Sonics: Clock is ticking on Lewis' decision
By DANNY O'NEIL
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
Free-agent forward Rashard Lewis has been eligible to sign a contract since July 17, but in two months, he has visited only three NBA teams.
Now, it may only be a matter of days before Lewis decides on his destination next season.
The Sonics have given their unrestricted free agent a timetable for a decision, according to several sources. It's believed the Sonics want to know by this week whether Lewis will re-sign with the team, or accept less money to play for the Dallas Mavericks.
Sonics general manager Rick Sund would not discuss whether a deadline or timetable had been set in negotiations with Lewis, but did speak in general terms.
"It's in everyone's best interest for a decision to be made soon," Sund said.
Carl Poston, Lewis' agent, did not return phone calls, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wrote in an e-mail that he was not aware of any new developments regarding Lewis.
Lewis has been considered the top free-agent priority for the Sonics after he was the team's No. 2 scorer (16.8 points) and No. 1 rebounder (7.0) last season. He has played four years with Seattle since being selected in the second round of the 1998 draft out of Alief Elsik High School, outside Houston. The Sonics have offered him a seven-year contract worth a guaranteed $60 million, with an additional $15 million in All-Star-related incentives.
The Mavericks cannot offer Lewis a starting salary of more than $4.5 million, $400,000 less than the salary Lewis would have received next season from the Sonics had he not opted out of the final season of a three-year deal he signed with the team in 2000. Lewis opted out of the final season of the contract to become a free agent after the season concluded.
If Lewis signed with the Mavericks, it would most likely be a three-year contract worth about $15 million, approximately $6 million less than he would be paid during the first three years of the contract Seattle has offered. The potential benefit? After three years Lewis could sign a lucrative, long-term deal with the Mavericks.
The Sonics have not changed their offer to Lewis in terms of guaranteed money, and now it appears Lewis will have to take what's on the table from the Sonics, or accept less from Dallas.
Training camp opens Oct. 1, and the Sonics have brought three free agents -- Popeye Jones, Lee Nailon and Walt Williams -- to town in the past four weeks. There also have been discussions regarding Scott Burrell, a member of the Bulls' NBA title team in 1998.
It's uncertain whether the Sonics will add a free agent if Lewis re-signs, because if Lewis accepts the Sonics' offer, the team will most likely be paying a luxury tax, and would be more hesitant to add another free-agent salary to the payroll.
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