The Sonics Championship team is hardly a guide in how to build a team, despite its impressive success. Only guards Fred Brown and Dennis Johnson predated Lenny Wilkens rejoining the team as director of player personnel during the summer of 1977. During that off-season and the first month of the 1977-78 season, half of the core of the 1978-79 team was assembled. Three more key players were acquired during the summer of 1978.

Just two Sonics first-round picks, Brown and Sikma, played on the championship team. The most common way players were acquired was via trade, largely because of the three trades the Sonics made to assemble their 1977-78 squad.

Drafted
Fred Brown - 1971, pick 1(6)
Dennis Johnson - 1976, pick 2(29)
Jack Sikma - 1977, pick 1(8)
Joe Hassett - 1977, pick 3(52)

Trades
Paul Silas - Acquired with Marvin Webster and Willie Wise from Denver for Tom Burleson, Bobby Wilkerson and a second-round pick (5/24/77)
John Johnson - Acquired from Houston for second-round draft picks in 1979 and 1980 (10/24/77)
Wally Walker - Acquired from Portland for Detroit's 1978 first-round pick and a 1979 second-round pick (11/11/77)
Tom LaGarde - Acquired from Denver for a 1978 first-round pick (6/9/78)
Dennis Awtrey - Acquired from Boston for a 1979 first-round pick (1/17/79)

Free Agents
Gus Williams - Signed from Golden State (10/17/77)
Dick Snyder - Signed from Cleveland (9/6/78)

Compensation
Lonnie Shelton - Acquired with a 1979 first-round pick and $450,000 from New York as compensation for free agent Marvin Webster (10/4/78)