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Noel Felix

Thursday, the Sonics made that a reality for Felix, signing him to a 10-day contract.

"It was a blessing, without a doubt," Felix said after practicing with the team later in the day. "I'm definitely pleased."

"It was a blessing, without a doubt. I'm definitely pleased." Kent Horner/NBAE/Getty

Felix impressed the Sonics with his athleticism during training camp, averaging 2.4 points and 2.0 rebounds in five preseason games. He might have made the squad were it not for the Sonics depth at forward. With backup point guard a bigger question mark, the Sonics opted to hang on to Mateen Cleaves for the last spot on their final roster.

"I was told I was good enough to play on the team," says Felix. "The situation was, with the players that were here, my spot wasn't open. There wasn't a spot for me."

The composition of the Sonics roster has changed dramatically since training camp. After trading four players in the week and a half leading up to the trade deadline and waiving guard Rick Brunson and forward Bryon Russell the last two days, the Sonics found themselves in need of another body in the frontcourt. Felix was an obvious choice.

"He's familiar with the guys and I think it was a smart decision to bring him in," said Sonics Coach Bob Hill, who has known Felix since working with him at the US Basketball Academy. "He can play three, he can play four. I think he'll add to the chemistry of the team and the harmony. I've known him for a while and I really like him."

Felix and newly-acquired guard Mike Wilks worked out together for nearly an hour after practice and were the last two players off the court. It's that kind of effort that has allowed Felix to make the NBA after going undrafted out of Fresno State. Strictly a post player in college, Felix has improved his jumpshot, allowing him to play the small forward position.

"I've mainly been working on my range, knocking down open shots, anything," he said of his focus this season while playing in the CBA for the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Selected for the CBA All-Star Game in January, Felix averaged 15.7 points and 7.0 rebounds and led the league with 2.0 blocks per game. He scored a career-high 39 points on Feb. 22 against the Gary Steelheads and, in his last CBA game, posted 21 points and 16 boards against the Yakama Sun Kings. Sioux Falls, which has a 27-16 record, currently sits first place in the CBA's Western Conference.

Felix had additional incentive to play well after learning from General Manager Rick Sund that the Sonics still had him in their plans.

"We talked at the CBA All-Star Game and he told me he was going to give me a look after the trade deadline." Felix recalled. "I used that as motivation and continued to play hard where I was. Thank God my team was playing well, that I was on the CBA - we were number one in the league. Me being able to come here, it's kind of like I did my job there the best I can."

While with the Sonics during training camp, Felix developed close friendships with the other training-camp invitees vying to make the team, guard Alex Scales and forward Roger Powell. Scales was able to make his NBA dream a reality earlier this season, playing in one game with the San Antonio Spurs (he's now playing in Spain with Real Madrid), and Felix is hoping Powell (who is playing in the CBA with the Rockford Lightning, averaging 21.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game) will get his chance soon as well.

"Me and Roger talk all the time, encouraging each other to continue to do what we do," Felix said. "He's like a brother to me. We're really, really close. When I found out I was coming here from my agent, Roger was one of the top five calls that I made. I'm going to be praying for him and telling him he's next.

"It was real hard to compete with those kind of guys, because we want what's best for each other."

Hill sees a possibility for Felix to earn some playing time after he and the other Sonics newcomers get comfortable within the team's offense and defense.

"That gives us four guys that are relatively new, so we're still in that mold of trying to get them comfortable with everything," said Hill. "The book helped and he's been here, not that we're running any of the same stuff - our defense is completely different. I think he'll pick it up quickly. He did a pretty good job today."