Draft Lottery Boon Should Increase Interest In Sonics' Openings

Wednesday, May 23rd 2007, 9:28 pm

By: News On 6

SEATTLE (AP) _ The Seattle SuperSonics have been without a coach or general manager for nearly a month, but thanks to the draft lottery, those openings just became a little more desirable.

Interest in the positions should grow after the Sonics landed the number 2 pick in next month's NBA draft, thanks to a fortuitous set of circumstances in yesterday's draft lottery.

Sonics president of basketball operations Lenny Wilkens says that progress is being made on the ongoing searches, but adds there's nothing to report.

Wilkens has started preliminary discussions with candidates, but didn't say if they were for coach, GM or both.

Sonics majority owner Clay Bennett, an Oklahoma City businessman, has been talking about possible future locations for the franchise if a deal for a new arena in the Seattle area never materializes.

Whoever the GM is won't have a difficult decision on draft night. That's because the Sonics' good fortune in the lottery means they will be able to select either Ohio State center Greg Oden or Texas forward Kevin Durant.