Josh Howard tried to test his sore ankle on Saturday night when the Mavericks battled the Kings, but after just a few minutes he went to the locker room in pain.

Coach Rick Carlisle said Howard has been diligent while rehabbing the ankle, but has no timetable for the forward's return.

When asked if the team's medical staff gave him any reason to be optimistic about Howard's return during the Mavericks upcoming seven-game home stand, Carlisle said:

"I?m hopeful. I?d like to say that I?m optimistic, but really it?s up to Mother Nature at this point. I know that he?s doing everything he can do in terms of treatment to try and condition the ankle as it progresses. But I don?t have a crystal ball right now. Obviously the sooner the better for us."

Kings' coach Reggie Theus would have liked to see some frustration from his players on Friday night when the Jazz scored 44 points in the third quarter.

"The one thing that I would have liked to see is one of our guys get really angry about it," Theus said. "Not hurt or anything like that, but be angry about what was happening on the floor. Our team has a very good temperament, but somebody should have been angry about that."

Francisco Garcia is hoping to make his season debut this weekend for the Kings after missing sixteen games with a strained right calf.

"It's been frustrating. I want to be out there helping my teammates," Garcia, who signed a five-year contract extension with the team this September, said.

Sacramento is 5-11, but Garcia is hoping to return on Saturday against the Mavericks.

"That's what I am shooting for," Garcia explained. "That's my plan to come back by this weekend and if not then early next week. I get real juiced up and want to see us win. You see everybody getting better and I want to be out there."

Attorney and agent Jason Levien is expected to join the Sacramento Kings as assistant general manager.

Levien is the agent for Kevin Martin, but joining Sacramento's front office will effectively end his tenure as an agent.

According to the sources, Levien and the Kings have agreed to terms on a multiyear deal that it is expected to be signed by the end of the month.

"I have a lot of confidence in him," Joe Maloof, with Levien not yet signed, said hypothetically. "He'd be a good addition to our basketball operations part of our company. He's got a great eye for basketball talent.

"Geoff is the one who is real high on him. Gavin (Maloof) and I are, of course, but I think he developed a relationship with Geoff, and Geoff's very impressed with what Jason has to offer."

The Maloof Brothers may have come up with a way to get their team back into the national spotlight.

Maloof Productions is partnering with reality icon Mark Burnett for a behind-the-scenes program called "Rebuilding the Kingdom" on all things Kings.

"It's a good idea," Kings' rookie Jason Thompson said. "We have a lot of young guys, and (our lives) intrigue a lot of people, especially rookies' lives. We have guys who aren't shy to the camera. We have a lot of personalities, and guys who like to have fun."

Former UConn swingman Denham Brown has been playing in Bismarck, North Dakota, but could get a call from the Kings in the future.

The NBA has fined Sacramento coach Reggie Theus $25,000 for comments he made after his team's loss to Detroit on Tuesday and also fined the Kings the same amount, the Associated Press is reporting.

Theus said it was "ridiculous" that the Pistons took 36 fouls shots to just 17 for the Kings in Detroit's 100-92 victory.

The Kings have reportedly inquired with the Magic about re-acquiring Hedo Turkoglu numerous times in recent years.

Orlando general manager Otis Smith said Sacramento has been interested in reacquiring Turkoglu "ever since he left" in a trade with San Antonio back in 2003.

Turkoglu signed with the Magic as a free agent in 2004.

Smith added that it has been a while since the Kings made an offer for Turkoglu, and added, "They wanted to give us their trash."

Kevin Martin is set to miss the next week after spraining his ankle against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night, the Associated Press is reporting.

The Kings said Monday that Martin, who is averaging 22.4 points a game, will be sidelined 7-10 days.

Former' Suns point guard Kevin Johnson became the mayor of Sacramento, Calif. on Tuesday night.

Johnson, 42, is also the first black mayor of Sacramento. He defeated two-term incumbent Heather Fargo in a run-off election.

"Sacramento also made history today in electing its first black mayor," Johnson said. "Both [Barack] Obama and myself, we ran on a promise and the theme of change. No more business as usual."