 Oklahoma City WiretapExpect Sonics to sit on bench when free agents start signingThe owner wanted to rave about his wonderful afternoon and the rookies he drafted to support his star players. So Sonics guard Ray Allen listened patiently as Howard Schultz wailed into a cellphone, imagining a team in which Kansas senior forward Nick Collison collects a rebound to ignite a fast break led by Oregon junior guard Luke Ridnour. "This guy will find you, Rashard (Lewis) and Brent (Barry) and get you the ball," Schultz said. "He's a lot like Steve Nash. ... We're going to be running next year." After the platitudes, Allen reminded his boss: "Don't forget about Kevin Ollie." Schultz replied: "What we did in the draft has nothing to do with his situation." Allen then interjected that the two "situations" are intertwined. "If we get KO back, Kevin could help a young player like Luke Ridnour," Allen said. "What he does has always been taken for granted. He's been overlooked his whole life by people looking for something better. Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Sonics shift focus to free agencyIt was a day in which the itinerary seemed as clear as the skies over Seattle. The NBA draft had concluded Thursday, and the team won't introduce the Sonics' new rookies Nick Collison and Luke Ridnour until Monday. Time for the Sonics to relax. Breathe deeply. Yeah, right. This is the NBA, and teams can begin negotiating with free agents on July 1. That's Tuesday, which is why Sonics general manager Rick Sund was tucked in his office yesterday, scanning for clouds. The Sonics will seek to re-sign three free agents: Via Seattle Post-Intelligencer Reporter Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Sonics get their menHoward Schultz smiled a devilish grin as he drove his Volkswagen convertible through the parking lot of the Sonics' practice facility yesterday, confident that his team acquired the draft picks that will return Seattle to the NBA playoffs. "Great day for the Sonics," the owner said. "This is a turning point for the franchise. These are the guys we wanted. Believe me. Honestly. It couldn't have worked out any better." Afterward, Schultz drove off into the sunset leaving general manager Rick Sund and coach Nate McMillan to celebrate a draft-day haul in which Seattle selected Kansas senior forward Nick Collison with the 12th pick and Oregon junior guard Luke Ridnour of Blaine at No. 14 in the NBA draft. The blockbuster trade that had been rumored this week never materialized, although the Sonics did deal their second-round pick — — 41st selection Willie Green of Detroit Mercy — to Philadelphia for 6-foot-4 French guard Paccelis Morlende, selected 50th, and an unspecified amount of cash. "We were trying to be as adaptive as we could," Sund said. "We looked into the possibility of moving down or getting some young veterans in the league, but as it turned out, we were very fortunate with Nick. We didn't think he was going to fall to us and we need a power forward. "With Luke, we went offense over defense. What we basically said was coach McMillan wanted to talk about running next year and let's face it, the strength of our ballclub is shooting and we wanted to get somebody to get the ball to people." Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Jun 2003 Archive
|