If Seahawks QB Russell Wilson gets his wish, an NBA team will return to Seattle sooner than later. We asked Wilson's top target, Doug Baldwin, to select the NFL players he thinks could make for a solid basketball squad.
Point guard: Josh McCown, Browns QB
The 6-foot-4 McCown -- who played point guard before a massive growth spurt -- was an all-district baller at Jacksonville High School in Texas. Plus, he flashed a 38.5-inch vertical jump at the 2002 NFL combine.
Shooting guard: Doug Baldwin, Seahawks WR
Every team needs a defensive stopper. Baldwin sees himself in the mold of 3-time NBA all-defensive first-teamer Tony Allen. Hey, completing the 20-yard shuttle in 4.26 seconds at his pro day does suggest great lateral quickness. The 5-foot-11 Baldwin has gone on record to call basketball his first love, though he'd likely have more success with the Sonics than with his high school squad, which won just five games his senior year.
Small forward: Sidney Rice, former Seahawks WR
Luring the 29-year-old Rice out his early retirement would be an essential pickup, Baldwin said. To go along with a state championship in football his senior year, the 6-foot-4 standout also won state player of the year for his title-winning high school hoops team.
Power forward: Antonio Gates, Chargers TE
Baldwin is a Stanford alum. That means he's more than smart enough to stray outside his Seattle connections to land elite talent. Gates is arguably the most-skilled college baller to make the transition to NFL tight end. At a bulky 6-foot-4, Gates averaged 20.6 points and 7.7 rebounds in his senior season while leading Kent State to its first Elite Eight.
Center: Jimmy Graham, Seahawks TE
And back to Seattle we go for the Sonics' tallest player, 6-foot-7 Jimmy Graham, who patrolled the paint to the tune of 104 career blocks at University of Miami. Graham boasts exceptional athleticism, including a 38.5 inch vertical and arms measuring 35 inches long.
Sixth Man: Bryan Walters, Jaguars WR
Also a former Seahawks receiver, Walters figures to be Baldwin's high-scoring secret weapon, earning a Manu Ginobili comparison and a "Don't Sleep!" alert. The Cornell grad's Ivy League pedigree should help team strategy, but his solid high school basketball background coupled with his career all-purpose yards record for the Big Red underscore his best asset: versatility.