Kevin Lee

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http://www.tsn.ca/nba/story/?id=242427&lid=sublink05&lpos=headlines_main

Justin Barracosa

LOS ANGELES — The Sun reported that the Seattle SuperSonics will move to Oklahoma City next season after reaching a settlement, the team said on their website on Wednesday. The city of Seattle will be paid $45 million up front and Sonics owner Clay Bennet will pay an additional $30 million in five years if the city is unable to secure another NBA team. NBA commissioner David Stern released a statement. “The NBA continues to regard Seattle as a first-class NBA city that is capable of serving as home for another NBA team,” it said.

Terry Shilton

The offer the Goldenstate Warriors, have made to Elton Brand has an interesting ripple effect on the rest of NBA’s free agents.

Monta Ellis is in a nice position to hold the team hostage should Elton Brand decide to resign elsewhere rumors are he’d be looking for upwards of 10 million per season and the Goldenstate Warriors having just lost out on Baron Davis and Brand, would be face a very tough decision with their young star.

Then turn to Corey Magette he wants to play in Orlando but they have only a mid level exception to offer and are looking to add both a PG and a wing, right now both their targets: Corey Magette, Chris Duhon are holding out for the whole thing.

Then the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers are quietly poised to cause “Offer Sheet” mayhem as they like both the Josh’s from the Atlanta Hawks and will offer Josh Smith a 5 year deal over the 42 million that the Hawks have offered him and could go as high as 5 years worth as much as 67 million. This would put alot of pressure on the Hawks as they already have the large contracts of Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby, but supposing they match. The Sixers will just turn their attention to Josh Childress their second target and begin the process again albeit with reduced figures, my guess is one of these Josh’s will be a Philadelphia 76er next season.

The Knicks are not so quietly looking for a PG, having already offered Chris Duhon slightly more than half their 5.5 mid level veteran exception, and should Duhon sign elsewhere they woulld immediatly turn their attention to others like: Sebatian Telfair, Tyronn Lue, Jannero Pargo and Keyon Dooling all the while embattled former star Stephon Marbury waits in the wings having not benn bought out and currently not part of the teams plans. Stephon Marbury has something to prove and when he is bought out, it will be very interestng to see where he ends up.

Last if this drama isn’t enough Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng’s situation haven’t played out yet at all Chicago is in tough as they just have too many guards and players like Kirk Hinrich and Shawn Marion are already being shopped by their teams.