So the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League is set to start today. This year, 21 NBA franchises (including every Western Conference team except Utah) will send teams, as will the Chinese National squad. While every team will have its share of players hoping to make the squad, rookies trying to earn playing time, and a few guys who you were sure would stick in the league but somehow didn't. Truehoop's got a nice rundown of the major story lines to watch, but in my mind the only one that really matters is this:

No team in Summer League history has had more riding on their team than the Sonics this year

Why do I say that? Well, the franchise sits at a major crossroads. First of all, there's the unsettled future in Seattle. Having lost the two most well-known players on the team this offseason is a poor way to generate fan interest heading into a crucial season, but a strong showing from Kevin Durant and Jeff Green would certainly help fans get over the bitterness at seeing Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis leave.

However, this Summer League has long-term consequences for the franchise no matter where they end up playing in the future. Right or wrong, Sam Presti has decided to rebuild around Durant and Green, and in doing so has jettisoned two All-Stars in order to clear the deck. Now, I happen to think he made the right move in trading Allen, and while I'm sad to see Rashard go the amount of money he's getting from Orlando is more than I'd pay him. Presti's future in the league is going to be largely dependent on whether the moves he made pay off.

Certainly, the hope is that Durant and Green form the core of a championship contender for the next decade or beyond. While a poor showing in the Vegas Summer League wouldn't necessarily shatter that dream, the franchise needs Durant (and to a lesser extent Green) to be good right away. So far, there's been a surprisingly low level of discussion about how good Durant will be in this city, in part because the team has been so active, and because Durant's felt like a Sonic ever since the draft lottery. I think once people get a chance to see Durant in green and gold, and really get a close-up look at how good he really is, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis will be distant memories.

Still, it's hard for me to imagine another franchise having as much riding on a bunch of 18-21 year olds as the Sonics do. Other teams (like Portland) may have highly touted rookies on their rosters, but obviously none of those teams have the same uncertain future Seattle has. Plus, without Lewis and Allen, who exactly is the name guy on this team? Kevin Durant. At least Portland has Brandon Roy (who won't be playing in Vegas). That's why this (and the Utah league) summer is so important. Start strong, and everyone can begin to dream...but struggle, and the Sonics just might find themselves being written off before training camp even begins.

Summertime

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