The rumors began to flare up about a week before the February 24th 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline.  With a good number of contracts expiring at years end, many thought it would be best for the Sonics to make the appropriate trades to let go of players they would most likely have no chance of re-signing.  This would have been the case had the Sonics played out the season as the worst in The West as everyone predicted.  However, going into the deadline with a 37-15 record has thrown a very big cog into the Sonics? trade/contract equation.

Much of the Sonics success this year, as Coach Nate McMillan can attest to is due to the fact that the Sonics have excellent team chemistry.  Every player plays hard and every player knows his role.  This has led to an previously unimaginable 11-game lead in the Pacific Division over pre-season favorites Minnesota and Denver with only 30 games remaining.  

Now teams around the league are looking at the Seattle Supersonics and Phoenix Suns model and saying, ?We can do this!  We don?t need to load our roster with an abundance of superstars; we just need good players that play well together!?  Look at Golden State, a team that is poising itself to pull a Sonics like run next season with the signing of solid players like Troy Murphy and two great guards, Jason Richardson and newly traded for, Baron Davis.  The fast-shooting, bruising, court running, unselfish, smooth passing teams are back and they are wining.  

That being said, it is important to know which Sonics players have contracts that are set to expire at seasons end: