Seattle SuperSonics CEO Wally Walker and general manager Rick Sund visited with free-agent forward Rashard Lewis in Houston over the weekend.  However, since it was before July 1 they were not able to discuss financial arrangements.  

Frank Hughes of the Tacoma News-Tribune reports that coach Nate McMillan visited with Lewis in Houston in early June.  Sund also had discussions with Lewis? agent, Carl Poston, on Monday.  They?ll be talking about serious finances soon.

Although Lewis is possibly the premier free agent this year, no team is far enough under the salary cap to take a serious run at him.  But the Sonics are keeping in contact with Lewis to show their love for him.  

In the related piece, Marty Burns of Sports Illustrated says Lewis ?could find himself sorely disappointed? in his quest for a maximum contract.  He quotes one eastern GM as saying, ?it?s going to be hard for him [to find a team]."  Burns figures Lewis will get an offer in the $6 to $7 million range, which is about the same as RealGM is expecting.

Before Monday?s deadline, the Sonics also tendered qualifying offers to Jerome James, Ansu Sesay and Earl Watson.  Sesay and Watson are expected to return, but James is drawing interest from other teams and the Sonics may not be prepared to match those offers.

The Sonics didn?t make qualifying offers to Olumide Oyedeji or Randy Livingston.  However, the Sonics would like to bring Oyedeji back for a third season.