The AP is reporting that Ruben Patterson has signed an offer sheet with Portland. "I can't see myself coming back there. Seattle is a wonderful city. I love the fans there. They were great to me and I'm going to miss that, but I can't see myself coming back there" Patterson said Sunday.

Patterson was sentenced on May 15 after he entered an Alford plea to charges of forcing the family's 24-year-old nanny to perform oral sex. With the plea, he acknowledged that he probably would have been convicted had the case gone to trial but did not admit he was guilty

Reports are that the Sonics will refuse to match the offer and allow Patterson to leave. By doing so, they will gain extra cap room to persue either Calvin Booth or Marc Jackson. Patterson's contract terms with Portland have not been released.

Nunyo Demasio of the Seattle times reports: The next time Ruben Patterson returns to Seattle, the fourth-year player expects to be on the court as an opponent.

"I can't see myself coming back there," Patterson said yesterday, speaking from Columbus, Ohio, where he rents an apartment. "Seattle is a wonderful city. I love the fans there. They were great to me, and I'm going to miss that. But I can't see myself coming back there. My wife doesn't feel comfortable. And my kids won't want to come back there. We just have to move on and start a new life."

Patterson envisions his return taking place Jan. 11, when Cleveland make its sole visit to KeyArena, or Jan. 29, when Portland comes to town.

Cleveland, Dallas and Portland are among several teams that have shown interest in Patterson via a sign-and-trade deal. But Patterson must agree to the deal and strongly prefers Cleveland or Portland.

Chris Tomasson of the Akron Beacon-Journal writes that the Cavs and Sonics are waiting to see who blinks first in the battle over Ruben Patterson. Patterson is a restricted free agent, meaning the SuperSonics have 15 days to match any offer for him and that a ``sign-and-trade deal'' likely would have to be arranged to get him. The Cavs desperately want Patterson. Patterson, a Cleveland native, very much wants to return home.

The Sonics are waiting for a good trade offer from the Cavs, the Cavs are waiting for the Sonics to get desperate. The longer it takes Seattle to remedy the Patterson situation, the longer it takes for them to concentrate on Dallas free agent Calvin Booth.

Ronald Tillery of the Seattle Post intelligencer Reporter writes: Trading Vin Baker is an enormous task. But, evidently, not as enormous as Baker himself.

An NBA player agent, familiar with the Sonics' efforts to move their big man, tells the Post-Intelligencer that Baker is battling the bulge, and teams do not want to touch his heavy body and prohibitive salary.

"It's awful, just awful," he said. "He's got a problem, and it's the worst it's ever been. The biggest problem, though, is for the team to have to have him on their cap four or five more years. He's a franchise killer."

Consider: Baker weighed 244 pounds during the 1997-98 season -- his first in Seattle and last productive NBA season. Now, Baker is said to tip the scales at 270 even though his playing weight is expected to be 255.

In other news, Forward Ruben Patterson met recently with Cleveland general manager Jim Paxson and head coach John Lucas in Salt Lake City, where the Cavaliers are participating in the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league.

Patterson, a restricted free agent, was quoted in the Cleveland Plain Dealer as saying: "The conversation went really well. Coach Lucas is the type of guy I'd like to play for. It would be good to play at home, by bringing the energy and excitement that we need at the Gund Arena. Other teams are interested, but Cleveland's my No. 1 team. We'll just take one step at a time and see what happens."