Seattle saw Sonics rookie Kevin Durant bloom

He's already gone.

One of the most magical rookies to ever step foot in Seattle has already caught a plane to his hometown of Washington, D.C., to begin an offseason of schoolwork and working out. Whether Seattle sees Kevin Durant again depends on the results of numerous court dates ahead.

The rookie's first-season display can be likened to that of the Mariners' Ichiro in his impressive first season in this town. But if Sonics owner Clay Bennett's bid to move the team succeeds, fans will miss the opportunity to see the growth of one of the franchise's brightest talents develop in Seattle, as did Spencer Haywood, Fred Brown, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and even Rashard Lewis.

Durant, the 19-year-old selected No. 2 overall from Texas, finished as the leading scorer for a first-year Sonics player, averaging 20.3 points and 4.4 rebounds. His scoring average is better than that of eight of the past 10 rookies of the year. And only All-Stars Carmelo Anthony (21.0), LeBron James (20.9), and Elton Brand (20.1) have averaged 20 points or more since 2000.

On Thursday, Durant won his fifth rookie of the month honor and is the favorite for rookie of the year. He cast the final vote himself with a season-high 42 points and 13 rebounds in a 126-121 win at Golden State.

"He's been really good all year," said fifth-year Sonics forward Nick Collison, "and especially the last few months, he's become a lot more efficient and his shooting percentage has become much higher. He's had a big role on his shoulders. For a rookie to step in and be asked to carry the scoring load and be the face of the franchise, he's just been great."

Even Durant will admit he started the season wild. Since the draft, he was told to remain aggressive and continue to shoot. For Durant, any shot was a good shot. He kept his shooting percentage above 40 percent until he hit a lull in February (37.6).

But an NBA scout commented while watching Durant play in Utah in March that the rookie was learning to play within the Sonics system and passing more. Working with Brian Keefe, the Sonics' player development assistant, Durant's shooting percentage rose to 52.6 percent that month, even as he played against teams jockeying for playoff position.

"I learned a lot," Durant said of his first season. "Where to get shots from — and I've been working hard after practice all year, and it started to pay off. I started to get things, and I've just got to continue to work to become a better player."

By his side has been Jeff Green, the No. 5 overall draft pick. Green entered the starting lineup in December, when veteran Damien Wilkins struggled offensively, and has stepped up to average 15.4 points and 5.5 rebounds the past 10 games.

"I just had to be patient. I knew my time was going to come, and it came faster than I thought and I was ready," said Green, who also returned to D.C. at season's end. "I'm going to work out with him [Durant] a couple of times just so that we can keep the chemistry going so when next year comes around, it won't take so long for us to get used to each other."

The Sonics have 11 players under contract and room under the salary cap to continue to build around Durant and Green. The team has two first-round picks, with a strong possibility for the No. 1 overall choice to select Derrick Rose of Memphis or Michael Beasley of Kansas State.

First-year general manager Sam Presti would not elaborate on needs for the roster or whether coach P.J. Carlesimo and his staff would be retained, however.

Notes

• Mouhamed Sene had surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee on Monday. During surgery, doctors discovered a chondral defect, which required microfracture surgery. Sene, a second-year center, will be on crutches for six weeks. Presti said Sene will miss training camp and most likely part of the upcoming season. • Sonics assistant general manager Scott Perry is set to take a job as Detroit's vice president of basketball operations.

Jayda Evans: 206-464-2067 or jevans@seattletimes.com