The agent for Seattle Supersonics center Jerome James says that if he feels that his client is not part of the team's future, he will likely opt-out of his contract this summer.

"It's way too early for us to make that determination," (Marc)Fleisher said. "It depends on how well he plays, how much opportunity he is given to play, what other potential suitors are out there, do they have cap space where he might be able to fit if he is unhappy where he is?

"I think right now his preference would be to stay (in Seattle) and play. But obviously if he gets the sense that he is not in their future plans, then he would want to look elsewhere."

SEATTLE (AP) Seattle SuperSonics guard Brent Barry needs surgery on a broke finger on his right hand and is expected to miss up to six weeks.

Barry will have surgery Thursday.

The nine-year NBA veteran injured his right ring finger in Tuesday night's 118-116 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Barry is averaging 10.6 points, 5.5 assists and 30.8 minutes in 40 games this season. He became the Sonics' starting point guard last season after the team traded Gary Payton to Milwaukee for Ray Allen.

SEATTLE (AP) Seattle SuperSonics guard Brent Barry left Tuesday night's 118-116 loss to the Dallas Mavericks after breaking a bone in a finger on his right hand.

Barry, averaging 10.7 points and 5.5 assists per game, scored six points as the Sonics built a 61-58 halftime lead, and didn't return after leaving to have his hand X-rayed. The injury occurred late in the first half.

Team officials had no immediate word on how the injury occurred. Barry will be evaluated Wednesday and will miss the team's road game at the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.

Apparently, Sonics guard Brent Barry's right hand somehow got caught in the shorts of an opposing player during Seattle's 118-116 loss last night to the Dallas Mavericks and now Barry has a freak injury because of it.

"Barry was diagnosed with a fractured ring finger on his shooting hand. He did not accompany the team to Los Angeles last night and will be examined by a hand specialist today to determine how long he will need to recover."

Because of the injury, Barry will likely withdraw from the three-point shootout during All-Star Weekend.

It is unknown how much time Barry will miss.

SEATTLE (AP) The Seattle SuperSonics activated forward Ansu Sesay on Thursday, moving shooting guard Richie Frahm to the injured list with right knee tendinitis.

Sesay missed 15 games while on the injured list with a sprained left ring finger. He averaged 3.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 23 games, then went on the injured list when Ray Allen returned from ankle surgery.

Frahm has played in 35 games, averaging four points and 1.2 rebounds.

"The league is expected to fine Suns assistant Tim Grgurich $7,500, probably today, for verbally abusing Seattle Times reporter Percy Allen during the fourth quarter of a Dec. 23 game in Seattle."

It appears that the Denver Nuggets already know who they want to go after this summer, when they could have up to $22 million in capspace.

"A source close to the situation said Sunday that two players high on the team's list of free-agent candidates for next summer are Seattle shooting guard Brent Barry and New Jersey power forward Kenyon Martin."

From a distance, Ray Allen monitored Gary Payton's situation with the Sonics before the trade that brought Allen from Milwaukee to Seattle.

He knew that Payton's relationship with the team's front office soured after Payton asked for and was denied an extension before the final season of his contract. Still, Allen, whose contract expires after the 2004-05 season, insists that his situation is different than Payton's.

"It's the same in the sense that I would also like to know where I'm going to be long-term," Allen said. "I would like some security like any player. ... But it's different in that he was here for a long time.

"Maybe there was a feeling that they went as far as they could. I don't know. I wasn't here. ... And our personalities are different. So yeah, there's some similarities, but there's some differences as well."

Gary Payton returned to Seattle, but the final basket was scored by Ray Allen and the last shot was taken by Kobe Bryant.

``I love Seattle,'' Payton said after returning to his former home of 12{ NBA seasons. ``I was here for 12 years. It was nice to see they appreciated me.''

But they loved seeing him lose, too, as Seattle came away with a 111-109 victory Friday night despite Payton's season-high 24 points.

With the score tied at 109, Allen brought the ball downcourt, worked 10 seconds off the clock, swung around a screen and split two defenders for a layup with 5.8 seconds left.

Bryant, who scored 18 of his 32 points in the fourth period, missed a 3-pointer that would have won it at the buzzer.

In other games, Denver defeated Portland 106-96, New Jersey beat Cleveland 97-82, Milwaukee topped Dallas 109-101, Minnesota downed Atlanta 93-75, Detroit defeated Phoenix 93-81, Indiana downed Boston 103-90, Memphis beat Utah 100-88, Chicago edged New York 104-99, Miami defeated Orlando 112-101, New Orleans beat Toronto 86-74 and Washington topped Golden State 97-79.

Los Angeles didn't have Karl Malone, who hasn't played since Dec. 21 because of a sprained knee ligament, and lost Shaquille O'Neal early in the second quarter when a strained right calf flared up. His status for Sunday is unclear.

Payton, who joined the Lakers as a free agent last summer, remains Seattle's franchise leader in scoring, assists, steals, games played, minutes and several other statistical categories.

Payton was the first player introduced and received a standing ovation of just over a minute. Sonics chairman Howard Schultz, who feuded with Payton last season, stood to applaud from his courtside seat.

Fans and Sonics players broke into pandemonium when Rashard Lewis collected the rebound of Bryant's miss.

``It was amazing, with Gary on the floor and the atmosphere,'' Allen said. ``That why I play the game of basketball.''

Nuggets 106, Trail Blazers 96

At Portland, Ore., Voshon Lenard had 27 points and the Denver Nuggets, after squandering a first-half lead, came back in the fourth quarter.

The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for the Nuggets, who haven't lost three straight since an eight-game losing streak to finish last season.

Bulls 104, Knicks 99

At New York, Jamal Crawford scored 28 points and Kirk Hinrich added 19 as Chicago erased a double-digit deficit and snapped the short-handed Knicks' four-game winning streak.

After trailing by 10 points in the third quarter, the Bulls took their biggest lead, 98-91, on Crawford's jumper with 1:21 remaining. After Eddy Curry hit one of two free throws with 33.3 left. Shandon Anderson's driving layup attempt to tie the game went in and out.

Heat 112, Magic 101

At Miami, Eddie Jones scored a season-high 33 points, including four of Miami's 11 3-pointers.

Miami led 84-60 midway through the third quarter and 99-83 with 6{ minutes left. But Orlando trailed just 103-101 before the Heat scored the final nine points.

The Heat's point total was a season high.

Nets 97, Cavaliers 82

At East Rutherford, N.J., Jason Kidd had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds and played a major part in limiting LeBron James to 14 points. James' point total was his lowest since scoring eight against Atlanta on Dec. 6.

Bucks 109, Mavericks 101

At Milwaukee, Michael Redd scored 21 points, including four in the final 22 seconds, as the Bucks tied a season-high in points. Dirk Nowitzki had 23 points for Dallas, whose three-game winning streak was snapped.

Timberwolves 93, Hawks 75

At Minneapolis, Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 15 rebounds and Sam Cassell had 15 points and 11 assists for the Timberwolves, who won their fifth straight at home and carried some momentum into the new year following a franchise-best 11-2 December.

Pistons 93, Suns 81

At Auburn. Hills, Mich., the Pistons extended their winning to four games and have not allowed 100 points in 33 games this season, tying the NBA record set by New York in 2000-01.

Pacers 103, Celtics 90

At Boston, Reggie Miller had three 3-pointers during a 13-0 run to start the fourth quarter as the Pacers recovered from a 15-point deficit.

Grizzlies 100, Jazz 88

At Memphis, Bonzi Wells scored 21 points and handed out six assists as Memphis ended its seven-game losing streak.

Raptors 86, Hornets 74

At Toronto, Baron Davis scored 22 points and New Orleans outrebounded Toronto 51-32.

Wizards 97, Warriors 79

At Washington, the Wizards snapped a five-game losing streak by awakening their dormant transition game to take control with a 19-4 third-quarter run.

SEATTLE (AP) The Glove is coming back to Seattle.

Gary Payton, wearing the purple and gold of the Los Angeles Lakers, returns Friday night for the first time since the blockbuster trade last February that shipped him out after more than 12 seasons with the SuperSonics.

``It's no big thing,'' Payton said. ``I don't care. We're going to go back to Seattle and I'm just going to play.''

Payton was one of the best players to suit up for the Sonics, providing leadership and tenacious defense for more than 12 seasons. He helped the team reach the 1996 NBA Finals, where Seattle lost to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls.

``Any time a player is traded and they come back, it's always a strange feeling,'' said Sonics coach and former teammate Nate McMillan. ``It's even more different when it's a player like Gary, who holds all the records for the Sonics.''

Payton remains Seattle's career leader in scoring (18,207 points), assists (7,384), steals (2,107), games played (999), personal fouls (2,577), minutes (36,858), triple-doubles (16), field goals made (7,292) and 3-pointers (917).

He was traded along with Desmond Mason to Milwaukee at last season's trading deadline in exchange for another All-Star, Ray Allen, plus Ronald Murray and Kevin Ollie. Payton joined the Lakers as a free agent last summer.

Allen, who played with Payton on the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, is looking forward to his return.

``It will be a great experience for a lot of fans,'' Allen said. ``He's been an icon in this city for a long time. The fact that he doesn't play here anymore doesn't change anything.''

McMillan expects the night to be ``weird for everybody involved.''

``That was a major move last year the club made,'' he said. ``Gary was a very important part of this organization and the community.''

It once seemed Payton would end his career with Seattle, but trouble was apparent after the star skipped media day before the 2002-03 season and team chairman Howard Schultz blasted him for missing what he called ``the first day of work.''

Payton, who turned 35 last summer, was seeking a multiyear contract worth his then-salary of almost $13 million a year. Schultz, meanwhile, questioned whether Payton would be as effective a player later in his career.

They rarely spoke last season, and a trade seemed inevitable because the Sonics weren't willing to let such a marketable player walk away without compensation when the season ended.

``It wasn't really a surprise,'' Payton said. ``I just didn't know where I was going. They weren't going to send me to the West because they didn't want to play against me, but then it happened in the summer.

``I knew they were going to have to play against me. I knew I was coming back to the West, just to play against them,'' he said.

So far this season, Payton ranks among the NBA leaders in assists (6.6) and steals (1.57). He's been a bargain, too, earning $4.9 million.

Payton still looks fondly on his time in Seattle, saying he had a solid relationship with the fans. And he's happy to be part of a star-studded Lakers lineup that includes Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and Karl Malone.

``I mean, shoot, I'm winning,'' Payton said. ``I don't have to do as much. I don't have to pound my body. I'm having fun, playing the way I want to play. It's been a joyful thing.''

___

AP Sports Writer John Nadel in Los Angeles contributed to this report.