Fans can be excused if they didn’t initially know that Ronald “Flip” Murray was the third player acquired by the Seattle SuperSonics in addition to guards Ray Allen and Kevin Ollie in last month's blockbuster five-player trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. After all, he didn’t know he was part of the deal at first either. “They had told me about Kevin and Ray, but they said Joel Przybilla, so I didn’t know I was traded. I got on the bus,” Murray recalls of the post-practice confusion amongst the Bucks that day.

Soon enough, Murray found out that he was indeed part of the deal. After recovering from his initial shock, Murray saw the trade as an opportunity to find the playing time that had eluded him while with the Bucks. “My first thought was, ‘Maybe this might be a chance for me to come out here and split time with somebody,” Murray says. “As you know, I wasn’t getting that much time in Milwaukee. I wasn’t playing at all.” Indeed, in nearly four months on the Bucks roster Murray played just 42 minutes over 12 games with a high of seven.

Milwaukee Coach George Karl is notorious in his disdain for playing rookies, but Murray doesn’t blame him for not getting a chance to prove himself. “Playing behind two guards,” he explains of the situation with the Bucks, “I had Sam Cassell and Kevin at the point and Ray and Michael Redd (at shooting guard). Me coming in as a rookie, I didn’t have that much time to play.”

Things could be different in Seattle despite the fact that both Allen and Ollie made the move westward as well. With Brent Barry the only other regular guard in the Sonics rotation, Murray may have a chance to find minutes before the end of the season. He continues, “Me coming here without a point guard being here, knowing that I play that position, I might have a good chance to come in here and play.” Sonics Coach Nate McMillan takes a similar position. “I need to see him play,” McMillan says. “I’m sure his opportunity will come soon enough.”

Both McMillan and Murray believe that the player’s long-term development is more important than what happens the remainder of this season. McMillan describes the need to get a better feel for Murray’s game, while Murray indicates that this year’s summer league will be an important opportunity for him to demonstrate his skills.

Part of the reason for the line of thinking is that Murray is still making the adjustment from playing Division II basketball at Shaw University, where he was named last year’s Division II Player of the Year. Though Murray doesn’t believe the transition has been more difficult for him than the average rookie, saying, “It doesn’t matter,” of his background, it’s clear that his preparation is different from that of a player who played for an elite Division I school. Helping Murray make the leap in Milwaukee were what he describes as a “whole staff of veterans,” including Allen. “I didn’t get that much time to play, but I learned a lot of stuff there,” Murray says.

As he gains experience, Murray projects as a player capable of playing either guard position, but best suited for the point, where his 6-4 height is a major asset. Playing in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), Murray led the league in scoring and was fourth throughout all of Division II with his average of 23.5 points per game, while also adding 6.2 assists and 6.3 rebounds. Murray also impressed on the defensive end, and that may be where he first makes his mark as a pro. That caliber of play caught the attention of NBA Draft “superscout” Marty Blake, who touted Murray as “a big-time player”. Various pre-Draft scuttle had him going as high as the late first round before he was actually selected by the Bucks with their 42nd pick.

For now, though, the big-time aspirations that lead Murray to compare his game to Payton’s are secondary to adjusting to a new city and introducing himself to a new set of fans. Murray has enjoyed Seattle so far, especially praising Sonics fans. “They showed a lot of respect to Ray and Kevin,” he says, “and when I made my debut they gave me a lot of respect too.” He’s also pleased with the unseasonably sunny weather the city has experienced lately, calling the weather in general “Way better than Milwaukee’s”.

In time, fans will also come to learn Murray’s nickname, “Flip”, which he generally goes by. “I got the nickname when I was around 10 or 11 years old,” Murray recalls, as a result of his affinity for gymnastics. Unfortunately, fans can’t expect any Ozzie Smith-esque entrances to the court from Murray, who says he’s put that behind him. Still, he hopes that Sonics fans will soon “flip” over their team’s newest rookie.