Sonics Hope Draft Pick Sticks

Look at it this way - the Seattle SuperSonics can’t come out with much less in today’s NBA draft than they have in any other since 1990.

Since taking Gary Payton with the second overall pick in ‘90, the Sonics have drafted 14 players - none of whom is on the team’s current roster. Only 1993 first-round pick Ervin Johnson did much of anything for the Sonics, and only four others (Rich King, Chris King, Dontonio Wingfield and Sherell Ford) ever played in a regular-season game.

To be fair, the Sonics have usually been handicapped with low draft picks thanks to successful regular seasons, and Seattle did trade away 1994 first-rounder Carlos Rogers as part of the deal that netted a year of Sarunas Marciulionis and Byron Houston. They also traded 1995 second-rounder Aurelijius Zukaukas for valuable reserve Eric Snow.

But with three picks in today’s draft, including the No. 23 overall selection in the first round, the Sonics are hoping to take a player who might still be around in a few years.

Unlike last year, when the Sonics all but gave away their first-round pick to avoid the three-year guaranteed contract that must be awarded to all first-rounders, Seattle thinks it can draft a player who can help.

“We don’t feel like we have to trade it unless it is something that makes absolute sense to do,” said Billy McKinney, the team’s vice president for basketball operations who has headed up scouting for the draft.

That doesn’t mean a trade isn’t possible, especially with the Shawn Kemp issue still unresolved. Kemp has asked for a trade, and while the team has maintained its stance that it won’t make a deal simply to appease Kemp, there’s no doubt Sonics officials are receiving tons of calls about Kemp, and that a trade involving the draft could happen.

While McKinney said he doubted Kemp would be involved in any trades today, he said the Sonics could still make a trade involving their draft pick to move either up or down.

The Sonics have brought in 15 to 17 players for individual workouts, although it is team policy not to name names. It is known that the team has had California guard Ed Gray and Georgia Tech forward Ed Elisma in for workouts.

Among the players who fit the Sonics’ needs who figure to be available when the Sonics draft are:

Gray, 6-foot-3, guard, Cal: The Pac-10 player of the year averaged 24.8 points, and is as pure a scorer as there is in this draft. But his height is worrisome, as is a broken right foot suffered Feb. 22 at Washington State.

Elisma, 6-9, forward, Georgia Tech: Elisma didn’t put up huge numbers at Tech, but impressed scouts when he was named to the all-tournament team at the Portsmouth Invitational, when he averaged 17 points and 18 rebounds.

James Cotton, 6-5, guard, Long Beach State: Cotton averaged 23.5 points as a junior last season, but shot only 44 percent.

Shea Seals, 6-5, guard, Tulsa: Seals should have come out last year, when he would have been a certain mid-first-rounder. Johnny Taylor, 6-9, forward, Tennessee-Chattanooga: Taylor led UT-Chattanooga to the Sweet 16 and had standout performances at pre-draft camps.

Marc Jackson, 6-10, center, Temple: Had two solid seasons at Temple after one year at Virginia Commonwealth, then declared early for the draft.

Anthony Parker, 6-6, guard, Bradley: Parker’s standing slipped after a subpar senior season, but he looks an awful lot like a Nate McMillan-type.

Trade rumors abound

Among rumors that have hit print in the last day or so are: Cleveland guard Terrell Brandon and the Cavs’ pick at No. 13 to Golden State for Joe Smith; Golden State forward Donyell Marshall to Philadelphia for Derrick Coleman; the Lakers dealing Nick Van Exel and Elden Campbell to Vancouver for the No. 4 overall pick to take Tracy McGrady.

Denver trading Ervin Johnson to Toronto for the No. 9 pick; Philadelphia sending the No. 2 pick and other players to New Jersey for Jayson Williams, Chris Gatling and the No. 7.

Radja fails physical

The Philadelphia 76ers announced Dino Radja, obtained in a trade Friday with the Boston Celtics, failed his physical and the deal is off.

The 76ers traded forward Clarence Weatherspoon and center-forward Michael Cage to the Celtics for Radja, a 6-foot-10 centerforward. Weatherspoon and Cage passed their physicals in Boston, Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said.

Radja had balked at the trade, although his contract does not permit him to refuse it.

New looks

The 76ers and the New Jersey Nets have joined the growing number of teams with new logos.

The Sixers new logo, which will replace a 30-year-old one that had a circle of stars above the “7” in the word “76ers,” still reads “76ers” but there are some subtle changes.

A single silver and red star is intertwined with the “7,” and a basketball with a blue comet trail is emerging from the star.

The Nets replaced their old red, white and blue logo that featured the team name on top of a basketball. In its place will be a 3-D shield logo with a hoop encircling a metallic silver basketball. The new colors will be red, blue, silver and dark silver.