The 2007–08 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 41st and final season of the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the franchise's final season of play in Seattle before relocating to Oklahoma City to play as the Thunder. With the hiring of new head coach P. J. Carlesimo as replacement of Bob Hill, who was fired at the end of the previous season,Associated Press (April 25, 2007). SuperSonics fire Hill as coach, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 25, 2012. the SuperSonics finished in 15th and last place in the Western Conference with a franchise worst 20–62 record. Seattle's first round draft pick and number two overall Kevin Durant was chosen as the Rookie of the Year at the end of the season.
Offseason Following Bob Hill and Rick Sund's departures as head coach and general manager respectively, President of Basketball Operations Lenny Wilkens was charged with the responsibility of finding replacements.Associated Press (April 28, 2007). Team president Wilkens charged with hiring new coach, ESPN.com. Retrieved June 25, 2012. For the general manager position, Wilkens hired Sam PrestiBell, Gregg. Associated Press (June 7, 2007). Sonics hire Sam Presti as new GM, USA Today. Retrieved June 25, 2012. and months later P. J. Carlesimo was appointed as head coach of the Sonics.Associated Press (July 3, 2007). Report: Spurs assistant Carlesimo to be named Sonics coach, ESPN.com. Retrieved June 25, 2012. Wilkens quit a day later.Wilkens quits as vice chairman of Seattle SuperSonics, Reuters, July 7, 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2012. Presti's first order of business involved a trade with the Boston Celtics on draft day that sent Ray Allen and the SuperSonics' second round pick Glen Davis to Boston in exchange for the Celtics' first round pick Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West.Stringer, Peter. Playing Chips, Ainge Swings Deal for Allen . Celtics.com. Retrieved June 25, 2012. Weeks later the free agent period began, and the SuperSonics' front office needed to reach a decision regarding Rashard Lewis' future, since Lewis opted out of his final two years and became one of the most prized free agents in the offseason.ESPN.com news services (July 1, 2007). Sonics management talks about team's future with Lewis, agent, ESPN.com. Retrieved June 25, 2012. The team finally agreed to a sign and trade deal with the Orlando Magic.DuPree, David (July 12, 2007). Magic, Pistons score big as free-agent signings start, USA Today. Retrieved June 25, 2012. The other trade the Sonics made during the offseason brought 12-year veteran Kurt Thomas from the Phoenix Suns.Seattle acquires Thomas, draft picks, from Phoenix, Reuters, July 20, 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
The SuperSonics began preparations for the regular season on July 7, kicking off Summer League games in Las Vegas.Beck, Howard.Two Heralded Rookies Get First Taste of N.B.A. Basketball, The New York Times, July 8, 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2012. The team finished with a 2–6 overall record, with rookies Kevin Durant and Jeff Green leading the team in scoring in the majority of the matches.2007 Vegas Summer League Schedule, ESPN.com, July 16, 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2012.2007 Rocky Mountain Revue Schedule, ESPN.com, July 21, 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
Draft picks At the 2007 Draft Lottery the SuperSonics got the second overall pick behind the Portland Trail Blazers,Associated Press (May 21, 2007). Blazers nab top spot in the draft, The Argus-Press. Retrieved June 25, 2012. matching their highest overall selection in franchise history.Oklahoma City Thunder Draft Picks, Basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 25, 2012. With their first round pick the SuperSonics selected Kevin Durant from Texas and forwards Carl Landry and Glen Davis in the second round. Davis and Landry were traded on draft day to the Boston Celtics and the Houston RocketsAssociated Press (June 29, 2007). Rockets draft Oregon's Brooks; pick up Landry in trade, ESPN.com. Retrieved June 25, 2012. respectively.
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 2 Kevin Durant SF Texas 2 32 Carl Landry PF Purdue 2 35 Glen Davis (traded to Boston) PF LSU
Pre-season The SuperSonics kicked off a ten-game pre-season on October 9, with a 98–104 loss visiting the Sacramento Kings. Following a victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers in their next match three days later, the SuperSonics went on a 5-game losing streak before closing the exhibition tour with a victory against the Phoenix Suns in Vancouver, Canada.
Game log
| 1 | October 9 | @ Sacramento | | Damien Wilkins (18) | Nick Collison (9) | Delonte West (6) | ARCO Arena13,284 | 0–1 |- | 2 | October 12 | @ Cleveland | | Chris Wilcox (20) | Nick Collison (11) | Earl Watson (6) | Quicken Loans Arena15,878 | 1–1 |- | 3 | October 13 | @ Indiana | | Kevin Durant (21) | Mouhamed Sene (15) | Four players (4) | Conseco Fieldhouse10,796 | 1–2 |- | 4 | October 18 | @ L. A. Lakers | | Kevin Durant (19) | Robert Swift (8) | Luke Ridnour (8) | Bakersfield, California6,016 | 1–3 |- | 5 | October 20 | Houston | | Kevin Durant (25) | Kurt Thomas (12) | Delonte West (7) | KeyArena10,854 | 1–4 |- | 6 | October 23 | Golden State | | Damien Wilkins (27) | Chris Wilcox (12) | Earl Watson (14) | KeyArena9,861 | 1–5 |- | 7 | October 24 | @ Portland | | Nick Collison (17) | Chris Wilcox (7) | Luke Ridnour (8) | Rose Garden11,342 | 1–6 |- | 8 | October 26 | Phoenix | | Chris Wilcox (27) | Nick Collison (11) | Delonte West (9) | General Motors Place17,704 | 2–6
Roster
Regular season Kevin Durant and Jeff Green's regular season debuts were in doubt, since each player had to deal with sprained ankle injuries during the pre-season.Associated Press (October 27, 2007). Durant questionable for Sonics' opener; Green sprains left ankle, ESPN.com. Retrieved June 26, 2012. Durant managed to return in time for the season opener on Halloween night, scoring 18 points in a loss against the Denver Nuggets.Graham, Pat. Associated Press. Nuggets bottle up Durant, beat Sonics, USA Today, November 1, 2007. Retrieved June 26, 2012. After their home opener (a loss against the Phoenix Suns), chances for the team to remain in Seattle took a heavy blow, as Sonics' owner Clay Bennett made public his desire to relocate the team to Oklahoma City.Associated Press (November 3, 2007). Owner seeks NBA approval to move Sonics to Oklahoma, USA Today. Retrieved June 26, 2012. The SuperSonics remained on a losing streak that reached 8 games,2007–08 Seattle SuperSonics Schedule and Results, Basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2012. their worst start in franchise history,Associated Press (November 14, 2007). Magic Throttle Sonics, Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved June 26, 2012. and remained the only team in the league without a win before defeating the Miami Heat, followed by a Durant game-winner two days later to get past the Atlanta Hawks.Associated Press (November 16, 2007). Wilkins scores 41, but Durant's 3-pointer clinches Sonics' double-OT win, ESPN.com. Retrieved June 26, 2012. The SuperSonics finished the month of November snapping a 6-game losing streak with their first home victory in a game against the Indiana Pacers, with Durant scoring a career-high 35 points.Associated Press (November 30, 2007). Durant scores career-high 35 to lead Sonics over Pacers, 95–93, The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 26, 2012. Before the win against the Pacers, the Sonics were 0–7 at home.
The Sonics registered their best record of the season in December, struggling with injuries to Luke Ridnour, Delonte West and Kurt Thomas adding to the absence of center Robert Swift.Stevens, Jayda. Still Mending , December 10, 2007. Retrieved June 26, 2012.Allen, Percy Swift at a standstill, The Seattle Times, December 23, 2007. Retrieved June 26, 2012. Kevin Durant matched again his career-high 35 points in a win against the Milwaukee Bucks,Associated Press (December 7, 2007). Durant scores 35 as Sonics beat Bucks, 104–98, The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 26, 2012. one of their four victories at home that month. After a 2–3 road trip that ended with a loss against the Utah Jazz in which the Sonics were held to one of their lowest scoring outputs in the season, the team returned to the KeyArena to close the year with a 5-game homestand.
After a loss against the Philadelphia 76ers in the last game of 2007, the Sonics went on their longest losing streak of the season, dropping their first 13 games of January in a combined franchise worst 14-game losing streak.Booth, Tim. Associated Press (January 27, 2008). Sonics drop a heartbreaker to Kings, 103–101, The Seattle Times. Retrieved Jun 26, 2012. During the first games of the month, the team were without the services of their second best scorer Chris Wilcox2007–08 Seattle SuperSonics Roster and Statistics, Basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2012. and point guard Luke Ridnour, who were sidelined with injuries.Allen, Percy. Sonics vs. Lakers | Wilcox, Ridnour could reignite offense, The Seattle Times, January 14, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2012. The Sonics halted the streak by defeating the defending champions San Antonio Spurs and proceeded to win their next two games at home.
After managing to win only 2 of their 16 games in January, the SuperSonics finished February with a 4–8 record and snapped an 8-game losing streak of road games with a victory against the Sacramento Kings, obtaining their first road win since mid-December. Robert Swift returned from his injuries and played his first game since November 11 in a loss against the Chicago Bulls,Associated Press (February 4, 2008). Smith returns to starting lineup, leads Bulls past Sonics, ESPN.com. Retrieved June 26, 2012. but would be sidelined for the remainder of the season after two more appearances.Robert Swift 2007–08 Game Log, Basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2012. The SuperSonics reached the All-Star break with a 13–38 record, 10 games behind their worst record in franchise history at the time.Oklahoma City Thunder Franchise Index, Basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2012. Rookies Kevin Durant and Jeff Green participated in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge against the second-year players.Durant, Green and Roy to play in Rookie Challenge game , The Seattle Times, January 30, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2012. Near the trade deadline, the Sonics sent Kurt Thomas to the San Antonio Spurs for Brent Barry, Francisco Elson and a 2009 second round draft pick.Allen, Percy. Sonics trade Kurt Thomas to Spurs, The Seattle Times, February 20, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2012. Barry was waived the next day.Evans, Jayda. No Bones in Seattle , The Seattle Times, February 21, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2012. The Sonics made one more move before the deadline, that sent Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls.Allen, Percy. Sonics trade Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West to Cavs, The Seattle Times, February 21, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2012.