Quietly within the walls of the Sonics training facility and headquarters, executives and coaching staff are asking themselves if they can afford to throw away $1 million.

Newly signed Rick Brunson represents that $1 million. The nine-year veteran, who played with the Los Angeles Clippers last season, was signed to a one-year deal with the idea that he'd provide limited relief to Luke Ridnour at point guard.

After nearly two weeks of training camp and two preseason games, free-agent guards Alex Scales and Mateen Cleaves have outplayed Brunson, and free-agent forward Noel Felix has shown flashes of brilliance.

Forward Roger Powell, the other free agent in camp, has yet to make much of an impact and appears to have fallen to the back of the pack.

Coach Bob Weiss said it's too early to think about roster cuts and insisted that his decision to play Scales and not Brunson in Friday's 114-113 defeat to Phoenix doesn't mean he's making any definitive statements about the backup point-guard job.