On June 1, 2001, Sonics & Storm President and CEO Wally Walker named veteran NBA executive Rick Sund as his successor in the position of Sonics general manager. Sund brings to Seattle more than 20 years of management experience in the league. For the Sonics front office, the addition of Sund marked the return of a familiar face to the efforts of the Sonics basketball staff. Sund was hired by Walker to serve as a player personnel consultant for the franchise in the 1994-95 season.

Sund most recently spent six seasons with the Detroit Pistons, originally joining the team as vice president of player personnel in the summer of 1995. As executive vice president of basketball operations, Rick assisted Detroit's basketball operations president in the areas of roster and player development, trades, contract negotiations, player drafts, free-agent acquisitions and various other team operations. Sund established himself as one of the NBA's foremost front-office executives after working 14 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. He joined the Mavs in 1979 as the team's player personnel director, helping the expansion team develop its inaugural season’s roster.

An avid golfer and sportsman, Sund competed in two marathons and a triathlon while living in the Dallas area. He also completed the Chicago Marathon in October of 1998. He is married to Lea and has a daughter Hali and a son Patrick.

Sund is available to speak to groups about building an NBA team, including scouting and player development.