On the other end of the spectrum, this has to be harsh reality for fans of the Seattle Supersonics. Their team is officially gone and they now they can see it with their own two eyes. The Sonics, at least for now, are dead.

Here is the NBA 2K9 video featuring the Oklahoma City Thunder and their jerseys:

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Delonte West, who was one of the best players for the Cleveland Cavaliers last year in the NBA playoffs, has re-signed with the Cavs. The Cavs acquired West from the Seattle Supersonics in the three-team mega deal that also brought Ben Wallace to Cleveland.

Last year in the playoffs, West started at point guard. This year, things will be different. The Cavs traded for Mo Williams and he will be the team’s starting point guard. However, that doesn’t mean West won’t play. He should see many minutes behind Williams and even next to Williams.

As far as fantasy basketball is concerned, West is still an intriguing fantasy prospect. He can score a bit, pass adequately, get some steals and he’s a pretty good rebounder for his size. If he gets enough minutes, he could be a player that helps you out in a lot of statistical categories. The main question will be how much he’s going to play.

Look for Williams, West and Daniel Gibson to vie for minutes next to LeBron James in the 2008-09 NBA season for the Cavs.

Photo: Newscom

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5. Charlotte Bobcats
Larry Brown will turn around the Bobcats. That said, it likely isn’t a one year project. Expect a few headaches this year until LB can get the team playing the way he wants.

4. Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are starting to assemble a nice amount of talent. If Pau Gasol’s brother pans out, the Grizzlies could surprise.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder
The former Seattle Supersonics still won’t be ready for the big time. However, with a future Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook, the future is bright in Oklahoma.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are still reeling from the Kevin Garnett trade. Although they have good talent, that talent isn’t going to provide many wins this year.

1. New Jersey Nets
The Nets don’t seem too concerned with winning basketball games. The summer of 2010 and a shot at LeBron James can’t come soon enough for New Jersey.

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Miles is a young shooting guard prospect who has shown promise in limited action. Originally a second round pick, Miles projects to be a good scoring shooting guard once he gets ample playing time.

The question surrounding Miles is when he will get that playing time. In the 2008-09 season, don’t expect Miles to start or even play big minutes. He’ll probably average around 15 minutes per game as the Jazz slowly give him more playing time. In a redraft fantasy basketball league, Miles still won’t be worth a draft pick next season.

However, in a dynasty league, Miles is a player who definitely should be considered a sleeper because his potential two or three years down the line is very good.

CJ Miles is back with the Utah Jazz.

Photo: Newscom

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After a long legal battle, the Sonics finally got out of their lease and are free to move. How will this impact the fantasy basketball world? There won’t be any cut and dry reactions to this move but there should be some subtle changes.

In the team’s last year in Seattle, they didn’t get much crowd support. The city of Seattle new that they were likely in a lame duck situation and it was difficult for the fans to be as rowdy as usual. However, in Oklahoma City, expect the opposite to be true. The fans will be very loud and will bring energy every night. That should help the Sonics and could result in a handful of home victories that otherwise would have been losses.

For players across the board in fantasy basketball, this is good news. It may be a sad day in Seattle but if you are an owner of a Sonics players, the short-term outlook is positive.

What will the new Oklahoma City NBA team be called? Two options getting a lot of publicity are the Oklahoma City Barons and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Bayless, who stands around 6-foot-3, is a combo guard who will likely play more point guard than shooting guard in the NBA. He’s not a true point guard but by all accounts he has the work ethic and the skills to make the transition to point guard.

Right now, Bayless’ ability to score the ball is his best asset. He’s not only good at shooting the outside shot and getting to the rim, he also is very good in the mid-range game. He can shoot off the dribble, which is becoming an increasingly rare attribute for young players.

A lot of 2008 NBA mock drafts have Bayless going fourth to the Seattle Supersonics. If he does go fourth, he’ll likely start at point guard for a good part of the season. He’ll also see time at shooting guard, especially if the Sonics keep both Earl Watson and Luke Ridnour.

Bayless was able to put up good stats as a freshman at Arizona and should be able to do the same in the NBA in his rookie year. With minutes, Bayless should be able to average between 12 to 15 points and 4 to 6 assists. He’ll likely be a sleeper heading into the 2008-09 fantasy basketball season but he could easily be one of the very best fantasy players from this rookie class.

Here is a Jerryd Bayless video that talks more about his abilities:

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2. Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks
Rookies don’t come much more solid than Al Horford. He walked into the NBA and was a very good player from day 1. If he can become even better offensively, he could become a franchise player. The Hawks have to be very excited with their pick.

3. Al Thornton, Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers didn’t have many things to be excited about this year, but Al Thornton was one of the few bright spots. He’s a multi-positional forward who can score, rebound and is as tough as they come. Going forward, he has a chance to be a very good fantasy player.

4. Jamario Moon, Toronto Raptors
Jamario Moon started most of the season and was helpful in fantasy basketball in a number of areas. He can score a bit, shoot a bit, rebound, block shots and get steals. If he remains in the starting lineup, he could have a huge amount of fantasy potential next season.

5. Luis Scola, Houston Rockets
Once Yao Ming went down injured, Luis Scola stepped up and became the best bigman on the Rockets. The overseas veteran was an NBA rookie who made a very successful transition. Scola should be an even better player next season.

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1) Miami Heat
Pat Riley knows how to win and he also knows how to tank. Everyone on his team who is any sort of NBA player is out with a supposed injury. The team putting up 54 points earlier in the week wasn’t by accident. This team is in full tank mode and you should avoid getting caught up in the mix.

2) New York Knicks
Isiah Thomas has all but announced his tanking desires recently. He’s sitting a good number of his quality players and is no longer holding out hope for the playoffs. A few players who could actually benefit from the tanking are David Lee, Wilson Chandler and Randolph Morris.

3) Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies had high hopes coming into the season. When the team started off poorly and the chemistry was obviously lacking, the team traded away Pau Gasol and initiated their tanking.

4) Seattle Supersonics
The Supersonics started their tanking before the season when they traded away Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. Their season has been one long drawn out tank job.

5) Minnesota Timberwolves
Like the Sonics, the Timberwolves began their tanking this summer when they traded Kevin Garnett. Now in full tank mode, expect them to shut down their star players soon.

Read more about the NBA at NBA Obsessed. Get your college basketball fix and the latest info about March Madness from College Fast Break.

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Beno Udrih, Sacramento Kings
The Kings gave a lot of reasons for why they traded Mike Bibby, but perhaps the biggest reason was because the team thinks it has found a better point guard in Beno Udrih. Udrih is a player who can score, pass and play a little defense. His stats should remain good until the end of the season, considering he’s playing for a contract right now.

Travis Diener, Indiana Pacers
Travis Diener is filling in for Jamaal Tinsley and is filling in nicely. While he’s not much of a defender, that doesn’t matter in fantasy basketball. Diener produces a decent number of points, assists and three-pointers made. He also does a good job of not turning the ball over much.

Earl Watson, Seattle Supersonics
After struggling with his shot horrifically for a stretch of games, Earl Watson as seemingly found his jumper once again. With his jumper returning to his repertoire, he’s now a much better fantasy basketball player. While the Sonics have a number of point guard options, it’s obvious that Watson is their best option at the moment.

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How did Barry become a free agent? After being traded to the Seattle Supersonics along with Francisco Elson and a draft pick for Kurt Thomas, the Sonics made another trade that forced them to waive a player. Barry was the player who Seattle decided to waive.

The 36-year-old Barry is a guy who can shoot three-pointers at a great clip. He’s also an accomplished passer and playmaker. Those skills are highly needed around the league. Since Barry is a veteran player, most league pundits believe that he’ll end up with a championship contender.

Which teams make most sense for him? The Suns and Warriors like to run-and-gun and Barry would fit right into that type of attack. Word out of Phoenix is that signing Barry is a top priority for the Suns. The Lakers could always use more shooters. The Rockets could use a playmaking guard.

The Mavs are looking to fill some holes after the Jason Kidd trade. Celtics reportedly have interest in Barry. And don’t forget about the Spurs. San Antonio is expected to attempt to re-sign Barry.

In terms of fantasy basketball potential, Barry would do best to go to a team like the Suns or Warriors. He’d get to put up a lot of shots on those two teams, without having to worry too much about playing defense. This season on the Spurs, he wasn’t really playing enough minutes to make much of a fantasy impact. If he returns to San Antonio, expect that to remain the same.

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