<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">NEW YORK ? Danny Fortson confirmed Tuesday that he asked for a buyout last month after the Sonics were unable to trade him. He said team officials denied his request, however, and told him he'd have to finish the final year of his deal. "I brought it up in a conversation with Bob Hill and Rick [Sund]," Fortson said. "They basically said they could use me and we all agreed that I can go out and help them get to the playoffs. So I'm here." Still, Fortson's heart and mind may be elsewhere. Hill said he planned to use Fortson in Seattle's 100-99 victory against New York on Tuesday before Fortson missed the morning's shoot-around workout. "If he would have come to the walk-through everything would have been cool," Hill said. "If he comes late to the walk-through and he's a starter, then he doesn't start. If he's on the bench, then his minutes are cut. If you don't come, you don't play." When asked if the Sonics would be better served if they bought out the remainder of Fortson's $7 million contract, Hill said: "That's not for me to say. That's for ownership to [decide]." Sund, the Sonics' general manager, declined comment.</div> Source I'm surprised the team didn't agree to the buyout request. Why not save some money, and give him a chance to join a playoff contender?
<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Source I'm surprised the team didn't agree to the buyout request. Why not save some money, and give him a chance to join a playoff contender?</div> Because if he misses a certain number of games as a Sonic there is an insurance policy that picks up the majority of his salary. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">One of the issues the team does not like to discuss but plays a major role in decisions regarding Fortson is insurance, which picks up 80 percent of games Fortson misses because of injury. If the Sonics waive or suspend Fortson, they could have a difficult time getting the insurance money.</div> Link
The inevitable has finally happened. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">BOSTON -- Danny Fortson may have played his final game with the Sonics. He vowed to be dedicated in the final six weeks of the season to help the club make a push for the postseason, but his first road trip in weeks has been a disaster and it may have come to a head at Suffolk University in downtown Boston. Fortson was expected to practice along with the rest of the reserves but didn't show up, much to the chagrin of coach Bob Hill. "I don't know what I'm going to do yet," Hill said. Hill said Fortson was told he needed to attend practice that was mandatory for reserves while the starters got the day off. All the reserves -- Damien Wilkins, Andre Brown, Mike Wilks, Mouhamed Sene, Johan Petro and Mickael Gelabale -- showed and when Fortson was told by trainer Mike Shimensky that he was expected to show at the 3 p.m. workout, he apparently told Shimensky that he was informed he was not required to show. Shimensky told him he was, and Fortson promised to take a cab to the college, which is less than 2 miles from the team hotel. He never showed and the Sonics conducted an intense 90-minute practice without him. Fortson told the P-I last week that he was as healthy as he had been in 18 months and was ready to contribute off the bench. Hill specifically brought Fortson on the trip to face New York's mammoth center Eddy Curry, but Fortson missed the team's shoot-around Tuesday and was benched for the game. He participated in the shoot-around Wednesday but did not play against the Philadelphia 76ers because Hill felt Fortson couldn't keep up with the pace of the Philadelphia big men. Hill said he rested the starters Thursday because of the team's 38 percent shooting clip in the 92-89 loss to the 76ers. Fortson had not played since Jan. 5, so it's curious why he thought he was not required to attend the workout. Hill said he is undecided about how to discipline Fortson but the club could potentially suspend Fortson -- with pay -- for the rest of the season. The organization has long questioned his desire but general manager Rick Sund informed Fortson he would not be traded before the deadline.</div> Link
