Bennett ready for team to begin OKC transition

Clay Bennett wants to immediately move the team formerly known as the Sonics to Oklahoma City. Most of the front-office staff at the team's downtown office, however, will remain in Seattle for at least the next three months.

When Bennett sold the Storm for $10 million in January to a group of four local investors, the sale agreement required the NBA team to provide marketing, game operations and public-relations support for the Storm during the WNBA season.

So while a few upper-level executives, including vice president Brian Byrnes, have been dispatched to Oklahoma City, the rest of the staff will remain in Seattle until the Storm season concludes in September — or October, if the team makes a deep playoff run.

Interim team president Danny Barth and general manager Sam Presti will oversee the relocation.

"The transition and the move of this operation and this team begins tomorrow morning from Seattle to Oklahoma City," Bennett said Wednesday. "And it begins with the most important piece of our organization — it begins with our players."

In the past three days, there has been little activity at the Furtado Center, the team's practice facility, because most players live out of town during the offseason and the coaching staff is in Orlando, Fla., preparing for the Orlando Pro Summer League, which starts Monday. Forward Jeff Green and rookie guard Russell Westbrook will star in the debut of the Oklahoma City team.

Meanwhile, team employees are contemplating offers to move to Oklahoma City. Every employee will receive a bonus for staying with the team the past two years. Those who do not move will be given severance pay.

Anyone who leaves can negotiate a relocation package; however, employees were told to expect a decrease in salary because the cost of living is lower in Oklahoma City.

According to team sources, only a handful of employees have expressed interest in leaving.

During testimony in the team's trial against the city of Seattle, Barth said many of the team's 125 employees had resigned, including vice president Chip Bowers, who accepted a similar position with the Orlando Magic.

Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or pallen@seattletimes.com