NBA NOTEBOOK: SACRAMENTO GOES WITHOUT WEBBER.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

Chris Webber's sprained left ankle will be re-evaluated this week, though the Sacramento Kings still believe their All-NBA forward will miss at least a month of action.

Webber, who signed a seven-year, $123 million contract during the offseason, suffered a high ankle sprain five minutes into the Kings' 107-88 exhibition victory Sunday night over the Dallas Mavericks. The team said Webber is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

``Sometimes you have to let the initial trauma subside, and then you can get a better read on where you're going,'' Kings vice president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said. ``In another four or five days, we'll get an opportunity to get a better read on his situation, and we'll go from there.''

Webber wasn't at the Kings' training complex Monday, but he will begin a rehabilitation program shortly. X-rays on Webber's ankle revealed no broken bones, and Petrie said nothing had changed from the team trainers' original diagnosis Sunday night.

Webber's injury throws an unwanted complication into a season of high expectations for the Kings, who expect to contend for the NBA title after adding point guard Mike Bibby to the team that finished last season with the league's best offense and its fourth-best record.

Petrie said he had confidence in his team's remaining roster, noting that the Kings thrived last season when Webber missed 10 games with a sprained ankle. His current sprain is in a different spot.

``The fortunate thing is it's not a broken bone,'' Petrie said. ``It's in a different area than his sprain from last season. It's neither a season-ending nor a career-ending injury.''

Sacramento will explore possible trade options to bolster the team's depth, but Petrie said no deals were imminent. Scot Pollard is likely to take Webber's spot in the Kings' starting lineup.

With Webber out, an added scoring burden will fall upon forward Peja Stojakovic, who reported to camp in tremendous shape after leading Yugoslavia to the European Championship this summer, and Bibby, who scored 15 points against the Mavericks on Sunday night.

--Cheaney hurt: Denver Nuggets forward Calbert Cheaney was carried off the court with an apparent knee injury during an exhibition Monday against Milwaukee.

Cheaney was making his exhibition debut after missing 58 games because of injury last season.