Though originally rumored several months ago, the Seattle Sonics (along with WNBA companion Seattle Storm) have been sold to a Oklahoma City-based investment group. The deal will be completed on Halloween, and this upcoming season will celebrate the 40th birthday of the franchise. It’s unknown whether the group plans to have the team remain in Seattle, or if a relocation to Oklahoma City is imminent once the Hornets return back to New Orleans.

The new baby Shaq has been named, or rather, three top candidates for the big man of the league have been presented. Yao Ming, Dwight Howard, and Amare Stoudemire have each been name a potential successor to the Big Aristotle. Our pick would have been Stoudemire, but if we doesn’t recover fully Dwight Howard’s our pick for the future big man of the league.

The Boston Celtics would like to make a trade sometime in the next week. The three players on the brink of elimination are Michael Olowokandi, Luke Jackson, and rookie Allan Ray. The Celtics just acquired Jackson, but he seems to have the highest chance of getting sent off.

Bonzi Wells took a few practices off for “personal reasons”. Wells got his tenure with the Houston Rockets off to a great start by missing team practice for the last four days before joining the team today. Well explained his missing practice as such, “It wouldn’t be personal if I told you, would it?”

David Stern has made it official that the new hated synthetic basketball will stay in the NBA, at least for this year. Stern and Spaulding definitely don’t want to end their merchandising deal for the ball, which costs $99.

A contract extension isn’t in the works for Kirk Hinrich, and if the guard signs an extension with the Chicago Bulls it will be next summer. The Milwaukee Bucks will definitely go after the point guard next year, when the team will have $14 million in cap room.

A portion of the list of training camp casualties:

• Atlanta Hawks: Lionel Chalmers, Kaniel Dickens
• Houston Rockets: Kelenna Azuibuke
• Cleveland Cavaliers: Steven Graham, likely Ondrej Statosta
• Miami Heat: Antonio Burks, Daniel Horton