SEATTLE (AP) - Last year was so easy for Sam Presti.

Just a few weeks on the job as general manager, Presti didn't need any painstaking research to figure out who the Seattle SuperSonics would take with the No. 2 overall pick. He simply just waited for Portland to select Greg Oden first overall, then gladly settled for Kevin Durant - who became the first rookie of the year in Sonics' history.

The 2008 NBA draft isn't going to be quite as simple for Presti, not after the Sonics dropped to the fourth overall pick in Tuesday night's draft lottery.

Seattle had the second-best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick, but actually had a better shot of landing at No. 4 than any other spot. That's how the lottery played out for the Sonics, who are likely to miss out on the opportunity to get either Kansas State's Michael Beasley or Memphis' Derrick Rose.

Not even Durant, the Sonics representative at the lottery unveiling, could bring the team any luck. Last year, Portland's Brandon Roy - then the rookie of the year - was the Trail Blazers representative when they landed the No. 1 overall pick.

"Those things are determined by a very complicated system, not the individuals on stage," Presti cracked.

Missing out on getting one of the top two picks will likely put the focus in the Seattle area back on the off-court battle between the team and the city of Seattle. The two sides are scheduled to go to trial June 16, as the team tries to escape the final two years of its lease at KeyArena and play the 2008-09 season at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City after the NBA Board of Governors approved the team's relocation last month.

But by falling out of the top two, the Sonics' possible impact in the draft is more muted. It also expands the pool of possible directions the team may go with its first pick. That means a lot of prospects - both first- and second-round - will be funneling through the team's practice facility in the next month for individual workouts.

If Presti believes Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson aren't the answers at point guard, Arizona's Jerryd Bayless, UCLA's Russell Westbrook and Indiana's Eric Gordon could be available.

If the Sonics believe that finding an impact center is the area of need, Stanford's Brook Lopez and DeAndre Jordan of Texas A&M might be on the board.

Those two positions are widely considered Seattle's weakest spots, with Durant and Jeff Green developing into a strong young tandem on the wings. Power forward might be another option for Seattle to look at in the draft as Chris Wilcox is entering the final year of his contract.

"I think you're always looking for ways to improve the team you have. You're always open to looking at different scenarios and ways to improve the team," Presti said.

Along with the No. 4 pick, Seattle has five other picks in the draft, although its unlikely Presti will hold on to all of them. Seattle's other first round pick is No. 24, along with four selections in the second round.

All those picks could be in play with different trade scenarios, even No. 4. But Presti likes where the team stands.

"We're going to look at every avenue we can to improve the club and that might involving talking about some of those picks," he said. "(But) we really like our opportunity with the fourth pick."