacramento will select 26th in the first round and 48th in the second round. And Petrie, noted for his talent evaluation skills, is not likely to trade up.  In fact, the Kings may trade down.

"I guess nothing has come along any one of the times in the past that made sense to us to trade up," he said. "In most drafts, the real value really has been in three, four or five players. I can't rule out trading up, but do you really want to trade a really proven player, especially when your team is pretty good?  You can think back to (1990), when the Kings had those four first-round picks (forward Lionel Simmons, guard Travis Mays, center Duane Causwell and forward Anthony Bonner). They took players that had good value with relation to their selections. But a lot depends on the quality of the draft, and then that is another subjective evaluation."

The article also goes on to discuss how player evaluation has changed, with fewer Draft workouts, greater reliance on scouting, and more trips overseas to see international prospects.

Charter airline company Sky King Inc., has filed a $8.2 million lawsuit against the team, alleging it refused to acknowledge a contract to fly the team around during the season.

The owner of the company, Gregg Lukenbill who played a major role in bringing the Kings to Sacramento from Kansas City in 1985 could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Kings counsel David Price said the team basically had no comment on the suit, which was filed May 27 in Sacramento County Superior Court.

"The team believes it was right in terminating the contract four or five years ago," Price said. "And Gregg obviously feels he deserves millions of dollars for what has occurred over the years. I've been talking to the attorney for Sky King for a couple of years now while he decided whether or not to file suit."

Many Sacremento citizens are questioning the wisdom of spending public money for a downtown arena.

"I really have concerns about people who will never be able to afford (arena events), paying for it," said Karen Jacques, a Sacramento small-business owner and activist who attended the meeting.

The idea of building a new arena downtown has been around for years. A plan to build the arena in the downtown railyard fell apart just seven months ago.

Businessman Giannoni urged the group in attendance Monday to focus on the benefits to surrounding businesses.

"I always have pointed to this complex as what can happen when you spend your public funds wisely," Giannoni said. "Look at what has happened around the convention center."

But Mike Noto said he was afraid that public financing would leave the city up to its neck in debt.

Add Mike Bibby to the long list of Olympic pull outs.
Sources also told ESPN.com that the need for a point guard to replace Bibby makes Miami rookie Dwyane Wade a more likely addition to the roster than Denver's Carmelo Anthony.

Bibby had been considered on the fence by USA Basketball for weeks, but sources say the selection committee has formally moved on in hopes of securing commitments from four players to fill out the roster.

In Anthony's case, sources added, the selection committee is interested but isn't sure how much playing time would be left for him with James, Jefferson and Marion essentially playing the same position.

From Chris Webber, to Kobe, to the Magic's #1 pick, anything and everything you can possibly think of is being related to the Knicks this summer.

The latest rumors seem to be Sacremento willing to trade C-Webb due to their current financial situation and Kobe looking at NY as his future playground.

Additionally, Kurt Thomas appears to be the center of all these talks but how serious they are remains to be seen.