Szczerbiak has "a lot left" for Sonics

The most accomplished player on this teething Sonics roster is answering questions about his career.

Like, does he still have one?

Wally Szczerbiak neither smiles nor frowns. He looks straight ahead and makes a case that, yes, he will stay healthy this season, and, no, he hasn't lost the skills that once made him an All-Star. He is pleasant yet edgy, confident approaching cocky.

"I should have a lot left," Szczerbiak says. "I didn't play many games last year."

The past few years have been one achy blur. Only Michael Jackson's nose has been operated on more than Szczerbiak's left leg.

First it was his knee, then his ankle. Last season, the ankle caused him to miss 50 games and shoot a career-low 41.5 percent.

Now he's in Seattle, playing for his third team since January 2006. He's the most recognizable acquisition from the Ray Allen trade, and his $12 million salary is the biggest on the Sonics' payroll.

Most consider him a snake-bitten has-been, just a guy tossed into a big trade to meet salary-cap requirements. Szczerbiak, whose moxie reportedly created locker-room friction during his days in Minnesota, sees himself differently. So does his new team.

The Sonics say he's more than just a contract that will evaporate in two years. Without question, the franchise is positioning itself to have cap flexibility when Szczerbiak's $63 million deal expires. They are committed to a little less than $23 million in salary for the 2009-10 season right now, so they could be big spenders in the 2009 free-agent grab.

In the meantime, however, there is still the issue of putting together a competitive team. The Sonics need a healthy Szczerbiak.

New coach P.J. Carlesimo has been impressed so far. He believes the swingman "still has a lot left." Szczerbiak looks good. He's still a great shooter. He's moving without pain. He's showing encouraging signs.

"Wally wasn't a throw-in to the Ray Allen deal or something like that," Carlesimo insists. "It wasn't like we did it for Delonte West and Jeff Green and not the other guy. We did it for three reasons. I think those guys will bear out."

Minnesota traded Szczerbiak to Boston in 2006 after six-plus good seasons. He wound up playing only 64 games for the Celtics before being sent to Seattle.

If Szczerbiak stays healthy, the Sonics have a player who will average between 15 and 18 points, shoot nearly 50 percent and about 40 percent from three-point range.

After the June trade, Szczerbiak was upset. He's from Long Island and didn't want to move his wife and two daughters so far west. But the Sonics, starting with general manager Sam Presti and continuing with Carlesimo, convinced him Seattle was the proper place to resurrect his career.

Presti expressed his admiration for Szczerbiak's efficient scoring and toughness. A few days later, after he was hired, Carlesimo explained how much Szczerbiak could help the young Sonics.

"I'll be quite honest, I wasn't looking forward to the move," Szczerbiak said. "Then, after getting a chance to talk with Sam and P.J., that got me pretty motivated. Now I really like it. I think it's going to be a welcome change for me.

"I've said I'll play basketball anywhere. I'll do it on the moon."

During rehab this past offseason, Szczerbiak played in a New York summer league and worked with New England Patriots quarterback Vinny Testaverde and his Long Island trainer. Szczerbiak learned many tips from Testaverde, who turns 44 in November.

The trainer helped Szczerbiak rediscover his explosiveness through exercises that included plyometrics and bungee cords.

Now he says he's a 30-year-old player in the middle of his prime again, not a one-legged former All-Star.

"It's like a fighter who's been put to the mat," Szczerbiak says. "You've got to get up and keep going, no matter what round it is."

Szczerbiak and Kurt Thomas are the most veteran players on this remade roster. They're the only Sonics who've been in the league longer than six years. Nine of the 14 players with guaranteed contracts have three years' experience or less.

The Sonics aren't just a basketball franchise anymore. They're a nursery.

Szczerbiak is in a different position. He's a team sage. A player once accused of being selfish is now looked at as a leader. For certain, this is an opportunity for reinvention.

"He's got a nasty side — a nice nasty side," Carlesimo says of Szczerbiak. "He's always had a bit of an edge. He's strong. He doesn't mind hitting people.

"Yeah, he's a scorer, but I like the other things he brings to the table."

If health is among the traits, those green, outmanned Sonics will have a fiery shooter to assist them.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com. For more columns and the Extra Points blog, visit seattletimes.com/sports