Shopping Day! WoooHoooo!

SEATTLE - Today, July 1st, is the first day that teams can talk to free agents in the National Basketball Association. Players can not officially sign contracts until July 11th, so we will hear a variety of rumors, some of them about the Seattle SuperSonics Rashard Lewis.
I'll cut to the chase.
Lewis could sign with Orlando as a free agent and leave money on the table. How much money is going to be discussed this weekend with Rashard Lewis and the Sonics general manager Sam Presti, and owner Clay Bennett. It will be as least one more year on a contract, that's what N.B.A. rules allow. No matter what Orlando offers, they can not offer that extra year.
So, the money says Seattle.

On Thrusday the Sonics traded away Ray Allen, that would make Rashard Lewis the veteran leader, not the co-captain. The veteran leadership spot is Lewis'.

The Sonics used the Boston 5th overall draft pick the received in the Allen trade to select Jeff Green. The Green, a 6 foot 8 swingman (I'm not counting your thick socks), can swing between the shooting guard spot and small forward.

The Sonics took with their pick, second overall, Kevin Durant. Durant is 6 foot 10 and the only freshman ever selected as the Associated Press consensus All American. Right now he is a small forward, he could grow into the power forward position.

Rashard Lewis is a 6 foot 10 small forward that could play some power forward, and may end up there before the end of his next contract. Home run hitters end up at first base, tall and skilled small forwards end up playing some power forward. It's the Cliff Robinson career path. So, he has a position in the starting line up, Lewis is uncle Cliffy Jr.

That leaves the type of roster you play, and the coach to call those plays, being the weight that tips the lewis scale. If you are going to play a tall, shot blocking center, that's Robert Swift, and play 3 interchangeable players in the power forward, small forward, and shooting guard positions, then you want a coach that believes in rotating, trapping in the half court, and length. George Karl wants too much money and he's busy with the Denver Nuggets for the next few years, so, you get an associate, a Karl jr: that's Dwane Casey.

I think, if the things above are logical to Lewis, that the Sonics hire Casey, sign Lewis, and then move on to focus on the point guard position.

This could be over in a week.