1999–2000 Seattle SuperSonics season

The 1999–2000 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 33rd season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association.^[1] The SuperSonics received the 13th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard Corey Maggette out of Duke University,^[2][3][4] but soon traded him to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Horace Grant.^[5][6][7] During the off-season, the team acquired Brent Barry from the Chicago Bulls,^[8][9][10] and signed free agents Vernon Maxwell, second-year forward Ruben Patterson and three-point specialist Chuck Person.^[11][12]

With the addition of Grant, Barry, Patterson and Maxwell, the SuperSonics won nine of their first eleven games of the regular season, posted a seven-game winning streak in January, and later on held a 31–20 record at the All-Star break.^[13] However, the team played below .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season, losing five consecutive home games in March. The SuperSonics finished in fourth place in the Pacific Division with a 45–37 record, earning the seventh seed in the Western Conference, and returning to the NBA playoffs after a one-year absence.^[14]

Gary Payton averaged 24.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game, and led the league with 177 three-point field goals; he was also named to the All-NBA First Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Vin Baker averaged 16.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, while Barry contributed 11.8 points, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game, along with 164 three-point field goals, Patterson showed improvement averaging 11.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, and Grant provided the team with 8.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Off the bench, Maxwell contributed 10.9 points per game, but only played in 47 games due to a knee injury,^[15] and second-year forward Rashard Lewis provided with 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.^[16]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at The Arena in Oakland in Oakland, California, Payton was selected for the 2000 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team.^[17][18][19] Payton also finished in sixth place in Most Valuable Player voting,^[20][21] and tied in fifth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,^[22][21] and Patterson finished tied in sixth place in Most Improved Player voting, while Lewis finished tied in eleventh place.^[21]

In the Western Conference First Round of the 2000 NBA playoffs, the SuperSonics faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Midwest Division champion Utah Jazz, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward Karl Malone, All-Star guard John Stockton, and Bryon Russell. The SuperSonics lost the first two games to the Jazz on the road at the Delta Center, but managed to win the next two games at home, which included a Game 4 win over the Jazz at the KeyArena at Seattle Center, 104–93 to even the series.^[23][24][25] However, the SuperSonics lost Game 5 to the Jazz at the Delta Center, 96–93, thus losing in a hard-fought five-game series.^[26][27][28]

The SuperSonics finished 22nd in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 615,730 at the KeyArena at Seattle Center during the regular season.^[16][29] Following the season, Grant was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in a four-team trade after only one season with the SuperSonics,^[30][31][32] while Maxwell was traded to the New York Knicks, but was released to free agency, and re-signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers,^[33] and Person retired.

For the season, the SuperSonics added new dark red alternate road uniforms, which would remain in use until 2001.^[34]