Webber to Miss a Month

Chris Webber’s sprained left ankle will be re-evaluated later 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 off-season, suffered a high ankle sprain five minutes into the Kings’ 107-88 exhibition victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night. The team said Webber is expected to miss four to six weeks.

“Sometimes you have to let the initial trauma subside, and then you can get a better read on where you’re going,” said Geoff Petrie, the Kings’ vice president of basketball operations. “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.

“The fortunate thing is it’s not a broken bone,” Petrie said.

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Denver Nugget forward Calbert Cheaney was carried off the court with an apparent knee injury Monday night.

Cheaney got tangled up fighting for a defensive rebound and fell to the floor holding his left knee early in the first quarter of an exhibition game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Nuggets said it was possibly a medial meniscus injury, and that Cheaney, who didn’t return to the game, would be re-evaluated this morning.

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The Detroit Pistons waived forward Nate Green and guard Ricky Price. Price, a former player at Duke and Long Beach St. Anthony High, played in Europe for three years. ... The Indiana Pacers waived center Will Cunningham and rookie guard Galen Young.