Frank Hughes of the News Tribune writes that Gary Payton has the opportunity to send a message to the Seattle Supersonics and the rest of the league. The NBA season officially begins today, when players around the league meet with the media before training camp starts Tuesday morning. In Seattle it is unknown whether Payton will be there.

Payton?s agent, Aaron Goodwin said that All-Star guard was at his home in Las Vegas on Sunday and Goodwin was not certain if Payton was planning on reporting to camp today. "I know he is physically ready," Goodwin said. "But all this has taken a toll on Gary. When he is mentally ready he will be there. As I told Rick Sund (the Sonics general manager), as far as I know he is coming to camp. I didn't say when he was coming to camp, but he is coming to camp."

Goodwin insinuated that Payton could miss a few days of camp to make a statement to Sonics? management. By staging a mini-holdout that is sure to gain national attention, Goodwin said Payton would be drawing attention to his situation while sending a message to other teams that he is a player willing to go elsewhere -- either via trade or in free agency next summer.

"Two years ago in Hawaii, they told Gary, let's see what happens after the season," Goodwin said. "Then the coach (Paul Westphal) was fired, the team was sold, and they said, 'Let's see what happens after this season.' Two years in a row he has done what they asked him to do and now they want him to wait until after this season. It's not like it just happened. Nothing just happened. Now they want to make it out as it is coming out of the blue."