A New Era of Reign

The rumors have been running wild in the NBA this week.  Yes, we’re nearing closer to the trade deadline, but those aren’t the rumors I’m talking about.  The biggest rumor this week has been the potential sale of the Sacramento Kings.  It’s looking like this one is going to happen, which also means that fans will be treated to the return of the Seattle SuperSonics.

The Sonics were somewhat of a fan-favorite team in their last 15 seasons before they moved to Oklahoma City.  Players like Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp earned the team a finals appearance in 1996.  Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis wowed the crowds in the mid-‘00s, even winning a division title.  On top of that the team also had the unique choice of green and yellow as their team colors, as well as the greatest mascot in sports history, Squatch.

You could definitely say that I’m happy to see this team coming back.  What I’m not so happy about is the team that will be inheriting their name.

If you’ve read any of my past writings, you’ll know that I’m very critical of the Kings, specifically DeMarcus Cousins.  Even though he’s very talented, he’s also one of the biggest knuckleheads in the NBA today.  I’m equally turned off by the disappointments that Tyreke Evans and Isaiah Thomas have been this season, so this is far from my first pick for the team to take back Seattle.  With a Cousins trade looming though, we may very well see this team picking up a new franchise player before they come back to the Emerald City next season.  With several trade talks and soon-to-be free agents looming at the moment, one can only ponder who might be the best choice to take over the star role for the next generation of the Sonics.  Let’s look at some of the top candidates:

JR Smith

This one is more of a "just for the fun of it," type of pick.  It’s not that JR Smith would be a bad fit for the team.  The problem is he’s not likely going to ever be a number one option for a team.  With his athletic play and dazzling dunks, he is somebody that would get the crowd on their feet in Seattle.  For this team, he could act like a more skilled version of Desmond Mason.  He’ll just need somebody around to help him get some wins.

Also, I only list him here because he has a player option to become a free agent this offseason.  The chances of him leaving New York during that time seem pretty slim.

Eric Gordon

Any chatter of Gordon being shipped out of New Orleans has been minimal, though still existent.  He’s had no problem proving that he can be a team’s main scoring threat, even in his short time in the NBA.  Scoring isn’t the issue though; the problem he has is in team success.  If the current Kings did pick him up, they may need to wait a few years for playoff hopes to kick in.

Al Jefferson

Out of all the players I’m listing here, Jefferson is probably the most likely candidate to actually end up playing in Seattle next year.  A highly underrated center, he would be great trade bait for DeMarcus Cousins.  Plus, the team will need a strong post-presence to compete with current division opponents such as DeAndre Jordan, Marcin Gortat and Dwight Howard (assuming he’s still around in 2014).

Josh Smith

Now here’s a guy that fans would love in Seattle.  J-Smoove is a highlight reel dunker, competitive scorer, tough rebounder and he does some serious work in the blocking and stealing department as well.  He would make a great centerpiece for the SuperSonics.

Trade talks for Smith have been floating around for several years now.  The odds of him actually being traded seem to fade from one season to the next.  But hey, it has to happen eventually, right?

Rudy Gay

This is a player who has the athletic build and the talent to become an absolute phenom in the NBA.  Right now, I see him as being a lesser version of LeBron.  If he can polish his game correctly, expect to see an All-NBA team or two out of this guy in the near future.

Being on the (soon to be “formerly-known-as”) Kings would let him be the clear focal point of a team.  With talks of Memphis getting rid of Rudy only increasing, there’s no team I’d rather see him end up on than the SuperSonics.

Seattle deserves a great star to cheer on for the return of their team as well.  Gay can throw down some serious power-dunks, just like Shawn Kemp used to do for the Sonics years ago.  For those of you whose memories are a bit fuzzy, check out this little refresher.

Regardless of who ends up being the team's star, let's just be happy that we will finally get to see professional basketball return to Seattle.  And with Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum bringing excitement back to Portland, we need to see a revival of the I-5 Rivalry as well.