2000-01 in Review: In his sixth season in the Detroit front office, Sund found his power largely usurped by the emergence of team president Joe Dumars. Sund was no longer the final authority on player personnel decisions, instead reporting to Dumars, in his second year in the front office. After the season, the opportunity presented itself for Sund to regain a position as GM, and he beat out New York staffer Ed Tapscott to replace Wally Walker as the GM in Seattle.

Previous Career: After playing at Northwestern, Sund chose a scholarship given him by the NCAA to study graduate sports management at Ohio University over attempting to continue his career. At the tender age of 27, Sund became player personnel director for the Dallas Mavericks during their inagural season of 1979. He helped build one of the most successful expansion franchises to date, largely adding talent through the draft and trading for draft picks, allowing the Mavericks' core to have success throughout the 80's and almost throughout his career in Dallas, which ended in 1994, with the franchise beginning to struggle due to chemistry problems. During the '94-'95 season, Sund worked as a consultant for the Sonics and then-rookie GM Wally Walker. After the season, Sund was named executive vice president for the Detroit Pistons, where he oversaw the building of the franchise around second year player Grant Hill.

Trading: Trading has long been part of the Sund style in order to create a better fit for young talent primarily acquired through the draft, and take chances on young players. For example, while in Detroit, Sund helped oversee the deal that brought the Pistons Jerry Stackhouse, who has now blossomed into one of the top scorers in the NBA. However, it's not really Sund's style to go looking in a deal for an established star.
Grade: B-

Free Agency: In his stops in Detroit and Dallas, Sund has generally attempted to use free agency as a last resort for team building, or to fill in gaps in teams constructed through the draft. This is similar to Walker's conservative free agency approach, so it would be a surprise to see the Sonics make any big moves through free agency in the years to come.
Grade: C

The Draft: The heart of a Rick Sund system. While in both Dallas and Detroit, Sund made effective and efficient use of his draft picks to build his ballclub's young talent. In Dallas, this meant players like Derek Harper, Rolando Blackman, Sam Perkins, Dale Ellis, and Detlef Schrempf (quite a few with Sonic ties), who either formed the nucleus of the Mavs' playoff run or returned someone else who did in trade. In Detroit, Sund's picks were not as high, but still yielded talented players like Theo Ratliff (18 overall in 1995), Don Reid (58 in 95), Jerome Williams (26 in 96). Detroit picks who came to prominence elsewhere include Scot Pollard (19 in 96), and Bonzi Wells (13 in 98). As if that's not enough, the season after he consulted in Seattle, George Karl actually kept his first round draft pick. That can't be a coincidence.
Grade: A-

Overall: Though Sund will still not have ultimate decision-making authority in Seattle with CEO Walker looming just above him, he gets the title of general manager and a greater feeling of being part of the organization. It will definitely be beneficial in future years for Walker to have someone else in power to bounce ideas off and discuss decisions with. As well, Sund will handle most of the day to day duties of a GM, handling agents and discussing initial trade talks.
Grade: B-