One will stay, one will go.

Sometime very soon, and perhaps even this morning, Richie Frahm and Jason Hart are expected to be called aside by Sonics coach Nate McMillan.

For one, it will be a moment of almost inexpressible joy. For the other, grave disappointment.

The Sonics are expected to finalize their regular-season roster before Sunday, which is the day the team departs for Japan and a two-game season-opening series against the Los Angeles Clippers. It seems likely the team will keep either Frahm or Hart to fill the final spot on the roster, with 12 players going on the active roster and one player joining Nick Collison on the injured list.

Though team officials are not saying exactly when the last cut will come, it usually happens on the first day after the team’s last exhibition game.

It is possible, though not likely, that Seattle would keep both Frahm and Hart. Though the team could keep both players on minimum-salary contracts and still stay under budget, McMillan seems to be leaning toward making a last cut.

Another possibility would be the addition of a player from the league’s waiver wire, though only if it is someone who could come in and fill a specific need.

“(A waiver-wire addition) needs to fit into what we want to do and the way we want to play,” McMillan said. “If there’s a veteran out there who’s just average, I don’t think we would consider bringing him in.”

Seattle made two cuts on Tuesday night, releasing guard/forward Galen Young and center Mikki Moore.

Seattle has 11 veteran players under guaranteed contracts, plus first-round draft pick Luke Ridnour. In addition, the Sonics are paying Collison, the team’s other first-round draft pick who will miss the season after shoulder surgery, and Joe Forte, who was cut early in training but still has a guaranteed contract.

The week ahead: The Sonics will have a week of practices prior to their first game against the Clippers. One of those days, of course, will be taken up by the trans-Pacific flight to Japan, but the team will use the other days “to tune up and add some things,” McMillan said.

“Last year, we played a preseason game and then we only had two or three days before opening night. We basically set up our preseason schedule (this season) so we’d have this time. Otherwise, you risk the possibility of an injury. I also wanted more practice time to add and change some things.”