Sonics CEO and president Wally Walker expressed a desire to begin contract negotiations with coach Nate McMillan and general manager Rick Sund.

McMillan, however, has maintained for several months that he prefers to wait until after the season and instructed his agent, Lonnie Cooper, to express his desires to the team.

"They called and we responded back, saying we'd rather wait until the end of the season because we don't want there to be any distractions," Cooper said. "Right now, all we're doing is concentrating on the playoffs."

McMillan, in the final year of a four-year, $10.8 million contract, wanted an extension a year ago. He has publicly said he and the team agreed to wait until his deal expires before starting negotiations.

He began the season on the hot seat after a 37-45 season and a two-year playoff drought. But McMillan is now one of the most coveted NBA coaches after guiding the Sonics to an improbable 52-30 record and receiving consideration for coach of the year.

McMillan has been linked with openings in Minnesota, Cleveland, Orlando and New York.

At yesterday's practice, he declined to respond to questions about contract negotiations, but his stock will only soar higher the longer the Sonics remain in the playoffs.

It's believed McMillan, who has spent his entire NBA career in Seattle, could command an annual salary starting at $4 million. That would be a steep price for the Sonics, who reported losses of $17 million this season.

If McMillan walks away, the Sonics would likely turn to associate coach Dwane Casey, who nearly got the job four years ago and has interviewed twice in Toronto.

Retaining Sund, who joined the team four years ago, will cost a lot less. But it may require the Sonics to outbid a potential suitor in Cleveland, which recently fired GM Jim Paxson.

Yesterday, Sund expressed a desire to remain in Seattle and acknowledged he's talking with Walker about renewing his contract.

"I'm not ready to discuss this publicly right now," Sund said. "It was important for me to go through the season like many of our players, without a contract, because I felt that put us all in the same boat.

"A little while ago, Wally and I talked about some things and we'll see. Everything will take care of itself, and we will address it when the time is right."

Staying focused

Antonio Daniels admits he watches the other playoff series and even raised an eyebrow after Denver defeated San Antonio in their series opener on Sunday. But Daniels said he's not looking past Sacramento.

"I really don't care about those other games because it has nothing to do with us," he said. "I watch it for entertainment, but it has nothing to do with us.

"I don't let myself get caught up in daydreaming about what-if-this or that. Not at all. Not even for a second. Other people might, but we can't afford to do that."

NBA fines Mobley

Sacramento guard Cuttino Mobley was fined $15,000 by the NBA yesterday for making an obscene gesture toward fans at the end of the Kings' first-round playoff game at KeyArena.

Mobley, who scored 22 points in an 87-82 loss, made the gesture after hitting a three-pointer with 42.4 seconds to play that cut the Sonics' lead to 83-82.

Injury update

McMillan said he expects to play Vladimir Radmanovic for 15 to 20 minutes tonight. In his first game since returning from a fracture in his lower right leg, the Sonics reserve forward played 13 minutes Saturday.

His leg is no longer a concern, he said, but his right ankle is still stiff after being immobilized for four weeks in a cast and a protective boot.

Notes

• The Sonics were 3-8 in April. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no team has reached the NBA Finals after posting that low a winning percentage (.273) in the season's final month since the NBA instituted its 16-team playoff format in 1983-1984. The lowest April winning percentage for a team that reached the NBA Finals during that time was .364 by Orlando (4-7) in 1994-1995.

• On Saturday, reserve forward Danny Fortson made his first playoff appearance after 402 NBA games, which was the third-longest stretch among active players.

The Associated Press contributed to the report.