Seattle SuperSonics center Vitaly Potapenko can avoid prosecution on misdemeanor charges of disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest if he successfully completes a pretrial diversion program.

Miami-Dade County Judge Jeffrey Swartz on Wednesday approved the NBA player's entry into The Advocate Program, a nonprofit organization.  

Potapenko, 29, was arrested July 11 outside a nightclub after arguing with a security guard who refused him entrance to the club.  

The Miami Beach police report said he was unable to maintain his balance and was slurring his speech.

Sonic sharpshooter Ray Allen will be a free agent following this season and the Sonic management appears to be very reluctant to give the former Buck star a maximum contract.  Allen could command up to $100 million over five years.  Allen recently turned 29 and is one of the Sonics most veteran players.  

"It's always obvious when a team wants to keep a player and a player wants to be there," Allen said April 15, the day after the regular season ended. "Negotiations, we've talked about it on and off, but when you officially go into negotiations, they shouldn't take long."

Allen was part of the 1996 draft, one of the deepest in history, which also featured the likes of Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Antoine Walker and Shareef Abdur-Rahim.  The first three have been very successful financially, yet the other two were not given extensions and have been traded in the last year.

The Sonics will likely use the recent contract that was signed by Rasheed Wallace with the Pistons as a more appropiate model to Allen's value to the organization.

Also going against Allen is the fact that high end salaries have been dwindling as owners are more cautious about offering max contracts.  During this past summer, only Kobe Bryant and Kenyon Martin were given contracts that were as lucrative as those given to the likes of Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O'Neal in years past.

According to Rogers Sportsnet the Toronto Raptors still have not given up hopes of retaining star guard Vince Carter who has maintained that he wants out of Canada for most of the offseason.

Reports indicate that Carter discretely flew from Florida to Toronto Thursday and spent the day in meetings.  According to sources a member or members of Raptors brass met with Carter, possibly as a final shot at convincing the Raptors star to forgive and forget club president Richard Peddie.  Carter wants Peddie fired, but this scenario appears unlikely to happen as Peddie has full support from the owners, particularly the Teachers Pension Fund.

The article mentions that it is believed the Raptors are exploring deals for the high flyer, with one potential blockbuster that Carter has mentioned to some of his friends seeing the Raptors star heading to Philadelphia, Allen Iverson to Seattle and Ray Allen to Toronto.

No, it isn?t Brent, this time it is his older brother Jon.  Four teams are supposedly in the hunt for the veteran shooter with the Denver Nuggets being the frontrunners.  The Sonics, Clippers, and Hawks are also said to be in the mix.

Denver has the most money to spend, however Barry currently lives in Atlanta and his son has just started school there.  He has been quoted as saying his family would stay in Atlanta no matter where he plays.

It is still anybody?s guess where the 35-year-old journeyman will end up.

The Seattle Sonics have no intention of trading their leading scorer and co-captain, Ray Allen.  On the contrary, the team is working on a deal that will lock up the shooting guard through the 2009-10 season.

Sonics' GM Rick Sund began a discussion with Allen's agent about a 5-year contract extension that could pay the 4-time all-star as much as $100.5 million.

Sund characterized this as "philosophical talks" and the process could wear on for some time to come.

Lon Babby, the player's agent, is expected to fly to Seattle in two weeks to talk to the Sonics and exchange contract proposals.

"We're hopeful we can sit down and talk with Ray and get some type of extension done before next season," said Sund.

The Sonics would commit more than $70 million to Allen, according to reports, but the team may balk at a maximum deal that would pay $100.5 million.

31 NBA players have maximum contracts but teams are in cost-cutting mode and are hesitant to max players out.

"You're going to see less and less of those $100 million contracts being thrown around," said a Western Conference GM. "Unless you're one of the handful of guys competing for the MVP (award), then (teams) have to ask themselves, is he worth it?"

Billy McKinney was a sort of ?jack of all trades? in the Seattle area, assuming broadcasting roles, serving on five different boards, and was even the general manager of the Seattle Storm for two seasons.

McKinney, considered the top candidate for the Sonics? general manager job in 2001 was passed over after Starbucks? guru Howard Shultz bought the team.  McKinney was also replaced as commentator by Craig Ehlo after Fox Sports Northwest bought the Sonics? broadcasting rights.

"We really enjoyed working with him," said Valerie O'Neil, Sonics spokesperson. "Fox has chosen to go in a different direction with the broadcast. We wish him well and nothing but the best."

Sacramento Kings' All-Star Peja Stojakovic told the Chicago Sun-Times that he would love to play for the Chicago Bulls.  

Bulls' GM John Paxson has admitted to calling the Kings to inquire about Stojakovic.

But Kings ownership says it has no plans to trade the deadly outside threat.

Even if this changes, the Bulls may not have the assets to pull of the trade.

Meanwhile, the Pacers are said to be offering former Bull Ron Artest, who is the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year.

''I love Chicago, and I have a lot of friends there,'' Stojakovic said. ''I also feel the Bulls are a great organization, and I especially like the fact that Scott Skiles is the coach there. He was my coach in Greece when I played for PAOK in 1998. We almost won the championship under him. He's a great man and a great coach.''

''Yes, I called and expressed an interest, but I have not talked with Geoff Petrie yet about it,'' Paxson said. ''So it was a one-sided phone call. Certainly, if a player of his caliber were available and he would be interested in Chicago, we'd obviously owe it to ourselves to take a hard look at it.''

The Kings need a big man after losing Vlade Divac to the Lakers, something that may have prompted Stojakovic's desire to leave Sacramento.

If the Toronto Raptors shop disgruntled star Vince Carter, they may want to place a call to Seattle.

According to sources, Ray Allen is making it public that he wouldn't mind being a Raptor.

"He's interested in coming," said one source close to Allen. "He thinks it'd be the right spot for him."

It is not apparent that the Raptors and Sonics have even discused a possible swap, and Raptor general manager Rob Babcock is saying he's in no rush to deal Vince.

Carter's agent, Mark Steinberg, has been saying that Carter would like a trade and would prefer to end up in New York.

But the Knicks are not a match.  Even Stephon Marbury presents problems because he has big dollars remaining on his deal.

The 6-foot-5 Allen averaged 23 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Sonics last season, battling ankle injuries most of the year.

He plays an up-tempo game that could be perfect in new head coach Sam Mitchell's system.