Fri, Jul 20, 2007 at 12:00am

KURT THOMAS HEADS TO SEATTLE

The Seattle SuperSonics acquired forward Kurt Thomas and first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010 from the Phoenix Suns for a second-round draft pick in 2008.

What does it give the Seattle SuperSonics
On paper, this looks like a major heist for the Sonics. That said, they also gave up something else in this deal for Thomas and the first-rounders: the trade exception rights they acquired in the Rashard Lewis sign-and-trade deal with Orlando. The $8 million trade exception effectively netted them the draft picks and Thomas, a solid veteran center who can bring leadership to what is suddenly a very, very young team.

What does it give the Phoenix Suns
As mentioned, this looks like a steal for the Sonics, but at the end of the day it's all about saving money for the Suns. They not only get to drop Thomas' $8.1 Million salary, they also get a trade exception worth about $8 Million. That means they not only shave payroll (key because they were about $10 Million over the cap before this deal), but they now have the flexibility of making a trade over the next year (the length of the exception) without getting dinged with more big bucks against the cap. With Grant Hill aboard they didn't really need Thomas much anymore, so this is a solid move by the Suns.

Fantasy impact