The Last Stand: A Seattle Sonics Story.

**RMJH4** · 02-08-2021, 12:24 PM

Around the NBA.

Sonics name Spurs assistant Presti new GM.
SuperSonics name Jeff Van Gundy as new head coach.
NBA Draft | Sonics pick Durant, trade Ray Allen.
Sonics, Magic complete sign-and-trade for Rashard Lewis.
Ewing Hired As Assistant Coach for Sonics.
Sonics trade for Kurt Thomas with trade exception.
Sonics Preview | Understanding the spin game.
2007-08 Seattle Sonics season preview.

**RMJH4** · 02-08-2021, 12:24 PM

Roster and Depth Chart.

Seattle Supersonics Depth Chart - 2007-08
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Luke Ridnour	Earl Watson
SG	Wally Sczerbiak	Delonte West	Damian Wilkins
SF	Kevin Durant	Jeff Green	Mickael Gelabale
PF	Chris Wilcox	Kurt Thomas	Nick Collison
C	Robert Swift	Marc Gasol	Saer Sene	Johan Petro

**RMJH4** · 02-08-2021, 12:25 PM

Seattle Sonics Schedule.

**RMJH4** · 02-08-2021, 05:41 PM

Sonics name Spurs assistant Presti new GM.

Jun 7, 2007.

SEATTLE -- Sam Presti owes becoming the youngest general manager in the NBA to a homesick teammate at Emerson College.

Eight years ago, Presti, captain of the basketball team at Boston's renowned school for communication and the arts, talked the discouraged player out of quitting and going home to Colorado.

The teammate's father, the superintendent of schools in Aspen, was so appreciative that he invited Presti to coach at a summer basketball camp that happened to be run by R.C. Buford, the general manager of the San Antonio Spurs.

"Fortunately, I somehow endeared myself to them," Presti, now 30, said Thursday of Buford and the Spurs, who entered Thursday four wins from a fourth NBA title since 1999.

By the next summer, Buford had hired Presti as a $250-per-month intern. Seven years later, after establishing himself as a scouting guru and salary cap wizard, San Antonio's former assistant GM is in Seattle.

"Once he was in San Antonio for a month, I think we realized that it was going to be important that we not let him leave," a "crushed" Buford said Thursday from the NBA finals. "Now who knew that seven years later he'd still be with us and continue to grow and turn into one of the outstanding front office talents that I've ever seen, especially when you consider the age."

His mandate as he replaces Rick Sund: Lead the Sonics' search for a new coach, then their return to relevance after their worst season in 21 years.

"I view the San Antonio Spurs as the premier franchise in our business. And Sam Presti had clearly had an important role within that organization, contributed to their winning and how they do business," Sonics owner Clay Bennett said. "But that is not why he got the job.

"He got the job because of who he is, how he does things. ...He is thoughtful. He is methodical. He is measured."

Lenny Wilkens will return to his role as vice chairman. Wilkens, the 70-year-old Hall of Fame coach, had been the president of basketball operations and Bennett's point man on team matters since last fall.

The Sonics own the second pick in the June 28 draft. Seattle's first-round selection is expected to be easy: Kevin Durant or Greg Oden, whomever Portland doesn't take with the No. 1 pick.

Days after that, the Sonics must decide how much money and effort to direct at Rashard Lewis, the team's second-leading scorer, who opted out of the last two years of his contract to become a free agent.

The Sonics still don't have a coach after firing Bob Hill on April 24, the same day they demoted Sund to consultant.

Presti spoke in generalities about his vision for the Sonics, including on the hiring of a coach. Former Sonics assistant Dwane Casey has said he is interested in the job after getting fired last winter in Minnesota. Rick Carlisle, the former coach with Detroit and Indiana who was a Sonics broadcaster in 2000, is another possibility.

Spurs assistant P.J. Carlesimo, the former coach at Portland and Golden State, instantly becomes a more viable candidate because he worked with Presti the past five seasons.

About the only thing Presti committed to was saying that his Sonics will not try to become Spurs West on the floor. But he will address what has been one of the league's worst defenses in recent seasons.

"That's San Antonio. It's a special situation with some special, special talents," Presti said. "That's not what we are trying to recreate here."

Presti is currently the league's youngest GM -- but not the youngest in NBA history. A 28-year-old Jerry Colangelo became GM of the expansion Phoenix Suns in 1968.

"I wanted a candidate on the way up," Bennett said, "who perhaps in their youth perhaps would not hesitate on certain decision-making processes or ideas or concepts that an older candidate might, because he's tried that or thought he's tried that or seen that."

In San Antonio, where the Spurs were preparing to host Cleveland in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, coach Gregg Popovich wasn't surprised by Presti's departure .

"He has been a key component of the success of the Spurs organization and, although we hate to lose him, we knew it was a matter of time before a team came calling," Popovich said.

**kibaxx7** · 02-08-2021, 05:51 PM

Re: Sonics name Spurs assistant Presti new GM.

Oh seaboh, it's you! I'm gonna follow for sure then. Good luck!

**RMJH4** · 02-08-2021, 05:54 PM

SuperSonics name Jeff Van Gundy as new head coach.

June 14, 2007

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Jeff Van Gundy, who was only recently fired from his last NBA head coaching job in Houston, was confirmed as the new head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics on Thursday.

Van Gundy, the Head Coach with the Houston Rockets the last four seasons, takes over from Bob Hill, who was sacked after the SuperSonics finished in last place in the Northwest Division with a record 31-51.

It is the third head coaching job for Van Gundy since he left the Knicks (1996-2001) six years ago where he was famously stepped down mid season. The move was unexpected, as the Knicks were on a winning streak, and coming off a 14–point victory against the Milwaukee Bucks. Van Gundy also led the Knicks to an NBA Finals appearance in 1999 as an 8 seed.

In June 2003, Van Gundy was named head coach of the Houston Rockets, replacing Rudy Tomjanovich. In his first season as the team's head coach, the Rockets finished with a 45–37 record, and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in five years, but they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers. In his second season with the Rockets, Van Gundy guided the team, led by the Yao Ming / Tracy McGrady duo, to a 51–31 record, which was their first season with more than 50 wins in eight years. The Rockets once again lost in the first round of the playoffs, this time to the Dallas Mavericks.

McGrady and Yao missed a combined 70 games due to injury in the 2005–06 season, and Van Gundy did not make the playoffs for the first time in his NBA head coaching career.

The injuries and disappointments continued for the Rockets into the following season, with injuries limiting Yao to just 48 games played, and McGrady also not fully recovered from his injuries. The Rockets went on a late season run, on the back of a resurgence from McGrady, but another first round playoff loss, this time to the Utah Jazz, sealed Van Gundy's fate as the team's head coach. At the conclusion of their decisive Game 7 loss in the first round of the playoffs, Van Gundy was fired, and has been replaced by Rick Adelman.

“I am really excited with the opportunity to come to the Sonics,” Van Gundy said on the Sonics Web site. “We have a talented nucleus returning and an outstanding draft class awaits us later this month.”

Sonics chairman Clay Bennett said: “We believe Jeff is absolutely the right person for the job and is more than ready for the challenge. He will bring on our defense in leaps and bounds.”

**RMJH4** · 02-08-2021, 05:55 PM

Re: Sonics name Spurs assistant Presti new GM.

Originally posted by spiderxx7

Oh seaboh, it's you! I'm gonna follow for sure then. Good luck!

Yep, changed to match my steam, twitter and NLSC name all the same.

Glad you're following!

**RMJH4** · 02-09-2021, 08:43 AM

NBA Draft | Sonics pick Durant, trade Ray Allen.

June 28, 2007

The Sonics changed the face of their franchise today, selecting Texas freshman Kevin Durant with the No. 2 pick in today’s NBA Draft and trading seven-time All-Star guard Ray Allen to the Boston Celtics. The Sonics traded Allen and the No. 35 pick for the Celtics’ No. 5 pick, guard Delonte West, forward Wally Szczerbiak and a future second-round pick.

With the fifth pick, the Celtics selected 6-foot-9 Georgetown forward Jeff Green, a player they will send to Seattle in the deal.

The Sonics drafted Purdue forward Carl Landry with the 31st pick, then traded him to the Houston Rockets for a future second-round pick and cash.

Allen’s trade ends his 4½-year tenure in Seattle. He arrived in a Feb. 20, 2003 deal with Milwaukee involving Gary Payton.

New Sonics general manager Sam Presti has talked about improving the Sonics’ defense since being hired June 7 and his second bold stroke was shipping Allen, Seattle’s leading scorer the past four seasons. Picking Durant was the obvious move after Portland took Greg Oden with the No. 1 pick.

“Kevin is a key component to the Sonics becoming a better basketball team,” Presti said in a statement. “He is a young man of tremendous character who possesses terrific basketball skills. We look forward to welcoming him to Seattle and preparing him for his rookie season.”

Durant earned player-of-the-year honors from The Associated Press, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the United States Basketball Writers Association, CBS/Chevrolet and The Sporting News. In addition, he was the winner of the Adolph Rupp Trophy, the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award, becoming the first freshman in NCAA history to win any of those awards.

“This is a transformative day for the Sonics,” owner Clay Bennett said in a statement. “Kevin represents the best basketball has to offer, on and off the court. We are thrilled to welcome him to the team.”

In his only season at Texas, the 6-foot-9 Durant earned consensus first-team All-America honors, becoming just the third freshman in NCAA history to do so (Wayman Tisdale in 1983 and Chris Jackson in 1989 were the others).

Durant averaged 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks, setting season, school and Big 12 records for points in a season (903), a total that also ranks as the second-most by a freshman in NCAA history (LSU’s Pete Maravich scored 1,138 points in 1968-69). Durant’s 390 rebounds were also a Longhorns season record, a mark that ranks second in Big 12 history.

Trading Allen also spells doom for unrestricted free agent Rashard Lewis’ chances of returning to Seattle. Lewis opted out of the final two years of his deal and left $21 million on the table.

Bennett said he wanted to re-sign Lewis, but the Sonics are believed to be heading in a different direction and plan to build around Durant.

Durant’s selection breaks the Sonics’ three-year run of drafting unpolished centers in the first round. Last year, Seattle drafted Mouhamed Sene of Senegal (10th overall), in 2005 took Johan Petro of France (No. 25) and in 2004 drafted high schooler Robert Swift (No. 12).

However the Sonics did select a center in the second round. They selected the younger brother of Pau Gasol, Marc. Gasol Jr is not expected to play this season, but Presti will negotiate the buyout clause with Gasols club CB Girona. Gasol has one year remaining on the deal. He has shown promise as a good defensive center. Most teams stayed away from Gasol as they believed he would not leave the Euroleague.

Presti inherited a 31-51 team that featured two of the league’s top 20 scorers in Allen and Lewis. But it was also one of the league’s worst defensive teams.

Presti has begun installing his defensive-minded philosophy and appears to have identified areas where the Sonics’ defense needs upgrading. It is yet to be seen what the experienced defensive Coach Jeff Van Gundy makes of these transactions, but you have to imagine he was aware of them before coming on board.

It does not look like the Sonics will contend for the playoffs this season with these moves.

**georgiafan** · 02-09-2021, 08:52 AM

Re: Sonics name Spurs assistant Presti new GM.

Originally posted by spiderxx7

Oh seaboh, it's you! I'm gonna follow for sure then. Good luck!

Yea it took me a second to realize it was him also glad to see you doing another one.

A younger Gasol should be fun and a good pairing with KD

**RMJH4** · 02-09-2021, 08:54 AM

Sonics, Magic complete sign-and-trade for Rashard Lewis.

Jul 11, 2007

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A few minutes before Rashard Lewis was formally announced as the newest member of the Orlando Magic, the high-scoring forward donned his white-and-blue uniform and made his way through the team's practice facility.

"Feeling good," Lewis said, stopping to shake hands with well-wishers. "Feeling good."

That's no surprise, considering he'd just received a six-year contract worth more than $110 million with the Magic and an opportunity he coveted to play with All-Star center Dwight Howard on a team that Lewis believes could quickly become a major factor in the Eastern Conference.

Lewis formally joined the Magic on Wednesday, leaving the Seattle SuperSonics after nine seasons when the teams completed a sign-and-trade deal. The Magic sent Seattle a conditional second-round pick, while the SuperSonics earned a trade exception believed to be in the $9 million range.

There's magic in the air as Rashard Lewis, flanked by Orlando GM Otis Smith, left, and coach Stan Van Gundy, airs his new threads. Associated Press "We set out at the start of free agency to get a big-time player, someone who could score the basketball," Magic general manager Otis Smith said. "We targeted that guy and we got that guy."

Lewis averaged a career-best 22.4 points last season for Seattle, where he spent his first nine years after jumping straight to the NBA from high school and going early in the second round of the 1998 draft. He's averaged more than 20 points in each of the last three seasons, and is the SuperSonics' career leader in 3-point field goals with 973.

He wanted to leave Seattle because he believes the Sonics are "starting over," and began scouting out teams that he felt were a piece or two away from being title contenders. Orlando has long been atop his list.

"They're a young, talented team that ... has nowhere to go but up," the 27-year-old Lewis said. "I feel like I'm still young and still peaking, improving as a player and I can grow with this group of guys."

Lewis agreed to terms with the Magic earlier this month, yet no deal could be closed until Wednesday, the first day that the league's free agent moratorium was lifted. The pact with Orlando originally was for five years, but the sign-and-trade allowed an extra year to be worked into the contract.

Either way, Lewis said he knew the deal would get done.

"I already knew where my heart was," Lewis said. "My decision was probably made even before these guys put a contract out there."

Still, teams continued wooing him, even into Wednesday. Lewis said the Houston Rockets sent a personalized jersey to his door, but he never wavered on his desire to form a solid 1-2 punch with Howard in Orlando.

"I don't know if the formula of a great perimeter player and a great inside guy has failed very often," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Those are always very good teams. There may be other ways to do it, but the most tried-and-true formula in this league is to have one great perimeter player and one great inside player."

That combo should be together for a long time; the Magic will announce an $85 million, five-year extension with Howard on Thursday.

"It really makes our roster very, very good," Van Gundy said. "And even more than that, what this says to me and what our organization has done with Rashard shows me and should show everyone out there how committed this organization is to winning and winning a championship."

Lewis called the Western Conference the "juggernaut of the NBA," and most observers wouldn't argue that that side of the league -- with Phoenix, Dallas and reigning league champion San Antonio, among others, leading the way -- is superior to most teams in the East, where LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers made a mildly surprising run to the finals this past season.

And Lewis said watching James lead the Cavs out of the East only further cemented his belief that the Magic could quickly ascend into contention, something he just didn't think would be possible if he remained in Seattle.

"What's different from us and Cleveland?" Lewis said. "I feel like we're going to have a chance to maybe even get to the finals next season."

**RMJH4** · 02-09-2021, 08:55 AM

Re: Sonics name Spurs assistant Presti new GM.

Originally posted by georgiafan

Yea it took me a second to realize it was him also glad to see you doing another one.

A younger Gasol should be fun and a good pairing with KD

Yeah was thinking It would take people a minute!

Good to see you around man! Couldn't pass on Gasol so late in 2nd!

**RMJH4** · 02-09-2021, 10:38 AM

Ewing Hired As Assistant Coach for Sonics.

July 18th, 2007.

Patrick Ewing was hired as an assistant coach for the Seattle Sonics, filling out Jeff Van Gundy's staff.

Ewing, an 11-time All-Star, was a Rockets assistant from 2004-06, and served on the Washington Wizards' coaching staff. He'll work with low-post players, including the struggling Robert Swift.

Ewing played 15 seasons, mostly with the New York Knicks, and finished his career with Orlando in 2001-02. Ewing played in Seattle for one season in 2000-01. Ewing and the Sonics failed to reach the playoffs despite Ewings presence being lauded preseason.

"Patrick brings a great deal of experience and knowledge to Seattle," Van Gundy said in a statement. "He possess' a tremendous work ethic, has great attention to detail and will help our players reach their full potential."

The addition of Ewing is hoped to help convince young Spanish center Marc Gasol to accept a buyout of his contract with CD Girona and join the rebuilding Sonics this upcoming season. It is believed the opportunity to work with the All Star Ewing could be key to securing Gasol.

The Sonics have had recurring problems at the center positon for the last few season. Mouhammed Sene, Johan Petro, Danny Fortson, Chris Wilcox and now Robert Swift have not been up to the task of anchoring the defense.

**RMJH4** · 02-11-2021, 09:31 AM

Sonics trade for Kurt Thomas with trade exception.

July 20th, 2007.

The Seattle SuperSonics acquired veteran forward Kurt Thomas and the Phoenix Suns' first-round draft choices in 2008 and 2010 yesterday in exchange for a conditional second-round draft choice.

Seattle also used its $9 million trade exception with Phoenix to complete the deal. The Sonics gained the exception from Orlando earlier this month when they completed a sign-and-trade deal that sent Rashard Lewis to the Magic.

Thomas, who turns 35 in October, averaged a career-low 4.6 points per game in 67 games last season while averaging just 18 minutes. But he does provide the veteran presence Seattle was seeking to tutor Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, the second and fifth overall selections in last month's draft.

The Sonics, who finished 31-51 last season, traded leading scorer Ray Allen to Boston last month. Then Lewis, their second-leading scorer, joined Orlando.

Thomas comes at the price the rebuilding Sonics were seeking. He has one season left on a contract that will pay him $8.1 million next season.

The deal provides some salary-cap relief for Phoenix, which had the NBA's fourth-highest payroll last season at $76.4 million.

Thomas is also reunited with former Coach Jeff Van Gundy, and teammate Patrick Ewing. The Sonics are becoming a bit of a Knicks West reunion. One thing they all bring is toughness, and the Sonics certainly need that.

**RMJH4** · 02-11-2021, 09:43 AM

Sonics Preview | Understanding the spin game.

Sonics Preview | Understanding the spin game.

The Sonics open their NBA season this week, and fans have a lot of questions about the young team.

Is 19-year-old rookie Kevin Durant as good as everyone says?

Did new coach Jeff Van Gundy and general manager Sam Presti bring some of that Knicks and Spurs magic with them?

And this one, of course: Will the Sonics’ 41st season be their last in Seattle?

We don’t have an answer for that one yet, just more questions:

Question: What does Clay Bennett’s Oct. 31 deadline mean?

Answer: When Bennett’s Oklahoma City ownership group bought the Sonics and Storm last year, he promised a “good faith” effort for one year to secure a local arena deal. That year ends today. The deadline is not binding on any Seattle officials and it is not entirely clear what it means.

Bennett has said he will file with the NBA for relocation if the deadline passes with no arena deal, but later backed off a bit, saying he would not file immediately after the deadline passes.

Dan Mahoney, a Bennett spokesman, would not answer questions about the deadline but issued a statement: “Mr. Bennett and the ownership group want the focus to be on Sonics basketball and the opening of the regular season. On Nov. 2, he will have further comment on the organization’s next steps.”

Q: When will Bennett file paperwork with the NBA to relocate the teams and what happens then?

A: The Sonics have until March 1, 2008, to apply in writing to NBA commissioner David Stern for relocation if the team wants to play in another city for the 2008-09 season. Once Stern receives the application, he has 10 days to refer the matter to a relocation committee, composed of no fewer than five NBA Board of Governors members chosen by the commissioner.

Within 120 days of receiving the relocation application, the relocation committee must give a report to the board and make a recommendation.

If the committee denies the request, then the process ends and there are no appeal avenues, but the team could pursue a legal solution much like Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, who sued the NFL in an attempt to move the team to Los Angeles.

If the committee recommends the request, the board will vote on it after seven days and no longer than 30 days. A majority vote is needed for approval and the Sonics would be able to vote.

The board could apply a relocation fee or set any sort of stipulations before voting. One thing members will want to know is whether the Sonics are going to be able to get out of their KeyArena lease.

Q: Doesn’t the NBA want the Sonics to stay in Seattle?

A: You would think the league would be foolish to turn its back on 41 years of history, which includes two trips the NBA Finals and a world championship in 1979, but Stern’s comments last week suggest he supports the team’s effort to move.

“We’d love to have found the path that would see them staying,” he said after two days of meeting with the Board of Governors in New York. “But right now it just seems that either they’ll be there for the duration of their lease or they won’t, depending on the outcome of these litigations or some divine inspiration that someone may have with respect to a new arena and a suitable funding for it.

“That’s just the way I think the owners look at it, and I think that’s the way I feel about it.”

Other than testifying before the state Legislature in Olympia last year, Stern has yet to take a hands-on approach to the arena negotiations between the ownership group and local officials like he has in Sacramento.

Seattle is a larger media market than Oklahoma City and has more possible revenue streams and potential sponsors because of the number of major companies in the area. But the key issue is the arena. Without a new building, Bennett says he’s moving the Sonics and Storm.

Q: Why isn’t a KeyArena remodel acceptable to Bennett?

A: KeyArena is the NBA’s smallest venue and lacks many of the restaurants, concessions and other amenities — especially for wealthy customers — that other arenas offer. Because of that, team owners say KeyArena does not generate enough cash to maintain a large NBA payroll while giving owners a chance to make a profit. Furthermore, the arena lease has required the team to share $8 million or more a year in KeyArena suite and concession revenue with the city of Seattle.

Bennett says KeyArena would not work even with a major remodel, though he has not produced specific financial information to back that claim.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has offered to share the cost of a $200 million KeyArena expansion, plus renegotiate the team’s lease so the Sonics would no longer have to split suite revenue with the city. City officials estimate that would generate between $8 million and $20 million a year in additional revenue for the team. But Bennett has refused to talk with Nickels about that offer, insisting that a new arena is the only acceptable solution.

Q: What’s the status of the lawsuits against Sonics owners?

A: Seattle has sued to force the Sonics to play out the remainder of the team’s lease, through the 2009-10 season, at KeyArena. The Sonics wanted that dispute to go to arbitration, but U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez ruled Monday that the case will remain in federal court. That was a victory for the city, but it doesn’t decide the underlying issue in the lawsuit — whether the city can reject a monetary buyout and force the team to stay at KeyArena. By keeping the case bogged down in federal court, the city might be able to frustrate Sonics owners’ efforts to quickly get out of the lease.

The Sonics also face two class-action lawsuits from season-ticket holders who claim the team has fraudulently offered KeyArena ticket deals for coming years even though owners intended all along to move to Oklahoma after this season. Those lawsuits are likely to be combined into a single case.

Q: How hard will it be for the Sonics to get out of the lease with the city?

A: That depends on the ongoing lawsuit. The case is likely to turn on whether a judge or jury upholds the “specific performance” clause in the KeyArena lease. That clause is supposed to allow the city to force the Sonics to play at KeyArena through the end of the lease in September 2010. But legal experts say courts are often unwilling to enforce such clauses, ruling instead that a monetary buyout is adequate compensation for breaking a lease early.

Q: How much would the Sonics have to pay the city if the team is able to break the KeyArena lease early?

A: Assuming the Sonics abandoned KeyArena after the 2007-08 season, the team would still owe the city $2 million in rent for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. In addition, the city could seek compensation for lost revenue from concessions and suites and possibly other economic damages as well. However, the lease also says the city would deduct from the Sonics’ bill any cash earned from booking new concerts or other events at KeyArena.

Q: How much money has the new ownership group lost so far? How much will they lose this season?

A: The Sonics have not made detailed financial information public, but Bennett said during his last Seattle news conference that the team had lost $17 million in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. The previous ownership group, led by Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz, claimed losses of more than $55 million over the previous five years.

Q: Is there anyone out there working behind the scenes to come up with a new arena plan?

A: There are quiet efforts going on, but nothing appears close to fruition. Seattle officials still are pushing for a KeyArena remodel, and local business leaders have talked about the possibility of buying the Sonics from Bennett and/or building a new Eastside arena. Bellevue developer Kemper Freeman said “everything is quietly in motion … even in the middle of the muck,” but offered no details.

Q: What’s new with the Muckleshoots’ offer to provide land for a new arena near Emerald Downs?

A: The idea appears dead. The Muckleshoots paid for a study that found that an arena near the horse-racing track could work. The tribe offered to donate 26 acres of land for the arena, hoping that would spur serious talks about a financing plan. But Rollin Fatland, a Muckleshoot spokesman, said “there has been no interest expressed” by Sonics owners or key political leaders.

Q: Would Bennett consider selling the teams?

A: For now, no. He has steadfastly said the teams are not for sale. However, if he’s forced to play here for the next three seasons and the Sonics and Storm continue to lose millions, which he claims in the demand for arbitration will happen, then perhaps Bennett might sell in a year or two.

Q: If the Sonics/Storm leave, will Seattle be next in line for new NBA/WNBA teams?

A: There is precedent here.

After a failed attempt at the ballot box to fund a publicly supported arena, Charlotte politicians devised a plan that didn’t require voter support on a $260 million arena. However, they demanded George Shinn sell the Hornets. The NBA allowed Shinn to move the team to New Orleans and promised Charlotte an expansion franchise.

The Bobcats became the NBA’s 30th franchise in 2004.

The league has no current plans to expand, but there’s a possibility Sacramento, New Orleans, Atlanta, Milwaukee or Memphis could relocate in the next 10 years.

Q: Is it possible the Sonics would move and the Storm stay?

A: Yes, but not likely. Bennett didn’t rule out the possibility at a recent news conference, noting the passionate Storm fans in Seattle, and the fact NBA and WNBA franchises have split before. After Charlotte relocated to New Orleans, the WNBA’s Sting stayed in Charlotte. The Sting has since folded, however, and the NBA returned to the city. Bennett has said he believes strongly the WNBA would work in Oklahoma City and has said repeatedly the Storm is not for sale.

Q: Does it matter what the Sonics do on the court? Will their success, or failure, or attendance, have any affect on the decision to move?

A: Yes. The ownership group and city officials will spin whatever happens on the court and in the stands to support their positions.

A low turnout at the gate would likely cause Bennett to draw the conclusion fans don’t support the team anymore. If the Sonics produce a losing record, which is expected, the city might assume that ownership intentionally sabotaged this season to drive away fans.

But if the Sonics win and the fans turn out in good numbers, that would figure to help the city’s case in keeping the team here.

The Last Stand: A Seattle Sonics Story.

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The Last Stand: A Seattle Sonics Story.

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