Peyton Unhappy and will it help Mavs sign Lewis?

[pepperfletch]

Here is an part of an Article out of the Portland paper:

Gary Payton has asked the Seattle SuperSonics to trade him, and he is threatening to not report when training camp opens next month.
“They don’t think he’s serious,” says Aaron Goodwin, Payton’s agent, “but he is.”
Payton has long been at odds with Wally Walker, the Sonics’ president and chief executive officer. Payton, who enters the final season of a seven-year, $85 million contract this fall, has been seeking an extension since last season that would give him maximum money over the next six years — a deal starting at about $14 million and totaling nearly $100 million.
Had the Sonics offered a compromise — four years, $66 million and an opportunity to work with them upon retirement — Payton, who has played his 12-year career in Seattle, probably would have accepted.
Neither scenario was going to happen. Payton is 34, and the cost-conscious Sonics intend to let their star guard’s contract expire before negotiating a new deal.
Walker declined to comment, but last week owner Howard Schultz told the Seattle Times that fans should not interpret “the Sonics’ difficulty in extending Gary with a lack of loyalty. We are loyal and committed to Gary Payton … when (next season) is over, just like John Stockton and David Robinson, let’s sit down and assess the situation. We have every intention (to re-sign him), and hope that Gary wants to be here.”
Payton doesn’t, according to Goodwin.
“At this point, Gary doesn’t want to be taken care of by Seattle,” Goodwin told the Tribune. “Gary wanted to retire a Sonic, but he has been mistreated and lied to by Seattle. It is evident to him the Sonics have no intention of including him in their future. At this point, he would prefer to leave. He wants an exit out of there.”

Now IMO I think Lewis has to be getting more and more fed up with the whole Seattle mess.
Donnie Nelson says Lewis is basically making a decision where he will play for the next 10 years and that Lewis will make a decision based on his feeling respected and wanted as much as the money....IF that is true.....then I say he ends up here and pretty soon!!!

[Hoopsmeister]

Well, it certainly can't hurt us.

In the first place, Payton has been the Sonics franchise for years. Which means any rising young star can look at how they treat Payton and see how they are going to be treated when the end of their career is in sight.

In the second place, an unhappy Payton will make the Sonics lockerroom hellish next year.

And if he's not in the lockerroom, Seattle is joining Denver at the bottom of the Western barrel next year.