To replace Antonio Daniels, the Sonics have increased efforts to secure restricted free agent Ronald "Flip" Murray, who joined the team in February 2003 as part of the Ray Allen-Gary Payton trade.
In the past 2 ? seasons, Murray, a second-round pick in the 2002 draft, has developed into a part-time starter. He averaged a career-high 12.4 points during the 2003-04 season and 7.0 points last season.
Although he is considered a shooting guard, the Sonics attempted to return him last season to point guard, where he starred at Division II Shaw University.
With Daniels gone and the Denver Nuggets a potential suitor for his services, Murray has seen his value increase. A year ago, he earned roughly $700,000, but league sources say he's seeking a deal comparable to what Daniels received from the Wizards.
The Sonics are believed to have extended a three-year proposal with an average salary between $2 million and $3 million. Two years ago, Daniels signed a cost-efficient contract that paid him $2.2 million last season.
If Murray receives a better offer from another team, Seattle will likely match it and retain him.
"Our key thing was to make sure we can keep as many of our guys as we could knowing that we're going to lose some free agents," said general manager Rick Sund, whose team entered the offseason with eight free agents. "No way we could keep them all. The key one was obviously Ray, and we intend to sign Ray.
"We're negotiating with a couple of the other ones, particularly the younger ones, and then we'll supplement with other players."