SuperSonics ponder draft options
If the Seattle SuperSonics keep the 10th pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft, it appears that they are focused on drafting either a power forward or a shooting guard, with an outside chance of taking a center.
While Sonics decision-makers have been huddling for the past few weeks, working out players, evaluating prospects and charting out the various ways they believe the draft could go, they took a break to meet with the media on Friday, outlining their thoughts as they prepare to make the organization’s highest selection since choosing Gary Payton with the second pick in 1990.
Of course, there is a chance they could trade the pick, in part because, as scout Steve Rosenberry said, next year’s draft is one of the best in 20 years, with all the under-20 players who were barred from entering this season’s draft pool, including Seattle Prep’s Spencer Hawes.
With that in mind, the Sonics are entertaining thoughts of trading down to get a first-round pick next season, giving them two picks in what ostensibly will be a strong draft year.
That decision will not be made until next week, according to general manager Rick Sund. Teams are completing their player evaluations, will take stock of their strategies over the weekend and begin making calls to other teams to talk trade possibilities today or Monday, with things heating up as the draft approaches Wednesday.
On Friday, the Sonics worked out eight players, including 6-foot-11 center Sene Saer from Senegal for the second time, a clear indication they have more than a passing interest in a raw player with a 7-foot, 9-inch wing span who can stand flat-footed, put his arms over his head and begin doing chin-ups on the rim.
Though the Sonics already have two young 7-footers in Robert Swift and Johan Petro, they feel they cannot have enough size, and they worry that if both Swift and Petro are good players that they will not be able to pay them in the long-term.
Barring a trade or the drafting of Saer, the Sonics seem intent on bolstering a frontcourt that remains in limbo until the tenuous situation of Chris Wilcox, a restricted free agent, is settled.
The Sonics are confident that they will re-sign Wilcox, but if another team offers Wilcox obscene money that Seattle does not want to pay, the Sonics don’t want to be stuck with only oft-injured Nick Collison and volatile Danny Fortson at the power forward position. The leading candidates to be drafted at power forward are Cedric Simmons, Shelden Williams and Shawne Williams, with an outside shot at Tyrus Thomas should the freshman from LSU fall that far.
The Sonics also feel they need a good option at shooting guard either to back up Ray Allen or to fill in for Allen should the five-time All-Star be injured.
The Sonics have their eyes on Ronnie Brewer, Rodney Carney or, perhaps, Randy Foye, should the Villanova product fall that low. It appears that Duke’s J.J. Redick is not a player they will choose despite being the best shooter in the draft and being listed as 10th overall pick in the NBA.com consensus mock draft, which is based on a point system involving eight mock drafts.
The Sonics also have the 40th and 53rd picks in the second round, though it appears they will not keep both, either trading one of the picks for a future second-rounder or selling it for cash.