Wizards vice president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard has interviewed with the SuperSonics for their open general manager position. Sheppard met with Seattle officials in Orlando, the site of the league's annual pre-draft camp. Sheppard recently completed his fourth season with the Wizards.

With Greg Oden all but assured of landing in Portland in June,  Zach Randolph may be the odd man out in the Blazers frontcourt.

Randolph, writes Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune, sounds like a perfect match for a team like the Bulls, a 6-foot-9-inch, 270-pound player with a rare, classic post-up game and outside shot. He averaged 23.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season, but with Oden and last year's No. 1 pick, LaMarcus Aldridge, there certainly is no room for Randolph in Portland. His time there was rumored to be up anyway, no matter whom the team would get in the draft.

The most recent talk has the Trail Blazers trying to trade Randolph to the Washington Wizards, who are in desperate need of interior scoring. Perhaps in a multiteam deal with Atlanta? Antawn Jamison, who's going into his final contract season with the Wizards, could be part of a deal to offset Randolph's $13.3 million salary for next season.

Wizards forward Caron Butler, who went down with a season-ending injury when he broke a bone in his right hand in a game against Milwaukee on April 1, is nearly back to full strength and recently was cleared to participate in full basketball workouts.

Butler and fellow all-star Gilbert Arenas have been working out at Verizon Center since the Wizards were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 30. Arenas's season ended when he injured his knee on April 4 and underwent surgery to repair a torn left meniscus the following day. He is expected to recover well before training camp opens in October.

"We're both in here working hard, getting our bodies right for next season," said Butler. "From a physical standpoint, I feel great."

Gilbert Arenas is vowing to be a better defensive player when he completes his comeback from season-ending surgery on his left knee in April.

"This summer I have to work hard to get my knee back to 100 per cent and make sure my legs are stronger than they were last year," Arenas said Thursday after being named to the NBA's second-team all-star squad. "Working on getting my knees stronger will help improve my defense, too, because I can get down and play defence for a longer period of time."

Brendan Haywood, Washington center, has told president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld he wants to be traded this summer, according to two team sources and a league source with knowledge of the situation.

Haywood's relationship with Eddie Jordan is beyond repair, according to sources.

"He pretty much said that the relationship between himself and Eddie had gotten to the point where he didn't want to be in Washington anymore because he doesn't feel that he'll be treated fairly," the league source said.

Oleksiy Pecherov, the first round pick for the Wizards in 2006, is almost certain to be playing in the NBA next season.
   
"I anticipate having him on the roster," Wizards president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld said yesterday at Verizon Center. "He had a very solid year, and we anticipate having him here and playing with us next season."

Ernie Grunfeld, President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards, commented on the future of Gilbert Arenas as a member of the franchise on Thursday.

"Gilbert is very committed to this city and this organization. He likes it here and we all have had great success, and we are heading in the right direction. We would love to have Gilbert end his career here and put his number up in the rafters. He is very popular in this town, the fans love him and we all love him. He has a strong competitive nature and a desire to win.  He does have the right to opt out next summer and get another long term contract, or he can get an extension this summer."

Last summer, DeShawn Stevenson turned down a three-year, $10 million offer from the Orlando Magic. Instead, he signed a one-year deal for just less than $1 million with a player option for a second year with the Wizards.
   
Stevenson will opt out of his contract but hopes to return to Washington.
   
"This is a great situation here, playing with Caron, Gilbert and Antawn," Stevenson said. "I think we could have won at least 50 games if everyone stayed healthy. But I'll have to do what's best for me. This is a great situation here."

Brendan Haywood didn't play a single minute in Game 4 and left the bench area before the buzzer sounded. He was also the first Wizard out of the locker room.

To make his future in Washington even more of a longshot, the nameplate above his locker stall already was missing when reporters filed in for postgame comments.