Sonics Near Full Strength -- Christie The Only One Not Available To Play

With the exception of unsigned rookie Doug Christie, the Seattle SuperSonics are expected to have all their players healthy and available for duty for the first time in preseason play.

Nate McMillan, who sat out the past two games with a groin injury, will play when the Sonics play the Denver Nuggets tomorrow night in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Gerald Paddio's sprained left knee has been fitted with a brace, and he is expected to play for the first time in a week. Derrick McKey (swollen Achilles' tendon) and Ricky Pierce (sore leg) did not practice yesterday, but are expected to play tomorrow. Coach George Karl said he would limit Pierce's exhibition playing time.

The Sonics (3-3) yesterday released guard Terrence Lewis, a rookie out of Washington State. Though he did not accompany the team to Sunday's game in Sacramento, Dave Davies, a rookie out of Seattle Pacific, was officially released as well. Karl said he didn't expect to make any more cuts until early next week.

Notes

-- The Milwaukee Bucks signed Jawann Oldham, free-agent center, and waived five players on the roster since the start of training camp Oct. 9. The 7-foot Oldham, a Seattle native who played at Cleveland High School and Seattle University, is an 11-year NBA veteran who averaged 10.2 points per game with Tulsa of the CBA last season. He signed a one-year contract. Terms weren't announced.

The Bucks, who added Oldham because Moses Malone's injured back makes his status uncertain, waived forwards Joe Rhett and Mike Smith, center Melvin Robinson and guards Stephen Thompson and Kevin Williams.

-- While Michael Jordan said he will continue to play golf and gamble, he says his days as a highstakes player are over.

"I think people can accept my losing $40 or $50. It's easy to relate to," he said yesterday.

The Chicago Bulls star testified in the money-laundering trial of acquaintance James "Slim" Bouler that he lost $57,000 in golf and poker bets in one weekend.

-- Guards Tom Garrick and Doug Overton were the only remaining free agents on the Washington Bullets roster after guard Pete Myers and forwards Reggie Cross and Rod Sellers were released yesterday.

Myers, a reserve for five NBA teams from 1986 to 1991, informed the Bullets he had decided to return to Italy, where he played for Bologna last season. This time, the 6-foot-6 guard from Arkansas signed with Scavolini, which also employs former Bullets guard Heywoode Workman.

Cross and Sellers were released because the Bullets already have eight front-court players with guaranteed contracts, not counting forward Bernard King, currently on the medical exemption list.