This summer the Sonics are going to find themselves at a crossroads with two possible paths before them. Their first option will be to continue the appearance of improvement by lying low and counting on the experience of this year to help develop the current roster. The second option will be to actually go out and find real improvement with bold decisive actions and direction.

The first thing the Sonics are going to have to decide once the summer starts is who is expendable and who is not from the team’s own list of free agents. If the Sonics decide to step up to the next level of competition, Rashard Lewis and Earl Watson will not be counted among the expendable. Rashard was touted as the future of the franchise and has shown flashes of brilliance, confirming the general consensus around the league that he is capable of being a star in the NBA. Seattle has publicly stated their desire to re-sign the young small forward hoping to instil a sense of family and loyalty in Lewis, who is projected to be the most valuable free agent this year. As for Watson, the talented rookie has far surpassed what was expected from him at the beginning of the season, wrestling away the back-up point guard duties from Shammond Williams and giving the team a defensive spark plug.

The rest of Seattle’s free agents break down into those the team would like to keep if possible and those without a future in the emerald city. Jerome James is the most important of these players to the franchise that has seemingly gone an eternity without an interior presence. James gives the team at least some form of credibility under the basket at both ends of the court and paired with a healthy Calvin Booth could mean the best center combination the team has seen in decades. Asf or forwards Olumide Oyedeji and Art Long, notwithstanding serious improvements in their respective games, their tenure with the Sonics will likely come to a close.

The rest of the NBA free agent pool this year lacks promise; in most cases the Sonics will be better served by sticking with the talent the team has and trying to maintain the team’s core of players. The one goal that seems worthwhile in this year’s crop is finding a cheaper third-tier utility guard than Shammond Williams for which this year’s list has several possibilities, my own personal favourite being Rafer Alston.

Another obvious opportunity the Sonics have to improve the team this coming summer is the NBA draft. As usual, this year’s draft has been praised as rich and full of depth by some, and at the same time ridiculed and called weak by others (sometimes it has even been called both by the same people). But, as always, either opinion is moot until five years down the road when the truth can be clearly seen. Whether this year’s draft is a miracle or a disaster however does not really matter to the Sonics, who are hoping to lose their first round rights to the Toronto Raptors, who own the lottery protected pick from the four-team mega-deal that brought Patrick Ewing to the west coast. True, the Walker regime has had a solid eye for buried talent, but expecting a player coming from the late second round to meaningfully contribute is asking a lot; too optimistic even for me.

However, the draft may hold some promise for Seattle if the team can swing a trade to move up in the draft order, a possibility which is not that far fetched as Seattle will be in a position to make a deal this summer, with draft picks possibly included. When Vin Baker went down with three sprained toes earlier in the year, to some it signalled an end to the power forward’s market value; instead the ensuing twelve and two record gave the team a green light to move their once All-Star power forward. Although it may be hard for Sonics fans to believe anyone could possibly want Baker on their team, many teams in the size starved Eastern Conference are would love the opportunity to land a 6-11, 250 lb. scoring threat.

If Baker is moved it should not surprise anyone to see Shammond Williams involved in the deal as well. The tandem of Baker with the shoot first, ask questions later attitude of three-point threat Williams spells instant offense for which ever team wants the duo. Probably the best Seattle will be able to do in return will be a series of smaller shorter term contracts spread out over four or maybe five players. A has-been ex-All-Star big man for four never-gonna-be’s sounds like Seattle taking a bath on this one to the fair-weather fan. In actuality getting out from under the looming shadow of Baker’s contract has been a wet dream of team minority own Wally Walker since the day after Vin signed the dotted line.

As always the usual suspects -- the draft, free agency and trades -- will all in their own way factor into how Seattle improves itself over the summer, with changes in any one of these categories drastically affecting the way Seattle goes about the other two. However, perhaps the most important move this summer will not involve any of these facets in the GM repertoire; the most important move will be a contract extension.

If the Sonics are actually going to try to make this line up work the plain and simple fact is it cannot be done without Gary Payton. Payton himself has several times expressed his interest in staying with the franchise and hopefully finishing his career in Seattle, going so far as to publicly declare his willingness to take less than market value in an extension in order to remain a Sonic.

Gary Payton has continued to find ways to get the job done this season, incredibly improving his season averages in rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and decreasing his turnovers and personal fouls. Payton has proven himself to be ageless and defiant in the face of all known laws of physics and time. More importantly than his own personal growth, Gary has also shown his ability to help in the development of Seattle’s young guns, the ability to be the leader that this team needs.

The off-season is still a far ways away and a great deal can change between now and then. If injuries continue to plague Seattle all the way into the lottery, things will be a lot different than if the team should make the first round and get swept. Equally and a little more optimistically things will be different if Seattle should ignite in the post season and become an upset NBA champion, Tombstone must be waiting for my call about now. The one certainty is that this will be a summer of change and opportunity. Seattle is a team ready to slip the chains of mediocrity a break back into contention, and no one should be surprised if that progression starts in the summer of ‘02.

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