Dubbed “Heavy D”, Small Forward, Derrick McKey was considered by many to be a consummate team player.  A good defensive player, McKey would put together three straight seasons for the SuperSonics where he averaged over 15 Points per Game.  The former SEC Player of the Year was a popular figure in Seattle and loved for his consistent game and while he would be named to a pair of Second Team All-Defensive squads with the Indiana Pacers it was with Seattle where he was at his best offensively.

One of the most popular players in Seattle SuperSonics history, “The X-Man”, Xavier McDaniel was an All Star in 1998 and would average over 20 Points per Game with Seattle.  The beloved forward would help the Sonics go deep into the playoffs multiple times, even when he was used in a bench role.  McDaniel would post decent numbers as an offensive rebounder, a trait that would make him popular everywhere he went.

You hear a lot about "glue guys" in the NBA and the players that may not be statistical beasts but have an intangible that makes a team want to keep them.  Such a player was Nick Collison, who was a star at the University of Kansas but was a bench player with the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder for all fourteen (2004-05 to 2017-18) seasons in the NBA.  Collison rotated between Power Forward and Center, where he helped them reach the 2012 Finals and always provided leadership and stability.  While his overall averages of 20.2 Minutes, 5.9 Points and 5.2 Rebounds per Game may not seem impressive, there is a reason why his #4 was the first jersey retired after the team relocated to Oklahoma City.

Seattle is a beautiful city, but for Dale Ellis it had to be a paradise after being traded there.