September Odds and Ends

- With training camp less than three weeks away, there are a couple interesting takes from the men in charge on the state of the Sonics. Hopefully you've already read our Q&A with Head Coach P.J. Carlesimo. Around the same time, News Tribune beat writer Eric Williams chatted with Sam Presti.

Q: Ready to get training camp going?

We’re definitely excited to get
started. Now that we have our coaches in place they our prepping and meeting.
We’ve got guys in town and working out. So we’re excited about starting up and
getting to work. We’re putting things in place and getting our guys focused on
what they’re going to do.

- Yesterday's rare September NBA trade had a Seattle spin to it. Long-time Sonics forward Reggie Evans went to Philadelphia along with the rights to second-round pick Ricky Sanchez. UW product Bobby Jones is headed to Denver, though center Steven Hunter is the centerpiece of the return for the Nuggets.

Assuming the stress fracture suffered by Philly center Samuel Dalembert during the FIBA Americas Championship is not series (the team hopes he'll be back in time for training camp), both teams are dealing from a strength and helping shore up a weakness. The Nuggets were deeper at power forward than center, the opposite of the 76ers.

The real beneficiary of this deal might be Jones, who was still searching for a role in Philadelphia after he was taken in the second round last June. George Karl has long had a fondness for scrappy, defensive-minded reserves (see Askew, Vincent and Wingate, David from his Seattle days) and Jones has that kind of ability and mindset.

- The big news around the league is Greg Oden undergoing exploratory knee surgery on Thursday after experiencing some pain in his right knee while working out in preparation for the season. Here's hoping all goes well and Oden is back on the court shortly.