Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson still wasn’t ready Tuesday to reveal the identities of the deep-pocketed investors he’s recruited to make a pitch to buy the Kings.

But despite going past his self-imposed time frame for that announcement, Johnson said he remained confident he would deliver a competitive bid to keep the team here.

The mayor plans to present that package to the NBA’s board of governors as a counteroffer to a deal reached between the Kings’ owners and a group seeking to move the franchise to Seattle. Johnson said he wants his plan solidified by the end of this month.

“I think we’re really close,” the mayor said. “(Not having an announcement yet) is not a negative by any means. This is a complex deal.”

via Ryan Lillis and Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee