Sonics guard Earl Watson has told the Tacoma News-Tribune that being left off the playoff roster by then-coach Nate McMillan in 2002, he said it was not the deciding factor in his departure to the Memphis Grizzlies as a free agent that summer.

Watson left the Sonics at the end of that season, signing with Memphis as a free agent.

?At the time, I was really upset,? Watson said. ?I wanted to play in the playoffs. Just making it to the (NCAA) tournament at UCLA, I was used to playing in the postseason.

?But I think when it came down to it, it was just that I was already so close to Jerry West because of the whole UCLA connection. He lived like five minutes from campus and he was always up on campus and he was always giving me pointers. So when he got the Memphis (general manager) job, I immediately asked my agent, ?What?s the deal with Memphis?? And then the feeling was mutual.?