Professional sports owners generally are not my favorite people. Many of them are just politicians with larger bank accounts. You wouldn't trust them to deposit your $10 check.

So when yet another news story comes out about yet another city trying to lure the Kings from Sacramento, prompting the Maloofs to issue yet another denial - "We tell them we are not interested," team co-owner Gavin Maloof said Saturday - you can spend hours, days and months trying to sniff out a Pinocchio in the room.

The process is exhausting, the speculation never ending. The Kings' arena woes, in fact, have transformed Sacramento into the sports gold-rush territory of the century. Las Vegas. Anaheim. Kansas City. St. Louis. San Diego. San Jose. These and other cities supposedly are ready to dig in, to poach the region's only major league sports team, if an opportunity presents itself.

On Saturday, the issue again became topical when the San Jose Mercury News detailed San Jose's pursuit of an NBA franchise for HP Pavilion and, citing anonymous sources, said conversations recently were held between city officials and the Maloofs.

Well, they were.

Gavin Maloof not only confirmed that discussions have taken place, he acknowledged that, as has long been rumored, team president John Thomas toured HP Pavilion last February.

But then came the kicker: "Everybody in the world knows we need a new arena," Maloof said Saturday afternoon. "Owners are a small group. We all know each other. Yes, we've talked to other cities. We get calls all the time. But our message to everybody is the same. We want to stay in Sacramento, and we all want a solution to the arena. And if this isn't the right time because of the economy, then we'll wait. We'll wait. This is what, our 11th year here? We're not going anywhere."

So what to make of the chats with San Jose? Two things quickly come to mind. First, the Maloofs did not become wealthy by being stupid, so of course they have studied alternatives and formulated contingency plans. Second, this is a proud Lebanese family that remains extremely protective of its reputation.

Lies told in Sacramento stick to the skin. The tarnish is permanent. They don't wash off. And the Maloofs' persistence these past several years, through passive political leadership to half-baked ballot measures to the decline of the team's talent base and its community involvement - their complicity part of the ill-fated equation - tells me they deserve the benefit of the doubt.

They're right. They're still here.

The overtures keep coming, they still keep coming back.

Maloof, who earlier had told The Bee that the family would not file for relocation by the March 31 deadline, on Saturday offered other interesting thoughts on the state of the franchise:

• The Kings are operating in the black and are projected to break even throughout the season, the result of reducing operational costs and more prudent salary cap management.

• The family is financing the league's attempts to come up with a viable arena plan at Cal Expo or elsewhere, with approximately $2.5 million already spent on consultants, studies and other expenses.

• And the election of Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former Phoenix Suns star who has been working aggressively toward an arena solution, has invigorated the family and renewed their enthusiasm for the venture. Johnson was not available for comment Saturday.

Accordingly, Joe and Gavin Maloof have become increasingly more visible locally, much as they were when they purchased majority ownership more than a decade ago. Gavin Maloof, in particular, is said to be dictating the new ticket packaging and marketing plans, and in general, pressing hard for the organization to reconnect with the community.

"Our focus is on winning and putting a better product on the floor," he said. "We've got a great coach. We feel the franchise is moving in the right direction.

"Last year ... people were saying, 'Why weren't you around more?' To be honest, we had to take care of Joe. He was in bad shape after the double knee replacement surgery. But now we're back, and we're getting after it. We're going to turn things around. I have to temper my excitement because I know (laugh) we're a young team that has to grow."

As for the incessant speculation about the Maloofs becoming frustrated and bailing on the market, he again insisted: "Nothing against San Jose. We've spoken to them. We told them we're not interested. That's what it is. And it's not them. We just feel that we have a great franchise, and we love being in Sac. We all want the same thing.

"The entire community knows we need a new arena. You can't start losing NCAA events because the building is inadequate, and not realize something has to get done eventually. We all want the same thing. But we want to win. We want to get it back. Right now, that's our focus."

Eleven years and they're still here.

That's no lie.

Call The Bee's Ailene Voisin, (916) 321-1208.