SEATTLE – The troubled tenure of guard Joe Forte with the Seattle SuperSonics came to a close on Monday when the team released him, even though he has a guaranteed year worth a little over $1 million left on his three-year rookie contract.

Though Sonics officials downplayed the effect of Forte’s problems – he was involved in a series of off-court incidents a year ago that eventually prompted a one-game team suspension – it was clear by late last season that his chances of returning in 2003-04 were slight.

In fact, Forte was basically in camp only because his contract might have been needed to balance salaries in a preseason trade (necessary when both teams are over the NBA salary cap, according to the league’s collective bargaining agreement), or on the outside chance that both his basketball abilities and his demeanor had improved considerably.

It took only two days of practice, though, before the Sonics had seen enough.

“I talked to him (Monday) morning,” said Seattle general manager Rick Sund, “and I told him, ‘Joe, your chances of making our club are not very good. So it probably makes sense for us to release you today and maybe you’ll be able to hook on with another team.’ If we had waited two or three weeks, he might not have been able to hook on with another club, so this works out for him.”

Forte was behind Ray Allen, Brent Barry, Antonio Daniels and Luke Ridnour in Seattle’s backcourt, and promising second-year player Ronald “Flip” Murray had also moved ahead after an outstanding summer-league season.

“If Ronald Murray hadn’t played so well during the summer, maybe we wouldn’t have done this,” Sund said. “But basketball-wise, (Forte) wasn’t going to make our club. When push comes to shove, he wasn’t good enough.”

Forte was acquired from the Boston Celtics along with Kenny Anderson and Vitaly Potapenko in the July 22, 2002, trade for Vin Baker and Shammond Williams. He was essentially added to the deal to make the salaries balance and immediately went to the end of Seattle’s bench, where he should have been content to work hard and keep quiet. Instead, Forte was sometimes churlish and smart-alecky, and he angered the coaching staff by refusing to go on the injured list at midseason.

Later, he got in a locker room shouting match and scuffle with teammate Jerome James and was suspended for a March 28 game.

Forte was unavailable for comment on Monday.

Big hopes for big man: Though coach Nate McMillan has yet to announce his starting lineup, it seems likely that the 7-foot-1 James will be the likely starter at center.

James started just 16 games last season – he missed 31 games with various injuries – but will probably inherit the position vacated by Peja Drobnjak, who started 69 games, mostly at center. In 2002-03, his second season with the Sonics, James averaged 5.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.61 blocked shots, and the Sonics would very much like to see those numbers improve.

“I won’t put a lot of pressure on Jerome,” McMillan said, “but going into your third year you should show some improvement, some development. And we need for him to start showing that this season.”

James switches numbers: James will wear No. 13 this season, his number at Florida A&M. No. 33, which James had previously, will be worn by newcomer Antonio Daniels.

Foreign flavor: In anticipation of Seattle’s upcoming trip to Japan – the Sonics will open the regular season on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1 with games against the Los Angeles Clippers in Saitama, Japan – several Japanese journalists attended the team’s Monday media day. Most, no doubt, are part of the large Japanese media contingent in Seattle covering the Mariners.