1998–99 Seattle SuperSonics season

The 1998–99 NBA season was the 32nd season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50.

During the off-season, the SuperSonics signed free agents Billy Owens and former Sonics center Olden Polynice, and acquired Don MacLean from the New Jersey Nets. The SuperSonics got off to a strong start under new head coach Paul Westphal, winning their first six games of the regular season. However, the team soon fell apart losing nine of their next twelve games, as Vin Baker only played 34 games due to thumb and knee injuries; Owens and MacLean both missed large parts of the regular season also due to injuries. From there, the SuperSonics would play around .500 basketball for the remainder of the season, finishing in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a 25–25 record, losing a tie-breaker for the #8 seed in the Western Conference to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and missing the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 1989–90 season.

Gary Payton averaged 21.7 points, 8.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, while Detlef Schrempf averaged 15.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and Baker provided the team with 13.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. In addition, sixth man Dale Ellis contributed 10.3 points per game off the bench, while Hersey Hawkins provided with 10.3 points and 1.6 steals per game, MacLean contributed 10.9 points per game in only just 17 games, Owens provided with 7.8 points in only just 21 games, and Polynice averaged 7.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Payton also finished in ninth place in Most Valuable Player voting, and in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Following the season, Schrempf signed as a free agent with the Portland Trail Blazers, while Hawkins was traded to the Chicago Bulls, Polynice signed with the Utah Jazz, and Ellis, Owens and MacLean were all traded to the Orlando Magic; however, all three players would never play for the Magic, as Ellis was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, Owens was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, and MacLean was dealt to the Houston Rockets in a three-team trade, but was released to free agency, and would later on sign with the Phoenix Suns near the end of the next season.