Sonics make flurry of deals before NBA trade deadline

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Roughly two hours after the noon PST trading deadline today, the NBA approved a four-team, nine-player trade that sent Sonics forward Reggie Evans to Denver in exchange for Nuggets guard Earl Watson, Bryon Russell and a future second-round pick from Denver. The deal also shipped Vitaly Potapenko to Sacramento.

In addition, Denver received guards Ruben Patterson and Charles Smith from Portland, the Trail Blazers pick up Denver's Voshon Lenard and Sacramento's Brian Skinner, and the Kings take Portland's Sergei Monia and Potapenko.

The Sonics also traded guard Ronald Murray to Cleveland for guard Mike Wilks, but that deal is waiting league approval.

Watson signed a five-year, $29 million contract with the Nuggets in the offseason, but played sparingly behind Andre Miller and Earl Boykins. Watson, who is 6 feet 1, played for the Sonics in the 2001-02 season. This season with Denver, he has averaged 7.5 points and 3.5 assists in 46 games. Watson is expected to fly to Orlando and should be available for Friday night's game. Russell has appeared in just one game for Denver this season.

Evans and Potapenko had asked for a trade when coach Bob Hill replaced fired Bob Weiss on Jan. 3. Evans averaged 5.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in 41 games for the Sonics this season. Potapenko played in just 24 games, averaging 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds.

Murray averaged 9.9 points in 48 games this season for the Sonics. Wilks, a 26-year-old, 5-10 guard, will be joining his sixth team in four NBA seasons. He played in 37 games this season for Cleveland, averaging just 6.6 minutes and 1.1 points.