Robert Swift is one of the many players to make the leap from high school to the NBA recently, and it hasn?t been easy.  

The Sonics used their 12th pick to get Swift; a player many have said was not ready to make the jump.  Knowing this, Seattle critics and fans, have been quick to judge.

Even coaches such as Sonics assistant Jack Sikma do not think Swift is ready to play in the league next year.  "He's not going to be a help for us this next year," Sikma said on draft day. "He's an 18-year-old young man that has a lot to learn."

Critics and fans alike should remember that the Sonics have done quite well drafting players directly out of high school.  One does not have to go back to far to remember the selection of Rashard Lewis, and of course, the boo-filled selection of Shawn Kemp.

Will Swift pan out?  As it is with the rest of his peers, only time will tell.

Shaq, T-Mac and Ray Allen.  Where will they go?

The Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers.  How will these two teams revamp their rosters?

These are some of the big questions of the coming months in the NBA, an off-season that is rich with free agents and promises to be rife with intrigue and player movement.

The article also discusses the impending labor discussions.  With indicators of popularity and revenues on the rise again, the NBA owners still want to roll back player salaries.  But one official is confident that no obstacle will be too big this time around:  "This isn't the NHL," said one league source. "I still think we'll get it done."

The two sides will talk throughout the month of July.

Ray Allen continues to be a piece the Seattle Supersonics appear keen to move.  They are reportedly speaking with Portland about Shareef Abdur-Rahim, but eventually retreated, and they have also spoke with the Bucks about returning him to Milwaukee for Michael Redd, which would be an absolute steal for the Supersonics.

The trade of Tracy McGrady to the Houston Rockets could end up bringing both Seattle all-star guard Ray Allen and Miami Heat small forward Caron Butler to Orlando.

Meanwhile, with interest in McGrady peaking and offers rolling in, Weisbrod said he will turn his attention to the Draft tonight and put a moratorium on T-Mac discussions.

"We're still weighing a lot of options with Tracy. He still could be here this season, or he could be traded," Weisbrod said. "If we do trade him, I don't think there's any chance of it happening before the Draft."

If the deal with Houston does go through, the Magic have talked with Seattle about a trade with Francis and Allen as the centerpiece.

The Magic have also talked to the Miami Heat about a trade that would send Mobley and forward Drew Gooden in exchange for Butler.

The Rockets and Pacers may be the two strongest bidders for McGrady's services.

"There are plenty of deals out there for Tracy. If we wanted to do a deal today, we could," Weisbrod said. "But we're certainly not going to rush anything. We're going about it as methodically as we can. There is no time pressure."

In anticipation of the Houston trade, the Magic are also talking to the Washington Wizards about dealing Francis on to them in exchange for point guard Gilbert Arenas and former No. 1 pick Kwame Brown.

On the eve of one the draft, trade speculation is still running rampant.  In one of the most volatile sequences of trade offers in recent memory, yet another deal has been proposed.

The New York Knicks have offered to send Kurt Thomas to the Seattle Supersonics in exchange for inconsistent center Jerome James and the Sonics #12 pick.   The Knicks may try for a younger, athletic player in the #12 spot and also look to clear some cap room after next season.  Jerome James has 1 year left on his contract at $5.4M.

The Sonics are a team trying to rebuild.  Long gone are the glory days of Kemp and Payton (excluding the first round loss to Denver, of course).  The Sonics must now rely on youngsters like Radmanovic and Lewis who, in conjunction with Allen, must take hold of the reins and steer the team to another championship run, or at the very least, another playoff run.

As an unrestricted agent, Brent Barry has the option of not re-signing with the team.  If Barry chooses to move on, the Sonics might try for Kirk Snyder, the 6?6? swingman out of Nevada who boasts a 35 inch vertical and is considered by many as the best athlete in the draft.

Snyder is considered ?NBA ready? which is exactly what the Sonics will need to replace the void left by the potential departure of Barry.

The Sonics? summer is packed with draft preparation, free-agency and the prospect of re-signing Ray Allen.  So the front office is not likely to get around to giving head coach Nate McMillan a contract extension before the season begins.

"It simply hasn't come up," team president Wally Walker said last week at the predraft camp in Chicago. "That's not an indictment on Nate or anything like that. ... I guess, what I'm saying is first things first. There's a lot on our plate right now."

Is McMillan upset that the discussion concerning his new contract has not already begun?  "To tell you the truth, it probably shouldn't," McMillan said. "I don't have a problem with coaching this year out and seeing what happens."

The Seattle Sonics are continuing to evaluate some 60 prospects at the Chicago pre-Draft camp but the team has yet to find a player they?re excited about selecting with the number 12 overall pick.

So the team may end up trading the pick.

The Sonics also have two second-round picks and the current process in Chicago is more likely to help them find talent to slot into these later selections.

The camp is also a prime time to begin discussions on a possible trade.  

"With everybody being there, all of the league's GMs and coaches, there's going to be some talk about all sorts of possibilities," Rick Sund said. "A lot of talk started after the draft lottery two weeks ago, and it's only going to pick up."

The return of Nick Collison next season could make Seattle more willing to deal away number 12.

The Seattle Sonics are taking a look at international prospects in preparation for the June 24 Draft.

Andris Biedrins is an 18-year-old, 6-foot-10 power forward from Latvia and is the most highly touted prospect, projected to go in the lottery.

Damir Omerhodzic of Croatia and Marcus Vieira de Souza of Brazil were the other foreign players who the Sonics scouted.

Last month, general manager Rick Sund and president Wally Walker flew to Puerto Rico to see Peter John Ramos play.  Ramos is 7-3 and 18 years old but has little experience.
The Sonics hold the number 12 pick and have two second-round selections.