Sonics Notebook | Sund: Fortson focus is health

By all accounts, the Sonics and Danny Fortson are continuing to repair an oftentimes rocky relationship beset with fines, suspensions and Fortson's trade demands.

In the past, general manager Rick Sund has acquiesced when disgruntled players asked for a trade — Vladimir Radmanovic, Vitaly Potapenko, Calvin Booth, etc. — but the Sonics were unable to find anyone who would take Fortson's $6.6 million salary.

Fortson has a year left on his contract, which makes him an attractive commodity for midseason trades. But it's unclear whether he will last that long with the Sonics if he becomes a disruptive presence.

"So far, everything with Danny has been great," Sund said. "He's been here for the past two weeks working out. I don't think that's the question. The real question is how will his knee hold up?"

Fortson played in just two games after coach Bob Hill took over Jan. 3 and missed the final 46 games of the season because of what the team described as a sore left knee.

Privately, several people with knowledge of the situation said Fortson's injury was only part of the reason he wasn't playing, and they described the situation as a potential powder keg.

Although Fortson was instrumental in the Sonics' 2005 playoff run, the 30-year-old power forward doesn't have a role in Hill's system, despite his rebounding and defensive prowess. Chris Wilcox is slated to start, and Nick Collison is the backup.

"Those are decisions for Coach Hill," Sund said. "Again, we'll know [in a few weeks] whether he can go."

The Sonics declined to push Fortson to have offseason surgery to repair the damage in his knee in large part because he preferred to rehabilitate the injury with rest and exercise.

Camp roster at 20?

The Sonics' roster is expected to be released in a few days, but barring a last-minute reversal, they will begin Tuesday's training camp with 20 players.

Along with the 12 players on the payroll, Seattle has extended nonguaranteed contracts to guards Mike Wilks, rookie Denham Brown, Milt Palacio, Kareem Rush and Desmond Farmer, and forwards Noel Felix, Ron Mercer and Kenny Adeleke.

Wilks, acquired in a February trade that sent Ronald Murray to Cleveland, and Felix are holdovers from last season.

Palacio, a seven-year veteran who played with Utah last season as a reserve, was unable to secure a guaranteed deal, and a league source said he's still being pursued by a couple of teams. Rush, a four-year veteran, spent the past season in Charlotte, while Mercer and Farmer were out of the NBA last season. Adeleke was not selected in this year's draft after spending a year at Hartford and three seasons at Hofstra.

The Sonics will likely keep 14 players for the regular season, one shy of the maximum.

Note

• Former Sonic Tom Chambers will be honored at a team ceremony and conduct a children's basketball clinic at 10:45 a.m. Saturday at Daniel Bagley Elementary school.

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