The Sonics yesterday made what will likely be their final cut of the pre-season, waiving rookie forward JaRon Rush. The move gave the Sonics 14 players on their roster; though the team had been expected to keep only 13, injuries to Shammond Williams and Predrag Drobnjak will probably force both to be placed on the injured list, meaning the Sonics would keep one extra player.

The move came as good news to forwards Art Long and Antonio Harvey, who had been vying for two spots on the roster with Rush. Harvey had been considered the favorite to win a job throughout training camp. Long, however, came on strong in games and practices in recent weeks, and benefitted from the injury to Drobnjak. It is unclear whether he will be waived once Drobnjak returns.

Many Sonic fans had been excited about the prospect of adding Rush to the roster. After a stellar high school career in Kansas City, Rush was one of the most coveted recruits in the nation. He signed with UCLA and became one of three freshman starters for the Bruins. However, in his sophomore season, Rush was implicated in an investigation of recruiting violations by his AAU coach, amongst others. He was forced to sit out most of the season. That summer, Rush declared for the NBA Draft, but was not selected. Depressed, Rush developed a drinking habit and played just four games in the ABA before going to rehab.

After playing for the Sonics' summer league team in Los Angeles, Rush was invited to camp with a chance to earn a spot as a third small forward. However, the numbers appeared to be against Rush from the beginning, with the Sonics insistance on keeping 13 players. The injuries appeared to give Rush a chance to make the team, but his play during the pre-season and in open scrimmages was not as good as had been expected, as Rush struggled with his outside shot and failed to get to the hole.

The Sonics will play their final two preseason games this evening against Utah in Ogden, UT and Friday at Sacramento.