Mayor Kevin Johnson's effort to keep the Kings in Sacramento faces another critical hurdle beginning today.

Working over the weekend and late into the evening Monday, Johnson's staff was setting up meetings for this morning between local corporations and NBA representatives. The goal: to start checks flowing on an estimated $10 million in corporate sponsorships the mayor says he has solicited for the Kings.

It's part of a last-ditch effort to block the city's sole major league franchise from heading to Anaheim.

The NBA on Monday dispatched a marketing team to Sacramento to follow up on what officials said was a promising visit last week by the head of the league's relocation committee and a top league attorney. This week, the NBA staffers will dig further into the mayor's contention that the region can back the Kings with more corporate and financial support than it has in recent years.

NBA Commissioner David Stern said last week the league is looking to see if Sacramento has enough solid corporate support to stabilize the franchise for at least a year, in hopes the region can pull together on a plan to build a sports and entertaiment facility to replace Power Balance Pavilion.

Despite reports the NBA expects the Kings to stay in Sacramento next year, the team's owners remained noncommittal Monday, saying they have not made up their minds whether they will file a relocation request by the league-set deadline of next Monday, May 2.

A source close to the team said the ownership group has concerns about the level of longterm corporate support in Sacramento and about the region's ability to finance a new arena.

A private development team hired by the city to study the feasibility of building an arena has said it won't finish its work until late May or early June.

Some confusion surrounded the arena effort on Monday. Yuba City Mayor John Dukes, who participated in several closed door meetings with Johnson and other community leaders last week, said he intends to call a meeting this week to discuss forming a six-county "joint powers" arena financing authority.

Dukes said he expects to invite officials from Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, Yolo, Yuba and Sutter counties.

Johnson's office, however, issued a statement distancing the mayor from the effort.

"We appreciate the energy this issue is generating around the region and welcome the input," the statement read. "However, our current focus is one hundred percent on the NBA's May 2 relocation decision and doing everything we can to keep the Kings in Sacramento. Any discussions beyond that are premature at this point."

Also uncertain is what will be asked today of the estimated two dozen local businesses recruited by Johnson to help support the Kings, and whether they will be willing to break out their wallets, without knowing what they might get for their money.

Several officials with companies that have made pledges said they are willing to spend money on the Kings to help the community as a whole.

Rick Heron of Western Health Advantage said his company has pledged to at least double its annual $40,000 sponsorship of the team, and is willing to sign a deposit check tomorrow.

"We're looking forward to working with the team," he said. "For us, it's not about Western Health Advantage or about the Kings. It's about Sacramento, about making this the best place possible to live and work."

Dale Carlsen, chief executive of Sleep Train Mattress Centers, said late Monday he was still waiting for word from the mayor on when and where he should meet with the NBA, but stands ready to do so.

He said the retailer is definitely interested in becoming a sponsor, but is still finalizing its package. "We're working with them and trying to put something together," he said. The community "needs sports, it needs entertainment, it needs restaurants, it needs music."

The region's Jiffy Lube franchises also have committed $500,000 over the next several years, with $175,000 in the upcoming season should the Kings stay. Details of that pledge are still unknown, but Jiffy Lube marketing director Matt Graham said it would likely involve signage inside the arena, promotions and season ticket purchases.

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