The Akron Beacon Journal wrote a story today that the Cavaliers may call the Sonics to try to get them to unload one of their point guards. The Cavs obviously are in huge need of a starting point. Luke may make the most sense, though his salary is now $6.5 million. Just in looking at the Cavs' roster, Daniel Gibson would be a nice acquisition, though it is likely the Cavs don't want to unload him with the postseason showing he had. Damon Jones is appealing in the sense that the Sonics now need a backup two, though I personally think Damon Jones is overpaid. Jones for Ridnour straight up does not work money-wise, so something would have to be finagled, but these are just preliminary thoughts that assistant GM Rich Cho is probably having as well.

I have been in contact with Rashard's agent, Tony Dutt, who said they are going to meet with the Sonics this weekend to get an idea of their vision for the future of the organization. That will give them a better idea of whether the Sonics want Rashard back or not. He also said they will adjust once they see which teams express interest on July 1. He said they want to move quickly and not draw it out -- though keep in mind that Rashard cannot sign anything until July 11.

I spent most of the day flying home through the unfriendly skies, now full of passengers angry at Northwest Airlines. It made me miss the news conference today, which Eric Williams attended. But in making some calls, I get the feeling that a coach will be named pretty quickly, maybe as early as Monday. My guess is they do the second round of interviews through the weekend, make a decision early next week, get the guy in place and let him take over the summer league or at least let his staff take over the summer league. Don't forget, Sunday is the start of free agency, which means Tony Dutt will be receiving a lot of phone calls at midnight regrading Rashard. As for sign-and-trade possibilities, I think Houston will call and offer Battier; I bet Portland calls and offer Channing Frye and maybe Jarrett Jack, given Frye doesn't really have a place in that lineup. The salaries don't add up so somebody else would have to be included, but I am making educated guesses here. Knicks will probably call but can only offer trash. That will be the case with most teams, in fact, trying to unload some of their guys in case the Sonics get desperate and think they may lose Rashard for nothing. I get the impression the Sonics want to keep him, though, and as we all know they have the leverage where that is concerned.

The Sonics sent the 31st pick in the draft, Carl Landry, to the Houston Rockets for a future second-round pick.

Also, as part of the Ray Allen to Boston deal, they get a second-round pick next year, either from Boston or Portland, whichever is higher.

When I asked Ray about Rashard, Ray said he doesnt know if Ra wants to come back now that Ray has been traded. He said he and Rashard spent a lot of time talking last year about winning, and he doubts Rashard wants to rebuild and have to be th big brother to a bunch of younger players. We'll see.

The reason Jeff Green is hibernating is because the Sonics' 35th pick, their second pick in the second round, it part of the Ray Allen to Boston deal.

Got off the phone with Ray a few minutes ago and he said he understands the trade, he got caught in the crossfire of an ownership change. He is not at all bitter, and is in fact happy that he is going home. He said he loves Seattle but he always felt removed from his world of family and friends. He said he looks forward to playing with Paul Pierce and Al Jefferson and that he thinks he can get things done in Boston. He also said his ankles are fine and that he has no concerns about them.

I have been waiting in the interview area for Jeff Green to arrive, but he has been delayed apparently until the trade gets finalized. Kevin Durant found out about the trade as he was walking from one interview with Greg Anthony to a radio interview and he walked past a television. He mouthed the word, "Damn." Then in the interview, he said, "Ray Allen is a great player and it would have been fun learning from him, but Delonte West and Szczerbiak are not bad at all, great players and looking forward to playing with them. Jeff is from DC so it's going to be an easey transition knowing those two guys. So I cant wait."

Delonte West also is from the DC area, meaning they have three guys from my hometown. I think that Sam's vision is to have a bunch of long players who can play multiple positions, like the Pistons with Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace. This goes back to that alternative thinking post I wrote about a few days ago, so I wonder if the source who told me that knows that they are not going to re-sign Rashard. I have a few league sources who are convinced this means they are doing a sign-and-trade with Rashard.

I am running back and forth right now between interview room and my computer but the ray deal is done.

A source of mine said the Sonics are taking Jeff Green at 5. This is starting to look like Portland last year, when Kevin Pritchard pulled off a bunch of draft day deals.

Wally Szczerbiak has two years left on his contract at $12 million this year and $13 million in 08-09. Delonte West has a year left at $1.9 million with the qualifying offer for the year after.

I just got a message that the Ray Allen deal may actually go through. It is getting close to decision-time. ESPN is reporting that it is not Theo Ratliff coming back but Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak. However, Sam Presti apparently liked Rajon Rondo a lot and apparently is trying to pry away Rondo.

For those who care, Durant is wearing a brown suit with a tangerine shirt and tie. Spencer Hawes is sporting a blue suit with white shirt and white tie. And Oden is wearing a blue suit. Can't remember the shirt and tie. Everybody is pretty calmly dressed, no tuxedos or hats.

I was just told that it is a done deal, that the Blazers have told Greg Oden they are taking him. Which means that the Sonics are going to get Kevin Durant for sure with the second pick.

I have independently confirmed the trade offer of Ray Allen to Boston for the fifth pick and Theo Ratliff. Ian Furness of KJR broke the story last night. However, that is one of many offers the Celtics are considering and it didn't sound as if anything was imminent. But the most important thing is that the Sonics made the offer to begin with and what that means for the future of Ray with the organization. Who they would have liked to take with the fifth pick is another question altogether.

I am leaving the hotel to walk down to Madison Square Garden. I will blog throughout the evening from the draft. Stay tuned ...

Regarding the Luke trade talks:

My understanding is that they are not yet dead. I think the three-way deal between Minnesota, Phoenix and Atlanta is dead, but the thing with Luke is still alive and all the Hawks have to do is pull the trigger. I am told they are going to let the draft play out, see who falls where, and then make a decision one way or the other on the trade and whether they want Luke or, say, Acie Law. With Luke, you pretty much know what you have. With Acie Law, you have an unproven commodity who is going to take a few years to learn the position at the NBA level. We’ll find out in a few hours what Billy Knight decides.

Regarding the Ray Allen trade talks:

Here is what I do know. The Sonics are having discussions with other teams to gauge the interest in Ray and what his value would be. Here is what I do not know: That the Sonics offered Ray to the Boston Celtics for the No. 5 pick and Theo Ratliff. KJR’s Ian Furness reported that last night, and I have been unable to confirm it. Doesn’t mean it’s not true, just that I don’t independently know that Ian’s sources are right.

But what this does mean is that the Sonics are at least contemplating trading Ray, which does not at all surprise me if Sam Presti is intent on the team having a defensive mindset. As we all know, Ray does not even pretend to play defense, which is one thing if you are Chris Wilcox. But if you are the undeniable leader and highest-paid player on the team, then it is an issue because you know the other players think, Well, he’s not playing defense so I won’t either. Or, I’m tired of covering for him defensively.

This is a gutsy decision for Sam, but if he truly wants to remake his roster to resemble the Spurs’, then it is something he at least has to consider. On top of that, Ray is 31, coming off double-ankle surgery and he has a contract that only gets more onerous. If he happens to go downhill quickly or his ankles remain a problem, he will be almost impossible to trade when he is making $17 million. Sam is probably thinking let’s at least see if we can get something of value in return for him while his production still is commensurate to his salary. Then it will allow Durant to flourish rather than playing in the shadow of Ray, which can be an enormous shadow.

As you can imagine, it has been crazy here in New York, what with all the trade rumors, media availability and everything else going on. But I have set aside some time to blog so I will cover stuff going on in no particular order. I actually talked to the Sonics about trying to jump on the plane tomorrow morning with Durant and chronicling his first day as a professional basketball player, but they nixed that idea, telling me there wasn't room on the plane. What is he taking, a Kenmore Air flight?

Speaking of Durant, he was as lively in an interview session yesterday as I have seen him. He's not quick-witted like Oden, but the guy was engaging, going back and forth with some reporters, telling some good stories, being honest and open. I was speaking with a reporter who covered him for the Austin paper and he said he was always pretty sheltered at UT, never really shedding his shell. The reporter agreed that Durant was as good yesterday as he has ever seen him.

The one thing that stood out to me was Durant spoke about even surprising himself last year with some of the stuff he accomplished. He said he had never before 30 in a game, and then when he did he was thinking, Hey, I'm a pretty good player. He said he didn't know he would hit his fadeaway jumper as well as he did. And he said he never expected to get double-teamed and it blew him away that in his freshman year he saw double-teams every game and was able to find a way to fight through them. It's a little scary that the guy is just starting to realize how good he is and he averaged 26 and 11 last year.

I spoke with Rodney Stuckey for a while, he seemed like a good-natured, soft-spoken guy who is super appreciative of the position he finds himself in. I didnt find out until later that the Sonics had their eye on him so I didnt get a chance to ask him specifically about playing for Seattle.

Spencer was outspoken, as always, and was not shy about voicing his political stance as a staunch Republican, acknowledging that that is not always the popular thing to say in the Pacific Northwest.

And Oden was, as always, entertaining. A guy asked him how he was going to keep in touch with best friend Mike Conley once they get drafted by different teams. "A little device called a cell phone," Oden said. Sometimes, reporters ask baffling questions.

I have been told by a league source that the Luke Ridnour deal is close to getting done. It still can fall through, obviously, and the Hawks may want to go in a new direction or get a better offer from somebody else as the draft quickly approaches. They are still having discussions about a three-team deal that will bring Amare Stoudemire, and if that goes through it may scuttle Seattle's chances of getting the 11. But for now it looks like it has a decent chance of being consummated. I was under the impression that the Hawks were going to take Mike Conley with the third pick, but I am now told they have their eye on Al Horford, which is the reason they would do the deal for Ridnour. Interestingly, Acie Law told me today that he did not work out for the Sonics. He was originally scheduled to because it seemed like they were going to move up, but then they canceled it. So the Sonics have not had a first-hand look at Law.

I have since been told that Lenny Wilkens actually was in attendance at the Kevin Durant workout. He simply chose to lay low after the workout and did not accompany the rest of the front office types in the Suburbans, which is why the media did not see him. That is my fault. I have deleted that previous post altogether.

There is a story in the Orlando Sentinel today that says Rashard is going to be the Magic's top free-agent focus. We have been over this before, but the only way the Magic can pursue Rashard is if they don't re-sign Darko Milicic. If they re-sign him -- which they are expected to do -- the only way to get Rashard is to make more trades to loosen up more cap space. This could be a very interesting draft day with plenty of trade talk starting to heat up.

I was emailed this press release from EA Sports re: Durant.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – June 26, 2007 – Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed that former University of Texas basketball star Kevin Durant, the first college freshman to receive the Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy as men’s basketball college player of the year, has been chosen to be on the cover of the EA SPORTS™ videogame NCAA® March Madness® 08. Durant, 18, is the second youngest athlete -- and just the fourth teenager – ever featured on an EA SPORTS game cover.

The Longhorns’ star, who likely will be the first or second pick in the NBA Draft later this week, joins an exclusive list of world-class teenagers to be selected to the cover of an EA SPORTS videogame franchise, taking his place alongside Freddy Adu (FIFA Soccer 06) of the MLS Real Salt Lake, Carmelo Anthony (NCAA March Madness 04) of the NBA Denver Nuggets and Wayne Rooney (FIFA 06 in United Kingdom) of Manchester United.

EA SPORTS Teenage Cover Athletes:

NO.

PLAYER

AGE

EA SPORTS FRANCHISE

1

Freddy Adu

16 years

FIFA Soccer 06 (North America)

2

Kevin Durant

18 years

NCAA March Madness 08

3

Carmelo Anthony

19 years

NCAA March Madness 04

4

Wayne Rooney

19 years

FIFA 06 (Europe)

David emailed this to me today:

I wanted to take a moment and thank all of you for your support and fandom over the past years with the Sonics. Obviously, I am very disappointed that I will no longer be able to bring you the action of the Seattle Supersonics. It has been great to be involved with the Sonics organization over the past 9 seasons. Most of all it has been a real pleasure interacting with you via the radio, the blog or whatever. It is irrelevant whether we agreed or disagreed, whether you like my work or not we were all fans of the same team with the same passion.

In regards to the Sonics I want to make sure you all know this is a group worth rooting for. The players that put on the Green and Gold are good men that are worth cheering for. The upper management of the Sonics are high quality people. They are talented and working very hard to make sure you get the best product. Certainly, I wish they felt differently about my role, but that doesn't take away that the people I worked for, John Croley, Brian Byrnes, Karen Bryant and Danny Barth, are all solid people. Most importantly, the organization's core is a bunch of young people who work feverishly each day to make sure the Sonics are a great product. It was impressive to watch them day in and day out.

In closing, my termination doesn't change my belief that the NBA is a fantastic game, the Sonics are a team worth rooting for and worth working to keep in Seattle. Thanks again for all the fun times over the last 9 years. I will be right there with you rooting for Kevin Durant or Greg Oden next year. Thanks.

I am flying back to New York tomorrow morning for the NBA draft. Wednesday, there is availability with all the players who have been invited to attend the draft, including Oden, Durant and Spencer Hawes. Should be an interesting scene. Believe it or not, this will actually be a first for me. I have never covered a draft in New York. The Sonics never have had a pick high enough that warranted a trip back there, particularly since you can get most of the same information from the team's home headquarters, and before that the Bullets never had a high enough pick. I don't know the setup exactly but I'm sure will have wireless access and so I will blog from draft. Mostly I'm interested to witness the scene, families and entourages of kids whose dreams are coming true, while at the same time realizing they have just been made multi-millionaires. Stay tuned for that ...

The Chicago Tribune's Sam Smith has a throwaway line in his weekly NBA notebook that says DePaul product Tyrone Corbin is in the running for the Sonics' coaching vacancy. I don't place much credence in it. The Tribune reported earlier in the process that Jim Cleamons was a candidate, and that was before the team even started a coaching search.

Besides Kevin Durant working out on Sunday, these are the other players the Sonics worked out over the weekend:

Saturday, June 23

Jared Jordan Marist Guard 6-2 192

Ramon Sessions Nevada Guard 6-4 185

Loren Stokes Hofstra Guard 6-3 175

Derek Raivio Gonzaga Guard 6-3 177

Sunday, June 24

Morris Almond Rice Guard 6-6 215

Carl Elliott George Washington Guard 6-4 220

Wen Mukubu UAB Forward 6-6 205

As I have said in this blog before, I never listened to David's broadcasts because I was always at the games, so it is not fair for me to even comment on that. But what I do know that you as fans are going to miss with David's dismissal is a guy who truly loves the NBA and was willing to provide a different set of insights because of his passion for the game. He and I used to joke a lot because he, as most of you know, is a true numbers guy and I don't really get into that type of thing too much. But I do know that when he was on vacation with his family he would sit up until 2 in the morning crunching numbers to provide avid fans a better understanding of the nuances of the game. The guy had countless sources throughout the league and was always on top of the inner workings, much of which he transferred to you the reader/listener in one fashion or another. On the team plane, when everyone else was sleeping, David was bouncing around, talking to the coaches, studying game film just because he liked to know everything there is to know about the game, even during a meaningless mid-February yawner that nobody else cares about. For those of you who don't know David personally, his passion is infectious and, I have to admit, sometimes tiring if only because I don't always care if Ray Allen's assist-to-turnover ratio dipped .006 that night. But David did. So you may not have liked his broadcasts, but you can never fault the guy for his commitment to his job or the game of basketball. I only wish the new ownership group had the same level of commitment because they let go somebody who truly cared about their product.

Just three days after team spokesman Tom Savage said the team will not be announcing any front office moves this week, the team issued a release announcing front office moves. Now I know Tom pretty well, and he has a long ancestry of honesty and moral fiber. Given his deep well of ethics and principles, I know that Tom would never, ever lie to me or any other member of the media. Knowing what I know about how forthright and honorable Tom is, the only conclusion I can draw is that the decision-makers in the organization failed to let the person in charge of issuing releases know that he was about to issue a release. Bizarre happenings down there at 351 Elliott. In any case, here is the release that announces the hirings of Scott Perry and Rich Cho as assistant GMs and the firings of David Pendergraft, Steve Rosenberry and radio play-by-play announcer David Locke.

SEATTLE, Friday, June 22, 2007 – The Seattle SuperSonics solidified their front office restructuring today and announced that Rich Cho, and newly hired Scott Perry, will both serve as assistant general managers.

Cho enters his 10th season with the Sonics and his seventh as assistant general manager. Prior to being named assistant general manger, Cho was the team’s director of basketball affairs from 1997-2000. He began his work with the Sonics as an intern in May 1995 and continued in that role until his graduation from Pepperdine Law School in May 1997. Cho will continue to be responsible for contract negotiations, salary cap and Collective Bargaining Agreement matters, player contracts and all player personnel issues.

“I am thrilled that Rich Cho has agreed to remain with the Sonics as a key component of the basketball operations senior staff,” Presti said. “Rich's experience, skill and knowledge will prove to be invaluable to me and the operation as we continue to develop this team.”

Perry held the position of director of player personnel for the Detroit Pistons from 2002-07. He originally joined the Pistons as a college scout and served in that capacity from 2000-2002.

Prior to joining the Pistons, Perry spent three seasons as a head coach at Eastern Kentucky in the Ohio Valley Conference and nine seasons as an assistant coach with Michigan, Cal-Berkeley and Detroit Mercy. He helped Michigan land the nation’s top ranked recruiting classes in 1994 and 1995. While at California, he coached New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd and forward Lamond Murray, and during his tenure at Michigan, he coached Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Rose and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Juwan Howard.

“I am excited to add Scott Perry to the Sonics Front Office team,” Presti said. “Scott comes from a winning program in Detroit and brings with him a wealth of knowledge from both his coaching and personnel experiences.”

In other personnel moves, the Sonics announced the departure of Director of Player Personnel David Pedergraft and Head Scout Steve Rosenberry.

The Sonics also informed radio play-by-play announcer David Locke that he will not return for the 2007-08 NBA season. “We have decided to go in a different direction on our radio broadcasts,” said John Croley, Vice President of Broadcast.

I reported this a while back, but the Grizzlies made it official today when they announced that Gordie Chiesa will join Marc Iavaroni's staff in Memphis. That leaves only Ralph Lewis and Detlef Schrempf without jobs, and my guess is Det will go back to his business ventures rather than coach again.

On the days that Greg Oden came to town, here are the players the Sonics worked out.

Thursday, June 21

Stanko Barac Bosnia Center 7-1 235

Friday, June 22

Aaron Afflalo UCLA Guard 6-5 210

Daniel Nwaelele Air Force Forward 6-5 206

Lodrick Stewart USC Guard 6-4 210

Reyshawn Terry North Carolina Forward 6-7 222

I have confirmed that Scott Brooks is indeed a serious candidate for the Sonics' coaching job, and that he was basically told the same things, as far as I can tell, that Dwane Casey and PJ Carlesimo were told. I am inclined to say that this decision on a coach will not be made until after the draft. Those three candidates, and possibly Rick Carlisle, had one-on-one interviews with Sam Presti over the course of the past week. Clay Bennett was not at those interviews. My understanding is that there will be a second round of interviews in which Clay attends, and a decision is likely to come after that. But the Sonics have Greg Oden in today and Kevin Durant in on Sunday, then they have the draft to deal with next week. So I can't see where they are going to fit in a second round of interviews for a coach, plus make the decision and set up a press conference, what with the draft looming.

As I sat at the Oden press conference today, I had a thought about the coaching search: What if they are waiting to see who they get in the draft before they decide on a coach? For instance, if you get Oden, you instantly become a defensive team and so it would make more sense to hire PJ. But if you get Durant, you will be more offensive-minded and so maybe you hire Dwane or Brooks. And maybe they also wait to see who get in the draft before conducting a second round of interviews so they can get the candidates' thoughts on how they would use whichever player they get. Either way, I get the feeling that a decision will not be made until probably after July 1.

The Sacramento Bee reported in today's editions that Scott Brooks, who was up for the Kings job before Reggie Theus was named the coach, interviewed with Sam Presti on June 15. Sam Amick wrote the story, and Sam is a good reporter so I would put some credence into this report. I have wondered for a while if there is another candidate that we don't know about, and if this story is true it answers the question. Sam -- Amick, not Presti -- says that Brooks is not a serious candidate, but my belief is that opinion rests solely with Sam Presti and Clay Bennett. Brooks' meeting was four days before P.J. Carlesimo's meeting, so the timing makes sense.

1) I think that Clay still wants to keep a team in Seattle but only with public participation. He doesn’t want to keep it here if he has to add partners or pay more than $100 million. If he doesn't get public money, he moves it to OKC and is a local hero.

2) I don’t know that there are more arena stories to generate. I have not heard anything of late about any arena news, and I think there may not be until Clay sees whether the Legislature convenes a special session in July.

3) David Stern works for the owners, and the owners most likely will let Clay leave if he wants because A) they stand to make a bunch of free money off the relocation fee and B) they don’t ever want to be told no if they one day want to leave their town.

4) No, Frank Hughes will not lose his job if Seattle loses the Sonics. And he will not have to move to Oklahoma City because he works for the Tacoma News Tribune, not the Sonics.

I have always sort of thought it was a foregone conclusion that the Sonics would re-sign Rashard Lewis, no questions asked. After all, he is entering the prime of his career, he has improved in every season he has played and he is the team’s only low-post scorer. I figured the team would give him a fair number that outdistances any other suitors and keep him as part of the organization for the remainder of his career, figuring out a way for he and Kevin Durant to play together.

But I have recently had two conversations with folks who have at least made me consider alternate options. The first person I spoke with felt strongly that Clay Bennett was going to have Sam Presti blow this entire thing up and rebuild it around Durant. It is, essentially, what the Spurs did with Tim Duncan – though to be fair they had David Robinson around when Duncan was drafted. In any case, this person – a league source, not Johnny Neptune down in the International District – thought Presti was going to trade Ray because Ray does not play any defense, let Rashard go so he doesn’t eat up any salary cap space and start to put pieces around Durant that fit. Offend the fan base in Seattle, which has seen enough rebuilding with young guys? Who cares? this person said. Clay is intent on taking the team to OKC anyway, and if that happens the fan base there will be so happy just to have its own team that it will be willing to be patient. The bottom line is, this person felt, Clay does not want to spend money on a product that he clearly is not willing to promote in a city that he clearly no longer likes, so not only cut ties with Wally Walker, Rick Sund, Bob Hill, Dave Pendergraft and Steve Rosenberry, but the players who were brought in by those men as well.

Coincidentally, not long after I had that conversation, I also had a conversation with another league source who was not certain the Sonics would re-sign Rashard. What he pointed to was the Spurs’ model, and figured that Presti is likely going to adopt a similar paradigm. Look at the Spurs’ salary structure and they never really have been ones to pay heavily to two players. Duncan made $17 mil in 2006-07, Tony Parker made $9.45mm and Manu Ginobili made $8.25mm. Everybody else made $5mm or less. This person thought that for the Sonics to pay Ray $16mm next year, and then pay Rashard the $12mm he is seeking, is not in keeping with the Spurs’ philosophy, particularly since they won only 31 games with both Ray and Rashard last season and never have really done much beyond that 2005, contract-induced run to the second round. Now, the Sonics may try to “low-ball” Rashard, something the Spurs are happy to do, and see if he stays around. Say the Magic actually re-sign Darko and the Bobcats have no interest in Rashard, then the Sonics end up bidding against themselves. And so even though Rashard was scheduled to make $10.1 million next season, there is nothing that says the Sonics have to make that the starting point of his new contract. He chose to opt out for longer-term security, Presti might argue, and he has to live with the consequences, which might mean taking a contract with a starting salary of $8mm. There also is nothing that says the team has to give him a six-year deal. If nobody else can come close to giving him the starting salary that the Sonics can, then to maximize his value he would still have to take the Sonics’ offer, even if it is a year less. It is the way Gregg Popovich and RC Buford would handle negotiations, and there is a reason that Clay hired Sam. Of course, RC and Pop also have a winning history to which they can point as a reason to take less money, where the Sonics do not.

Again, I am not saying this is how it will play out. But these are the theories of two league sources that at least provides food for thought.

I'm not quite sure why, but although I reported in today's News Tribune and the Sonics have subsequently confirmed it, media relations director Tom Savage says the team is not planning on making any announcements this week regarding the firings of David Pendergraft and Steve Rosenberry or the hiring of Detroit director of player personnel Scott Perry. I assume this is in keeping with the secretive nature of the organization. Hopefully, they'll announce when they hire a coach.

These are the players the Sonics worked out on Wednesday.

Wednesday, June 20

Jermareo Davidson Alabama Forward 6-11 230

Major Wingate Turkey Forward 6-10 242

Ralfi Silva Ansaloni Brazil Center 7-0
Darryl Watkins Syracuse Center 6-10 241

The Sonics are holding a 15-minute media availability with Greg Oden, who will meet with general manager Sam Presti on Friday, and then with Kevin Durant, who will be in Seattle for his meetings on Sunday. I don't expect a great deal more information to be gleaned from those two than was said in Orlando at the pre-draft camp, though I'm sure Oden will now address some of the rumors going around about him concerning his health and whether that means there is a question as to whether he is the No. 1 pick. Still, both will probably say they will be happy in whichever city they are picked to play. I'll file something after the interviews.

The Sonics just issued a press release announcing a draft party next Thursday, ostensibly to welcome Kevin Durant. Here is the release:

The Seattle SuperSonics will host a 2007 Draft Party, presented by Miller Genuine Draft, at Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center on Thursday, June 28. Doors open at 3:00 pm PT and the event will run from 4:00 – 9:00 pm.

Voice of the Sonics Kevin Calabro will emcee the event. Fans will have the opportunity to meet various Sonics Legends, as well as Sonics mascot Squatch and members of the Sonics Dance Team. ESPN’s live coverage of the 2007 NBA Draft will be broadcast on multiple large-screen televisions inside the event, and one large-screen television outside the pavilion.

“This year’s NBA Draft is one of the most significant events in Sonics history,” said Sonics & Storm Senior Vice President of Sales / Marketing Brian Byrnes. “We encourage Sonics fans to be part of the official Sonics Draft Party as we launch the next generation of Sonics basketball.”

Given the event’s unprecedented demand, the party has been extended to the Fisher Pavilion plaza and roof to accommodate more fans. Sonics fans can enjoy live coverage of the NBA Draft, a beer garden and interactive games. In addition, radio stations KTTH 770 AM, KIRO 710 AM and KJR 950 AM will be broadcasting live.

The general public is encouraged to come out and celebrate the No. 2 pick atop the Fisher Pavilion. With area fan interest in the NBA Draft at an all-time high, capacity within Fisher Pavilion has been reached by Sonics Emerald Club members (Season Ticket Holders) and subscribers to SuperNet, the Sonics’ official e-newsletter. Draft Party media partner KISW 99.9 FM is offering 99 additional pairs of tickets for the Fisher Pavilion beer garden. Beginning tomorrow morning on KISW’s “BJ Shea Morning Experience,” fans will have the chance to win tickets to the exclusive draft party.

The Sonics have fired director of player personnel David Pendergraft and lead scout Steve Rosenberry, multiple NBA sources tell me, and they are going to bring in Detroit's director of player personnel Scott Perry to replace Pendergraft. I have not yet unearthed who is going to replace Rosenberry.

Let me say for the record that both men are very good people, and I honestly think that this is more Sam Presti and Clay Bennett getting their own people in place than it is reflective of the job that Dave or Rosey did or a difference of opinion or personality conflicts between Presti and those two. They get a lot of grief for the choice of Mouhamed Sene last season, but I know they were not the only ones involved in that decision and I don't think that is the reason they were fired with a year left on their contracts. They are merely the victims of an ownership change and should find work elsewhere.

I don't know much about Perry, but like Presti he clearly comes from a good, successful system and can bring the insights of Joe Dumars and John Hammond along with him. I think he is about 43, which makes him an old man compared to Presti.

The timing seems a bit odd given the team does not yet have a coach and the draft is only nine days away, but I think Presti probably feels confident to make the second pick. A one-eyed parrot could make that pick. But the Spurs had the 28th and 33rd picks and Sam knows the guys who are going at 31 and 35. So if they keep those picks Sam and Perry know who should be there. (By the way, I predict the Sonics take Aaron Afflalo with one of those picks.)

Sorry for the void of blog entries lately, we got new blog software at the paper and it has been an undertaking to get everybody's computers in sync. I now am in sync, so to speak.

These are the players the Sonics worked out on Monday:

Aaron Brooks Oregon Guard 5-11 161

Taurean Green Florida Guard 6-0 173

Chris Richard Florida Center 6-8 252

Stephane Lasme Massachusetts Forward 6-7 213

Former Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle today resigned his position as executive vice president of basketball operations for the team, ostensibly paving the way for him to at least interview for the Seattle SuperSonics’ vacant coaching position.

However, Carlisle denied his resignation had anything to do with the Sonics’ situation.

“I just want to state for the record that this was a procedural move involving the Indiana Pacers,” said Carlisle, reached on his cell phone in Bristol, Conn., where he was working as an analyst for ESPN. “There was a date involved with my contract, and I had to let the Pacers know of my decision by that date.

“This in no way has anything to do with the Sonics’ coaching position or any other position.”

Sources close to the Pacers said Carlisle’s split with the organization was a foregone conclusion for some time and that today’s move simply made it official.

I have confirmed that Lenny called FSN earlier today and informed them that because of his demotion, he will no longer be the team's color analyst. No word on who his replacement is, but if I am Kevin Calabro I am feeling a little like Elizabeth Taylor with husbands.

This is long, but this is the transcript of today's news conference.

Clay Bennett: Thank you all for being here today. It’s an important day, an exciting day for all of us here at the Sonics. After a thorough process, where Lenny and I had the ability to cultivate a broad group of candidates for consideration for GM, we found the right person.

There was always significant interest in this position and there was even more interest in this position after May 22.

I view the San Antonio Spurs as the premier franchise in our business. And Sam Presti has clearly had an important role in that organization. He has contributed to their winning and the way they do business over the course of his tenure and that brought him to the table but that is not why he got the job. He got the job because of who he is, how he does things and what he stands for. He is thoughtful, he is methodical, he is measured, he is very bright and he is very likeable. He has a value system and a demeanor very much in line with our ownership group and I believe that he has the skill set and perspective, which will fit the challenge of building this organization.

With the hiring of Sam we are reorganizing our basketball organization. As general manager, Sam will have complete authority and responsibility for basketball decisions, working in conjunction with ownership. Lenny Wilkens will return to his role as vice chairman, and will remain an important advisor to ownership and be available to Sam on basketball matters at any time. I can’t say enough about Lenny Wilkens and his friendship to this organization and to this ownership group; the role he has played in helping us develop this process and finding a general manager and locating a head coach. He’s answered the call at every turn and remains a very valued friend. I am honored to have him by my side.

LENNY WILKENS
“Thank you very much, Clay. It goes without saying, it is an exciting time for the Sonics. I’m really very pleased with our selection of Sam Presti. Sam has leadership qualities and he certainly comes from a winning tradition. I am impressed with Sam’s work ethic, his approach to getting the job done and he brings tremendous energy, which is going to be needed in this position.

We’ve had a bit of time together; I’ve gotten to know him a little bit. The one thing I will tell you about Sam Presti is he is always prepared. He’s always ready and willing. He comes from a successful organization, the San Antonio Spurs, and I don’t think you can say anything more than that. The Spurs have a great tradition, and they understand what it takes to get the job done. Sam certainly brings that. I can tell you from the brief time that I’ve been around him that he is a guy who is a go-getter; he’s a doer, not a watcher. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. We look forward to things here with the Sonics: a new head coach coming in, we have a draft selection that is certainly going to add quite a bit to our franchise. We’re very excited right now. I tell you, I’m really looking forward to working with Sam Presti. I think that you’re going to like Sam as well.

CLAY
Thank you, Lenny. It’s my pleasure and great privilege on behalf of the ownership group to introduce Sam Presti, the new general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics.

SAM PRESTI
First and foremost, thanks for everybody coming out today. I look at this opportunity as one of great potential. As I evaluated going through the process, obviously I began to speak to different people about Clay Bennett. The thing that struck me was just how consistent the messages were coming back about his business acumen, integrity and class. And then through the process, having the chance to get to know Clay and his family, I was further convinced that he’s committed to putting together an elite basketball organization together. That was one major draw for me to make the decision to assume this role.

Another piece of my decision was the presence of Lenny Wilkens, a Hall of Famer, someone that I look forward to working with as we move through decisions that will shape and define the future of the Sonics. Also, obviously, I need to make sure and thank the San Antonio Spurs and Peter Holt, the owner of the Spurs; Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford, who beyond being tremendous basketball minds are great people and friends that I will have for a lifetime.

What we have in front of us here in Seattle is a challenge. I am invigorated and looking forward to attacking this, rolling up our sleeves and getting after it, every day. It’s my hope that we will work at it, define a process and establish and redefine an identity for Sonics basketball that will be synonymous with professionalism, teamwork, commitment and community.

With that, I will open it up and we can start talking about my birthday.

DICK FAIN, 950 KJR
The first order of business, obviously, is to find a head coach for this basketball team. You’ve got some players coming in, you’ve got some players already established. What’s your philosophy in matching the type of coach you get with the type of players you’ve already got?

SAM PRESTI
First and foremost, as we move through the coaching process, we will be methodical; we will be diligent and we will define exactly what we’re looking for in terms of leadership and vision for where we’re going to go as a basketball team. Communication, I think, is No. 1. We need to find somebody that can communicate vision and is also aligned with organizational philosophies. I’m confident that as we move through the process, we’ll identify and target and secure the right person for the job.

FRANK HUGHES, News Tribune
Clay, about the Muckleshoot Casino … I’m kidding. Can you expand on the reorganization, with Sam having the day-to-day control and Lenny being moved back to the Vice Chairman and the decision-making that went into that?
CLAY:
Well, it’s just that. I’m so pleased to find the skill set that Sam represents. His experience, the endorsements of people that have worked with him, I know he has the ability to do the job. To do the job, and be accountable and be responsible, he has to have the authority. He has to have the absolute authority in conjunction with ownership. We’re blessed in this situation to have Lenny, who cares about the Sonics and wants to stay involved and brings an enormous amount to the table and wants to remain a part of the equation.

We’ve got the right professional in the general manager’s position and we have the right personal character and experience in Lenny Wilkens to remain involved and contribute to the greater good.

VINNY, KIRO 710
What obstacles will you face being the general manager of a team that doesn’t know if it’s going to be here beyond next season? And why take a job with an organization that doesn’t know its future?

SAM PRESTI:
Let me answer the second part of your question first. This was a decision for me, that at the end of the day, as hard as it was to leave San Antonio, when you come across people in this business that are committed to doing things the right way and then are committed to doing things with class and integrity, you get on board. That’s really what I connected with Clay on as we moved through the process.

In regards to the first part of your question, obstacles to me, I’m focused strictly on basketball. If we’re talking about basketball obstacles, we’ve got to figure out a way to get better every day. We’ve got to figure out a way to develop our players, to support our players and care for them; to create an environment for them and their families. I feel strongly that the successful organizations in the NBA, sports business in general are driven philosophically. I believe that what separates them is culture and identity. Those are going to be two focuses as we build this thing for the long haul. You’ll hear those things consistently. It’s not something to me that takes traction when you just talk about them. It’s something that has to live and has to be threaded through each decision you make as an organization.

BRIAN DAVIS, FSN
You’ve got the draft and obviously the No. 2 pick, you’ve got Rashard Lewis in free agency and you’ve also got issues around your bench. How do you triage all of that?

SAM
Well, uh, I never thought about that before you mentioned it. (pause, laughter from press). We’re going to come in with an open mind. We’re going to come in looking to access each situation individually. Someone like myself, walking into a situation, would be foolish to think that we’re going to act and be incredibly aggressive making decisions. We’ll do a lot of listening and get a feel for where we are and ultimately that will dictate where we’re going to go. All of those issues will be on the plate and we’ll handle them one by one with a process.

FRANK HUGHES
Sam, certainly in the interview with Clay, you had to share a vision for, at least to impress him, for where you see this team going?

SAM
I think that, again, what we’re trying to do here is establish a culture. It’s takes precedence, it takes persistence and over time it’s my belief that the decisions we make will ultimately dictate where we’re going to be as an organization. We want resilient players. We want competitors, we want professionals. We want players that want to be a part of something bigger than themselves and guys who, at the end of the day, want to get better. That will be our focus.

In terms of outlining exactly where we’ll be or the direction we’re going, A through Z, again I’d hesitate to do that just because I’ve been on stage for 10 minutes and I’m still trying to get my hands around the current situation.

TED MILLER, Seattle P-I
Sam, do you have a timeline for how long when you’re going to hire a coach?

SAM
The timeline will simply be how long it takes to get the right person.

TED MILLER, Seattle P-I
My second question, in your bio they talk about your scouting system. Are you the Billy Beane of basketball?

SAM
It’s funny. For whatever reason, people feel the need to associate people with different things. In terms of objective analysis and things of that nature, I like information in making a decision. Balance of information, different opinions, absorbing perspectives and certainly objective information can help you confirm or initiate different things. But, at the end of the day, it’s human beings evaluating other human beings and how they’re going to interplay with each other, respect each other and commit to each other.

GREGG BELL, Associated Press
Because you know it works, do you want a Spurs type of playing system? Do you want inside play? Do you have a vision there?

SAM
Obviously the San Antonio model is something that I anticipated having to talk about today. That’s San Antonio. That’s a special situation with some special, special talents, we all know that. That’s not what we’re trying to re-create here. My focus is on Seattle. My focus is on where we’re going. I do think that defensively, we need to establish an identity and we will do that.

JOHN McGRATH, Tacoma News Tribune
Do you have a guy, a role model, whatever you want to call it, you look up to, be it a GM, a player, somebody like that?

SAM
That’s a great question. There’s so many. Let’s look at the situation. I’ve been so incredibly fortunate to come through an organization like San Antonio where I’ve been exposed to not just the folks I mentioned earlier – Pop, R.C., Peter – but think about the players we’ve had come through there. Steve Kerr, Danny Ferry, Avery Johnson, Robert Horry. The presence of those guys. I’ve been the beneficiary of being within those walls every day, having interactions with guys that are the utmost professionals. Having access to those people, when you’re somebody that asks as many questions as I do, that’s like a field day. I can’t really pin down one person specifically other than to say the people that have passed through there have had a tremendous influence on me.

FRANK HUGHES
Clay, can you confirm who else you spoke to as candidates and why Sam, at age 30, stood out above those other candidates?

CLAY
We met with and talked with a lot of highly qualified people and I liked them all. But Sam was the fit for this situation and for me and the ownership group.

GARY WASHBURN, SEATTLE P-I
What is your initial thoughts on the current state of the Sonics you inherit, and how much of a reclamation project is this?

SAM
Again, I hesitate to come in here and make too rash a decision about what we have because, as everyone here knows, when you walk into a situation, until you get inside of it and you really get a feel for the tenor of the organization, the players and the roster itself, it’s hard to, well, you’re not going to be accurate. I’m going to come into the situation open-minded and access where we’re going to go. I can’t tell you it’s something that’s going to happen overnight. I understand that those are questions that need to be answered, but my philosophy is really grounded in taking a methodical approach to getting better. That’s got to be the focus of the organization. Each day we walk out of the gym, out of the offices, out of the arena, we have to get a little better each day. Over time, it’s not going to happen with one grand-slam solution or defining event. It’s going to happen with inches; it’s going to happen in incrementals, it’s going to happen through a commitment to doing things the right way. I’m 100 percent confident that Clay Bennett and the ownership group he leads is committed to doing that.

TED MILLER: You've received a lot of credit for the pick of Tony Parker. Can you give us the process of how he got on your radar and how - you've mentioned methodical over and over again - how did you methodically evaluate him and see what he is today?

PRESTI: This is what I'd say - organizations make decisions. Individuals don't. As an organization, I think the Spurs and the Sonics are very process-driven. You try not to skip steps in the evaluation. But, more than anything, it's having kind of an internal compass as to what's important and what the fiber is of what you're looking for. It's not going to be right for everybody, and our focus is not necessarily going to be finding NBA players - it's going to be finding Sonics. Defining those attributes and then also having the ability, as a scouting department, to identify those and speak a common language, is going to be important. In terms of Parker specifically, I think we all saw a very competitive, fearless guy that was in a frail 18-year-old body, which may sound familiar to some people. There's another 18-year-old, frail, talented player that much has been written about lately.

DICK FAIN: Clay, you mentioned that he'd have complete authority over basketball operations - with the caveat of the ownership as well. How much autonomy does he have and does he need permission from you or from Lenny to pull the trigger?

BENNETT: Well, Sam's nature, number one - it was part of the process - is that he integrates and he works through a process that brings a lot of people to the table as he makes decisions. It will all be made in the context of supporting what he's identified as proper steps towards sustainable winning and in the context of a business model. We will rely on him completely for those recommendations and they will be made in the context of support by ownership.

LISA GANGEL: You talk about process and all these things you need to do methodically. Have you laid out specifically what you want to get done first? I know you have a lot on your plate right now.

PRESTI: The first thing we did this morning was meet with the staff. I come from an environment where the people you work with every day are paramount. Getting a feel for that and understanding that was really, really important to me. In terms of prioritizing the other issues, we will sit down and I basically need to be debriefed on where we are, because we are in the middle of an off-season and it's one with tremendous potential and moving parts. We'll take it from there.

GREGG BELL: Clay, when you're interviewing GM candidates and now coaching candidates, what's the message you tell them about the future of the franchise, where they'll be working a year from now, things like that that I'm sure especially those with families or established people would want to know?

BENNETT: Well, I mainly try to understand who the candidates are, how they conduct themselves, how they approach their profession. I must tell you - and I think Lenny can support that - the notion of where the team is going to be was hardly ever raised.

VINNIE RICHICHI: Does Sam's age give him an advantage in today's NBA? Does it make it easier to communicate with players? How do you view being 30 years old in today's NBA and how did that factor into hiring Sam?

WILKENS: When Clay and I talked, one thing that wasn't a priority to us was how old the candidate was. It was what his capabilities were, what his vision was. So we considered that. I've never felt that age should play a part in making a decision, especially when you're looking at talent.

BENNETT: I wanted a candidate on the way up and who, in their youth, perhaps would not hesitate on certain decision-making processes or ideas or bringing forth new ideas or concepts that an older candidate might because they've tried that or thought they've tried that or seen that, but one that is competent in their ability and their ability's been proven and that I think given authority in the right context can work hard, be fearless and move this organization.

When I interviewed Sam originally, I of course had the age thing on my mind. Then I sat down with him and I never thought about it again. At the end, I thought it was an asset. That's where we are.

DAVE BOLING, Tacoma News Tribune
Mr. Bennett, can you give us an update on any developments regarding franchise location, arena plans that might be coming up and what would be next as it regards those developments?

CLAY
Well, there’s really not a lot more to report. As we have stated consistently since July 18th of ’06, we need a new building. We put together what we believed to be a reasonable proposal to allow public participation in the construction of a new building. That proposal was not accepted by the Legislature, not an act to report. So we’re without a process that I’m aware of relative to public participation in a building. There have been certain ideas thrown out, primarily in the media, that I’m aware of relative to other potential ideas. I did have an initial meeting with representatives of the Muckleshoots in February, which was purely an introductory meeting. I have not spoken with them since. I’m willing and ready to respond to anything they want to talk about.

I had met with Dave Sabey and basically have been informed about his acquisition of that particular parcel and that, perhaps, an arena could be a component of that but there have no subsequent conversations there. So, again, we are willing, we are available, we are ready to put our team on to any proposition that comes our way but right now, we have not been presented with anything.

PERCY ALLEN
At this point in time, are you more encouraged or discouraged about the future of this team than you were a month ago>

CLAY
I’m enormously encouraged about the future of this basketball team. I’m ecstatic about that. With the hiring of, I think, the most dynamic young GM in the league, the No. 2 pick, a new dynamic head coach in the near term, we’re headed in the right direction on the basketball side.

FRANK
Clay, seemingly one of the components of any conversation you have with either the Muckleshoots or a Sabey or whomever else would be partnering with local ownership. Are you open to adding partners to your ownership group in order to keep the team in this area?

CLAY
You know, Frank, I don’t want to speculate on any deal. We’ve not been presented anything and until such time, I don’t think it serves a purpose.

A couple thoughts about the news conference:

First, I thought Sam Presti handled himself pretty well for a guy who is only 30 years old. You could see that he was nervous, but I thought he was articulate and focused. Secondly, I would have liked to see more substance from the news conference. It all seemed like fluff to me rather than substantive ideas about how to fix this team and some of its issues. I understand that it is an introductory press conference, but an idea of the direction they want to go in would have been more helpful, I think. You know Sam brought some good ideas to his interview with Clay. I know they can't be specific, but something more than "creating a culture" would have been nice. Everybody can say they want to create a culture, but how you go about doing that is what you ultimately will be judged on. However, Clay is going to hire somebody with whom he is comfortable, and clearly Clay's comfort level lies in not divulging too much information, and Sam was following suit.

The Lenny information, being demoted to vice chairman/consultant, was expected. I am doing a rather lengthy story in tomorrow's TNT on the details of Lenny's downfall. I wonder, how does this affect Lenny's icon status in Seattle? Is he viewed as something less now that his short tenure as president was a failure. My guess is that it will mostly be forgotten because it was so short and insignificant. It will be just another part of the Bennett ownership group that makes people shake their heads, but ultimately I think it will mostly be forgotten.

All in all, a pretty good day for the Sonics. Presti is young, energetic and by all accounts very smart. Clay said appropriately that he hired Presti because of his age, not in spite of it. Remains to be seen who Presti surrounds himself with, but that will be telling as well.

I just caught this story today, but Gelabale and Petro both have been left off the French national team, something that both they and the Sonics were banking on for further development for them this summer. I am cut-and-pasting the story. Have to ask at today's press conference for Sam Presti what this means. It is a hit reputation-wise, to be sure, but it may be for the best given that maybe the Sonics can put their imprints on them even more this summer instead of another coach getting his hands on them.

By Jeff Taylor Special to PA SportsTicker

PARIS, France (Ticker) - The career of Seattle SuperSonics rookie Mickael Gelabale had been on the way up the past several years, but it dipped this week in the most unexpected way.

Gelabale was left out of the 14-member preliminary French national squad by coach Claude Bergeaud before EuroBasket 2007 in Spain.

The 6-7 forward was instead, like Mickael Pietrus of Golden State, named as a replacement.

"I was surprised and disappointed," Gelabale said to L'Equipe. "Claude told me last Saturday. I am trying to understand but I admit that, having listened to what he said to me, it isn't easy."

Gelabale and Pietrus were members of France's bronze-medal winning side at EuroBasket 2005 in Belgrade, and also played last year in Japan at the FIBA World Championship. He had not done enough to impress Bergeaud, though.

After naming his squad, in which he totally discarded Gelabale's Sonics' teammate Johan Petro, Bergeaud admitted it is a risky move.

"This was the trickiest decision, because he (Gelabale) has given an athletic dimension to this team," said Bergeaud. "But we are lacking players who are capable of being creative. However, Tarik Kirksay comes into this category and corresponds to the mentality of our squad. Therefore, he comes in for Mickael Gelabale. And it was easier to give a chance to Yakhouba Diawara, who can play in three positions and has great defensive qualities."

The 24-year-old Gelabale cannot understand why SLU Nancy's Tariq Kirksay entered the frame.

"He (Bergeaud) has always spoken about playing as a team and about youngsters, but then he takes a 30-year-old naturalized American," said Gelabale of Kirksay who is actually 27 years old. "I am now going to get ready for next season."

The NBA is the top league in the world, both in terms of the amount of money players earn, and level of talent.

But in international competition, NBA players do not always guarantee success. In April, Bergeaud spoke of coaching a team "able to respond to European criteria, notably the movement in the game and the constant rhythm."

Bergeaud then cast doubt on some of the players like Gelabale.

"In the NBA, it is often two people who do the playing, and three who watch!" Bergeaud said.

As for Petro, Bergeaud could not promise him an important role.

"He wants to play a major role that I can't guarantee him," Bergeaud said. "Last year (in Japan), he stood about and did not play the role of energizer which, on the other hand, we can give to Ian Mahinmi."

Some NBA players were named among the 14, including Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs, Boris Diaw of the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers' Ronny Turiaf.

Yakhouba Diawara also plays in the league with the Denver Nuggets, while Mahinmi's draft rights are owned by San Antonio.

My sources are telling me that Clay Bennett has been calling the other candidates to tell them that he is going in a different direction and hiring Sam Presti, the assistant GM of the San Antonio Spurs.

Sam had one final meeting with Clay and Lenny Wilkens today apparently to finalize things.

The Sonics have called a press conference for noon Thursday to make their announcement.

As far as the coach, it is an intriguing dilemma. I was told that Sam and Rick Carlisle are very tight, meaning Rick would be a good choice for fluidity within the organization. But I was also told that Clay may have designs on P.J. Carlesimo to keep the whole Spurs things together. And while I think Dwane Casey would be a great choice -- both because he has a relationship with Rashard and he knows Ray's strengths and weaknesses -- I think Clay may be wanting to get away from any former Sonics ties just to get a fresh start.

If Clay wasnt enamored enough with the San Antonio Spurs, how about the fact that the Cleveland Cavaliers are being called San Antonio East because a great deal of their front office is derived from the Spurs organization? And both teams are in the NBA Finals. When Dan Gilbert took over the Cavs, he went to San Antonio and hired Danny Ferry. At the time, Ferry was technically a subordinate to Presti, who was schooling him on some of the nuances of the league's ins and outs. Ferry had the bigger name, though, and ties to Cleveland from his playing days, so he got the job. There are other former Spurs employees sprinkled throughout the Cavs organization, proof enough that it is a pretty good place from which to poach talent, which Clay is trying to do.

Now, there is some question whether Presti automatically means that P.J. Carlesimo gets the coaching job. The Sonics have spoken to the Spurs about Carlesimo, but that in no way indicates that Presti will pick P.J. for the job. I don't think they are particularly tight so it is not like Presti and P.J. are coming as a package deal, which I thought might have been the case before. Dwane Casey obviously is a great choice and is probably the best available talent, given what he accomplished in Minnesota with the pieces he had. And whie Rick Carlisle is a friend and obviously an talented coach, I still dont know if he would be a good fit with the Sonics, especially if they are going to get Durant. When I spoke with Ray Allen a few weeks ago, he was pretty adamant that the coach should fit the players, and the players should not be forced to fit into a coach's system if that is not their strength. WIth the way Carlisle coaches, I don't think the two are conducive -- unless of course the Sonics get Greg Oden. But with Durant in the mix, I think this is going to be a young, undersized, up-and-down team, which has not been Carlisle's recent history. Maybe if they hire Carlisle, they reshape the roster, but they would have three pretty good pieces in Ray, Rashard and Durant.

Two sources have told me that Gordon Chiesa, an assistant coach under Bob Hill this season, is getting hired by Marc Iavaroni as an assistant in Memphis. I have a call in to Gordie but have not had it returned so I have not had it confirmed by him yet, but I think it is pretty solid information. This is good for Gordie, he is a good man with a good basketball mind. I wonder what this means for Luke, though, because Gordie had taken Luke under his wing and helped him with some of his offensive shots this past season.