The Kings have been a sad excuse for a franchise since the Chris Webber days, but none the less have had some of the best fans in the NBA through tough times. This all sounds like a feel good story on the outside, "Seattle gets their Sonics back!" But this situation is turning into a mess.
The Supersonics left for Oklahoma City to become the Thunder in the summer of 2008, using their two draft picks to select Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka to put next to their rookie Kevin Durant. The following summer they added James Harden through the draft, and now here we are, the Thunder are one of the Elite teams in the NBA and will be for the next 10-15 years.
This could have been a Seattle Supersonics team contending for the next 10-15 years where they have great NBA fans, instead they will have to settle for the lowly Kings franchise... if the deal even goes through. Assuming it does, now everything is right back to where we were: Seattle has a team, but Sacramento (a small market city that has proven they can maintain an NBA team - VERY hard to find) is now robbed like Seattle was.
Greg Oden is starting to make a little bit of noise about his potential return to the NBA. It has been three years since the former number one overall pick has taken the floor in a regular season game. But his agent has guaranteed that he will return by training camp of the 13-14 season at the latest.
Oden, who had his last of several knee operations last March, has done exactly what he needed to do by taking this time off. The Blazers medical staff is known as one of the NBA's worst, and they consistently pushed Oden back too early, evident by his reoccurring injuries. Oden needs this rest and time to get his body back if he is ever going to be a force in the league.
There are rumors that he will try to sign with a team by the end of this season, but he really should be treated as a fragile case and take all the way up till training camp to make his comeback. The Heat are known to be interested in Oden's services, and if I'm a GM I'm certainly intrigued. Even if he is a fraction of the player we expected him to be, and plays 20-25 minutes per game, he is the type of shot blocking force on defense worth one last risk. Can't teach seven feet... something the Celtics are in desperate need of.
Rudy Gay has burst onto the trade scene as he seems to every year. Minnesota declined an offer this week for Gay, and the Suns are believed to be working on an offer that includes Jared Dudley in return. The Raptors appear to have the most interest in Gay, but the Warriors, Kings and Celtics (as they are each year) are also considering making offers.
Gay is part of the reason Ray Allen is a member of the Heat right now, after Ray was offended to be offered to the Grizzlies two years in a row in trades... one last year that was thought to be completed. Obviously he took it personally and ended up in South Beach.
Gay would be a fantastic fit in Boston, but the big three would have to be off limits. Even the way Avery Bradley is playing right now it would be hard to part ways with him. With those players not involved its tough to see a way the Celtics could add Rudy.
With Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce's leadership, and the emergence of Bradley, I would not be opposed to shipping off Rajon Rondo in the right scenario. Obviously Boston would need a point guard in return, so how about Mike Conley Jr. and Rudy Gay for Rondo? Does Boston offer? Does Memphis accept? Just a thought, but the way this team has showed it can still put its best foot forward without Rondo, don't put anything past them.
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