Sonics Reaffirm Strategy Team President Says Club Can Get Past Bulls Next Year

The Sonics liked their first taste of the NBA Finals in 17 seasons.

They’re planning to be back next year and beat the Chicago Bulls in a rematch.

Flushed with this season’s success, team president Wally Walker says he has owner Barry Ackerley’s backing for a bid to catch the Bulls and Michael Jordan in ‘97.

“My mandate in my two years has always been we’re doing this to win,” Walker said. “I was convinced of that when I took the job and I’m even more convinced of that now.

“That’s what Barry wants to do and I’m not worried about having the resources to get that done.”

After a franchise-best 64-victory season, the Sonics are facing a busy free-agent summer. They must keep their best free agents and get some free-agent help, too.

“I would be shocked if we’re not way over the salary cap next season,” Walker said.

The Sonics know they must keep All-Star point guard Gary Payton and Hersey Hawkins, two of their six free agents, to go along with All-Star power forward Shawn Kemp.

“The growth of Gary Payton over the last two years has been extremely surprising even to me,” coach George Karl said.

“It’s not only the physical stuff. It’s also the mental stuff and the leadership stuff.”

Starting center Ervin Johnson and 35-year-old Sam Perkins, two other key Sonics in this year’s title run, may be back, too. Seattle’s other two free agents are Frank Brickowski and Steve Scheffler.

Walker doesn’t want to talk publicly about what kind of money it will take to keep Payton, who was named to Dream Team III this week.

But he knows it’s going to take plenty.

“We want to get Gary resigned,” Walker said. “We know it’s going to be a big number.”

The Sonics will be out to get a veteran free-agent rebounder to go along with quick-jumping Kemp, the league’s No. 5 rebounder this season. In the Finals, Dennis Rodman and the Bulls made it clear Seattle had major rebounding problems.

“I think we need some inside help,” Walker said. “We need to improve our rebounding.”

The Sonics’ effort to get that free-agent rebounder could be put on hold if the league’s free agency is postponed by another lockout.

Karl, who hopes to get a longterm contract extension this summer, will have a lot of say about who Seattle goes after.

“I’d like to see us move quicker than slower,” he said.

“We have an idea of what we want to do, a good idea,” Walker said. “But a lot of it depends on how it unfolds. You know, it can change.”

Added Billy McKinney, the Sonics’ vice president of basketball operations: “There will be some players and agents waiting to see what the market will bear.”

The Sonics don’t expect to get much help from this week’s draft. In the second round Wednesday, they tabbed Arizona’s Joseph Blair, Colorado State’s Joe Vogel and Georgia Tech’s Drew Barry. They traded out of the first round Tuesday because they didn’t think the 28th pick would get them a player who could make the difference.

“We needed the money for guys who could help us right away,” Walker said.

Blair, the first of Seattle’s secondround picks, looks like the best of the three. At 6-10, 251 pounds, he has the size to make the Sonics’ roster.

“I just hope one of them gives us enough confidence to keep him and bring him along,” Karl said.