SEATTLE (AP) -The Seattle SuperSonics acquired veteran forward Kurt Thomas and the Phoenix Suns’ first-round draft choices in 2008 and 2010 on Friday in exchange for a conditional second-round draft choice.
Seattle also used its $9 million trade exception with Phoenix to complete the deal. The Sonics gained the exception from Orlando earlier this month when they completed a sign-and-trade deal that sent Rashard Lewis to the Magic.
Thomas, who turns 35 in October, averaged a career-low 4.6 points per game in 67 games last season while averaging just 18 minutes. But he does provide the veteran presence Seattle was seeking to tutor Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, the second and fifth overall selections in last month’s draft.
The Sonics, who finished 31-51 last season, traded leading scorer Ray Allen to Boston last month. Then Lewis, their second-leading scorer, joined Orlando.
Seattle now holds five first-round picks over the next three drafts.
“The picks are huge for us,” said new Sonics general manager Sam Presti, the league’s youngest GM at 30.
Thomas comes at the price the rebuilding Sonics were seeking. He has one season left on a contract that will pay him $8.1 million next season.
The deal provides some salary cap relief for Phoenix, which had the NBA’s fourth-highest payroll last season at $76.4 million.
Earlier this month, the Suns signed veteran Grant Hill to a contract that will pay him about $1.8 million for the 2007-08 season. They also traded forward James Jones and the draft rights to Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez, the 24th overall pick in the draft, to Portland for $3 million.
“We are doing everything we can to keep our core group together,” said Suns general manager Steve Kerr. “Sometimes in doing so, you have difficult decisions to make.”
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