Durant and deals usher in new era for Sonics

NEW YORK — Before the news conference began, Kevin Durant glanced uninterestedly at a television set just as the trade of Ray Allen was being announced.

It took a moment for the news to register.

The newest Sonic did a take. Then he did a double take.

Allen was being traded to Boston for point guard Delonte West, shooter Wally Szczerbiak and the fifth pick, which turned out to be Big East player of the year Jeff Green.

In one blink, the Sonics had become younger, faster and fresher. They had become longer, more interchangeable, more athletic. A gaggle of players between 6 feet 9 and 6-11 who can play.

In one dramatic night, they had become much better.

This much we learned in the first draft of the Sam Presti Era. The new Sonics general manager isn't going to be passive. He isn't going to be shy. He is going to shake it up in Seattle. And he is going to demand that defense return to town.

Trading Allen was a message.

This was the time to trade Allen. He's a 31-year-old shooter with ankle problems who has played almost no defense since Nate McMillan left two seasons ago to coach Portland. Allen is on the back side of a brilliant career, and if the Sonics were going to get value in return, a trade had to be made now.

The new GM knows what he's doing.

Granted, he had a can't-miss second pick in the draft, but the 30-year-old Presti did more good on this draft night than his predecessors have done in more than a decade.

"He's a very cool guy," Durant said. "He does look so young. He looks like he could be in one of my college classes. But he's really smart."

Now we can imagine a Sonics starting lineup next season of Durant, Chris Wilcox, West, Szczerbiak and a re-signed Rashard Lewis. Green and Robert Swift will be reserves.

"Ray Allen is a great player and it would have been fun learning from him," Durant said, "but Delonte West and Szczerbiak are not bad at all. They're great players and I am looking forward to playing with them.

"Jeff and Delonte are from D.C. [as is Durant], so it's going to be an easy transition knowing those two guys. Jeff, Rashard and I are not small forwards. All three of us can play the five, the four and the three."

With Allen gone, there is no financial reason the Sonics shouldn't sign free agent Lewis. And Durant even lobbied for Lewis' return.

"Rashard Lewis can do just about anything on the floor, and I try to do just about anything on the floor," he said. "We all [Durant, Lewis and Green] complement each other very well. It's going to be fun learning from those two guys. And I can't wait."

This is the new Sonics plan. Get younger, hungrier, more entertaining.

Durant was the best player in college. He has a combination of Kevin Garnett's imagination, Rick Barry's healthy avarice, Dirk Nowitzki's range and Tracy McGrady's versatility.

In almost every other draft he would have been the No. 1 pick. He's a combination player, meaning he's a combination of everything that's good in basketball.

"On more than one occasion, I've been awestruck by what he can do," said Spencer Hawes, the Washington center who was taken 10th by Sacramento.

Durant's game came together this season at Texas, where he averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds.

"I did some things last year, I kind of surprised myself," Durant said. "I didn't know I could do. I didn't know I could hit a fadeaway jump shot before I went to college. I never thought I could demand so much [defensive] attention. I never thought I'd get double-teamed in college. I gained a lot of confidence this year."

Green is a do-everything coach's dream. And, like Durant, he can play almost everywhere on the floor.

"What they [Durant and Green] did in college will translate at the next level," said John Thompson III, Green's coach at Georgetown. "Obviously the Sonics are still in the process of finding a coach, but Jeff will be prepared and able to play whatever way the coach asks him to play. Jeff is completely selfless. He'll do whatever the organization asks of him.

"Both Kevin and Jeff can score and score in different ways. They can put a lot of pressure on the defense. And Jeff is also a helper. Jeff Green, because of who he is as a person and also because of his skill set, can do whatever the Sonics ask of him."

Still, Durant is the superstar of this new, improved team.

He can win scoring titles. Just as important, he can lead this franchise that was neglected and left for dead by ex-owner Howard Schultz.

"Seattle is getting two very good players and two very good people," Thompson said. "I don't know what the climate is like in Seattle, but I think these two people are two people the city can get excited about."

When commissioner David Stern announced her son was chosen by Seattle, Wanda Pratt cried. She remembered Durant was "between 9 and 11" years old when he first told his parents he wanted to play in the NBA. She encouraged him to chase his dream.

"I told him that if you have dreams, then you have to make a plan, then you have to set goals," she said. "We saw the natural progression that led to this night."

Still, he comes to a new city with all the extra pressure of being a super salesman as well as a superstar.

"I don't think that's a lot of pressure to put on a kid. He's just going out there to play basketball," Durant's father, Wayne Pratt, said. "They've got a new GM, who comes from a championship-type environment. He's going to put some pieces around that team to make them successful.

"Kevin's in a great city and I think the city will surround him and support him and he'll do great out there. He put in all the hard work to get to this point. He understood he had to make some sacrifices and he made those sacrifices. He really took off."

And now he'll be asked to lift these very new, very different, much-improved Sonics off the NBA's junk heap.

Steve Kelley: 206-464-2176 or skelley@seattletimes.com