By DJ Leon Smith
I’ve been a Seattle Supersonics fan pretty much since I’ve been a basketball fan. Back to the days of Michael Cage, watching them draft Shawn Kemp, the first-round heartbreak against the Denver Nuggets, the 1996 NBA Finals… everything. Now, their new owner Clay Bennett, wants to move them to his hometown of Oklahoma City, after essentially holding the team to ransom against the city of Seattle. He wants the city to build a half-a-BILLION dollar stadium, when they built built a new stadium in 1995 and the city has offered to pay for upgrades to the Key Arena. Oh by the way, and the stadium in Oklahoma City is far worse and holds less people than Seattle’s Key Arena.
The worst part about the whole deal? David Stern has sided with Bennett and is letting the whole thing happen - even though one of Bennett’s partners, Aubrey McClendon, admitted they bought the team purely to move them (very smart move, since Seattle is the 14th largest market in the US and OKC is the 45th, meaning less profits for the league and other team owners if the Sonics are moved) after Bennett had been saying for months that they want to keep the team in Seattle and are doing their best to keep them there. McClendon also admitted they don’t mind if the team loses more money in OKC than in Seattle, as long as the team is moved there. This should have been a deal-breaker in itself.
Essentially, because Stern and Bennett are old buddies, he’s prepared to lose millions of dollars and alienate the entire city of Seattle (and every rational NBA fan) by letting them move the team. I’m not even from Seattle, so I’d like to think I’m in an even better position to comment on this because I’m not blinded emotionally by city loyalties, but anyone with half a brain can see this whole situation reeks.
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The Seattle SuperSonics have waived forward Ira Newble. Newble was acquired by the Sonics in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 21. He logged 17 minutes in two games for Seattle.
Sonics center Robert Swift met with Dr. Steve Lombardo in Los Angeles yesterday after suffering a torn lateral meniscus in the Feb. 21 game at Portland. Swift will undergo surgery on Tuesday, March 4. He is not expected to return to action this season following surgery.

Sonics General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has signed Mike Wilks to a 10-day contract.
 
The 5-10 guard appeared in eight games with the Denver Nuggets and four games with the Washington Wizards earlier this season.
 
Last season, Wilks appeared in 47 games with Seattle and averaged 3.6 points and 1.7 assists per game. In 2005-06, he averaged 4.4 ppg and 1.4 apg in 10 games with the Sonics.

So far, Seattle SuperSonics center Robert Swift is good at two things: getting tattoos and suffering injuries. Here’s the latest:
Team general manager Sam Presti announced today that third-year center Robert Swift suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee during last night’s game at Portland. The extent of the injury was revealed in an MRI performed today. He will be re-evaluated by Dr. Steve Lombardo in Los Angeles.
“Robert is an important part of the Sonics, and we will continue to support him throughout this rehabilitation process,” Presti said.
Swift has appeared in eight games this season after a long rehabilitation during the off-season. The 7-1 center suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a pre-season game last year on Oct. 25, 2006. Last night’s injury and last season’s ligament tear are not related.

The San Antonio Express News (Jeff McDonald) reports: The agent (Arn Tellem) for Brent Barry says it’s too early to speculate whether the displaced Spurs guard might return to San Antonio this season. Barry, traded to Seattle along with Francisco Elson and a 2009 first-round draft pick on Wednesday, was immediately waived by the SuperSonics, clearing way for him to become a free agent. That led to the supposition that Barry might be headed back to the team that just traded him.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Gary Washburn) reports: Former 76ers general manager Billy King of NBATV is reporting the Sonics and Spurs are working out a deal for Kurt Thomas. The Sonics likely would take back former favorite Brent Barry and perhaps Francisco Elson, another impending free agent.

The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have obtained Kurt Thomas from the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for Francisco Elson, Brent Barry and the team’s 2009 first round draft pick.
“Kurt Thomas is a tough, physical player who can defend, score and rebound,” said Spurs General Manager RC Buford. “We feel he will be a great addition to our roster and will add depth to our frontcourt.”
“We feel very good about the trade that brings us the Spurs 2009 first round draft pick, Francisco Elson and Brent Barry,” said Sonics General Manager Sam Presti. “In particular, looking at the first round pick, in combination with our other future picks, we have great flexibility to add to our core or acquire another impact player in the future. At the same time, Kurt is a tremendous person and player, and I appreciate his contributions this season and wish him success.”
The 6-9, 235-pound Thomas has appeared in 789 regular season games in his 13-year NBA career. He has career averages of 9.9 points and 7.5 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per contest. He has also seen action in 60 playoff games, averaging 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 21.2 minutes in postseason action.
Thomas, who is 35-years-old, was acquired by the Sonics from the Suns on 7/20/07. During the 2007-08 season he is averaging 7.5 points and 8.8 rebounds in 25.2 minutes while shooting .513 (139-271) from the field. He earned 39 starts in 42 games with Seattle.
A Dallas native, Thomas was selected by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 1995 NBA Draft, with the 10th overall pick. During his NBA career he has played for Miami, Dallas, New York, Phoenix and Seattle. For five straight seasons with the Knicks – from ‘00-01 to ‘04-05 – Thomas averaged over 10 points per game. He averaged a career-best 14.0 points – along with 7.9 rebounds – in 81 games in 2002-03. During the 2004-05 season he averaged a double-double, with 11.5 points and 10.4 rebounds, in 80 games.
During the 1994-95 season, as a senior at Texas Christian University, Thomas led the nation in both scoring (28.9 ppg) and rebounding (14.6 rpg).

The East Valley Tribune (Scott Bordow) reports: The Suns may not be done wheeling and dealing. A team source said that Phoenix would like to find a way to acquire veteran sharpshooter Brent Barry, who was traded Wednesday from the San Antonio Spurs to the Seattle SuperSonics. For Barry to become a Sun, the Sonics would have to buy out his contract, the source said.

The Seattle SuperSonics announced today that the team has recalled guard Mickael Gelabale from the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League.
Originally assigned to Idaho on Jan. 28, Gelabale appeared in six games with the Stampede and averaged 17.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 32.5 minutes per game.
Under the affiliation system with the D-League, NBA teams can assign up to two players who are rookies or in their second season to their D-League affiliate. Players can stay with the D-League team for as long as the team wishes, and be recalled back to the NBA at any time. A player can only be sent to the D-League a maximum of three times during the season.
The Stampede, the D-League affiliate for the Sonics and the Portland Trail Blazers, are coached by Bryan Gates, who worked as an assistant for the Sonics during summer league play in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City this past July.