New York — Nick Collison isn't prescient, but the former Kansas University basketball standout had a darned good premonition the day before the NBA draft.
Asked Wednesday about his thoughts on the draft, Collison said he figured he wouldn't go any lower than 12th and said Seattle, which owned the No. 12 pick, "would be a good spot." Sure enough, Seattle selected Collison, the Jayhawks' first-team All-American and Big 12 Conference player of the year, with its first pick Thursday night. "We were very fortunate," Seattle general manager Rick Sund said. "We didn't think he was going to get to us."
After teammate Kirk Hinrich went to the Chicago Bulls with the seventh selection, Collison was a possibility to go with the eighth pick to Milwaukee because the Bucks had shown an inordinate interest in Collison, and back-to-back selections of the two former Jayhawks would have been a real heart-warmer.
It didn't happen. The Bucks went for Texas point guard T.J. Ford. Next came the New York Knicks and, once again, there was anticipation Collison's name would be called. Again, it wasn't. The Knicks opted for Georgetown's Michael Sweetney. "Once New York took Sweetney," Collison said, "I thought Seattle is where I'd end up."
Collison based that on the fact the next two teams on the list -- Washington and Golden State -- weren't likely to go for him based on need, and so the Sonics landed the player they wanted. "We needed a power forward," Sund said, "and we wanted to get a power forward. Nick has the ability to play some center, although he is a power forward for us." Clearly, the Sonics have liked Collison ever since working him out last month.
"It was real early," Collison said. "I think it was my third workout. It went really well, and I think they liked me from the beginning. I think it's a great place to be." No one is guaranteed a starting job, of course, but Collison isn't likely to log a lot of bench time in Seattle. "I think there is definitely some opportunity to play there," Collison said. "But you have to earn it. It's the NBA now and every guy is very good, and they are all fighting for jobs."
The first 17 players selected in Thursday night's draft at the Little Theater at Madison Square Garden became instant millionaires. As the 12th choice, Collison is guaranteed a salary of at least $1,315,200 as a rookie during the 2003-2004 season. He almost certainly will receive a signing bonus as well. During the three guaranteed years of his pact, Collison will earn at least $4,241,600. Still, that's about $500,000 a year less than longtime former KU teammate and fellow Iowan Kirk Hinrich, and about $1.6 million less over the three guaranteed seasons.
Now, after playing the last 142 games in the same uniform, Collison will see Hinrich only twice a year when the Sonics play the Bulls. "We'll keep in touch a lot, I'm sure," Collison said. "It will be good to run into him again." Officially, though, the two Iowa high school products who helped take Kansas to back-to-back NCAA Final Fours have now gone their separate ways -- one to the Windy City and the other far, far away in the Pacific Northwest.
Not that geography matters to Collison. It's all about finding a niche and a comfort level. "Seattle is a fit he really feels good about," said Dave Collison, Nick's dad, "and he really liked the people out there."With the 14th pick in the draft, the Sonics selected Oregon point guard Luke Ridnour, who wasn't among the 14 players invited to attend Thursday's draft.
Source: KUSports.com 6/27/03