[1] The SuperSonics acquired the eleventh overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft from the Charlotte Hornets, and selected Carlos Rogers out of Tennessee State University,[2][3][4][5] but then traded him to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Šarūnas Marčiulionis and Byron Houston,[6][7][8] and signed free agent Bill Cartwright during the off-season; Cartwright won three championships with the Chicago Bulls in the early 1990s.
[9][10][11] For the duration of the season, the SuperSonics switched venues and played their home games at the Tacoma Dome, while their original stadium, the Seattle Center Coliseum, was being rebuilt to keep pace with NBA standards.
[12][13] The SuperSonics struggled with a 3–4 start to the season, but then won 13 of their next 16 games, then posted a 10-game winning streak in January,[14] which led them to a successful 33–12 start at the All-Star break,[15] despite a few team troubles along the way,[16] and with Cartwright only playing just 29 games due to a groin injury.
[19] Three members of the team, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and Detlef Schrempf were all selected for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix, Arizona.
[34][35][36][37] Following the season, Gill was traded back to his former team, the Charlotte Hornets,[38][39][40][41] while Marčiulionis and Houston were both dealt to the Sacramento Kings,[42][43][44] and Cartwright retired.