The Sonics have scheduled a press conference today with Durant, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft. He is the first player in the history of the Sonics to receive the award.

Durant became the front-runner when No. 1 overall draft choice Greg Oden suffered a knee injury last summer, forcing the rookie center to sit out the entire season for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Durant topped the 30-point mark seven times this season, including a career-high 42-point, 13-rebound performance in a win at Golden State in the final game. He also became a more consistent and efficient scorer by season’s end, eclipsing other contenders for the award such as Atlanta’s Al Horford and Houston’s Luis Scola.

Durant led all rookies in scoring (20.3 ppg.), free-throw percentage (87.3) and assists (2.4 per game). He is the third teenager in league history to average 20 points a game, joining Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James.

Durant will travel from Washington, D.C., to Seattle for today’s press conference.

“It would mean a lot,” Durant said after the season about the possibility he could win the rookie award. “My main goal was to come in and get better. This summer is big for me to become a better player and help this team out next year, and that’s what I’m going to try and do. But if I am the rookie of the year, it’s a blessing.”

City opposes trial changes

The city of Seattle filed a motion Wednesday opposing a filing last week by the Sonics asking that the pending trial over the KeyArena lease also establish the price of a buyout of the lease if the Sonics are allowed to leave.

The city’s lawsuit seeks to compel the Sonics to live up to their lease through September 2010.

Last week, the Sonics filed for declaratory relief, asking that Judge Marsha Pechman establish a monetary figure for the city’s damages should the team win and be allowed to move to Oklahoma City.

The city countered on Wednesday, arguing that the team’s request “dramatically expanded the scope of this litigation.”

The city states the Sonics requested and received an expedited trial because the team said the only thing at issue was the specific performance clause in the lease.

Therefore, in Wednesday’s filing, the city argues for its right to have damages for breach of the KeyArena lease decided by a jury, and asks that if Pechman grants the Sonics’ motion, a trial on the issue be postponed six months.

More on the legal front

McKinsey & Company., a nationally renowned economic consulting firm that conducted market analysis for the NBA regarding the Sonics’ relocation to Oklahoma City, filed a response to the city of Seattle’s subpoena in federal court on Tuesday, objecting to terms of the city’s subpoena.

On Monday, a federal judge in New York ordered the league to release to the city internal documents regarding the Sonics’ relocation.

In its Tuesday filing, attorneys for McKinsey stated they will produce copies of a March 18 Oklahoma City vs. Seattle market comparison report, along with a New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets review. Both reports were prepared by the company and used by the NBA’s relocation committee as the group studied the proposed relocation of the Sonics.

However, McKinsey objected to producing documents the company deems protected by client-attorney privilege, information it believes is irrelevant to the city’s case, or information that the company deems highly sensitive or confidential.

McKinsey also stated it received the subpoena on April 21, and Tuesday’s deadline, six business days later, was not enough time to comply with the subpoena.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Eric D. Williams: 253-597-8437

blogs.thenewstribune.com/sonics

Regal rookie

The Sonics’ Kevin Durant, right, was ranked No. 1 among rookies in several categories:

Minutes per game

34.0

Scoring average

20.3

Free-throw percentage

.873

Field goals attempted

1,366

Field goals made

587

Free throws attempted

448

Free throws made

391