AP

UCLA's Russell Westbrook, right, is congratulated by NBA commissioner David Stern after being picked fourth overall by the Seattle SuperSonics during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 26, 2008 in New York.

SEATTLE - Last year, Seattle SuperSonics general manager Sam Presti pulled a superstar and a running mate from the top of the NBA draft.

Now he's locked up the player Presti believes can run the show for the future - whether the Sonics are in Seattle or Oklahoma City.

The Sonics drafted UCLA guard Russell Westbrook with the No. 4 pick in Thursday night's draft, deciding that finding an answer to their point guard situation was more pressing than taking a chance on yet another center.

Westbrook's selection came about 90 minutes after the trial between the city of Seattle and the Sonics about where the team will play the next two seasons concluded just a few miles from the team's practice facility. The judge said she will issue a written decision next Wednesday.

Court proceedings didn't matter much to Westbrook on this night. He understands the team's situation, but was relishing his rapid rise from high school benchwarmer to the highest draft pick from UCLA in almost a decade.

"I was really excited. It's like 'wow, I'm finally here, I've got a chance to walk up and shake David Stern's hand,"' Westbrook said in a conference call from New York. "I've been watching (the draft) my entire childhood and now it's finally here."

Westbrook believes he's the Sonics' point guard of the future, although he was used as more of a hybrid at UCLA, playing both point and shooting guard positions. He'll be teamed with rookie of the year Kevin Durant and all-rookie team performer Jeff Green, becoming the third piece of the young, dynamic core Presti is trying to create in his remodel of Seattle's oncourt product.

"The theme of a lot of these picks is we got a lot of defensive-minded guys and we got some athletes," Presti said. "We also got guys that come from winning backgrounds and that's things we emphasized."

Seattle took 18-year-old Serge Ibaka from the Congo with the 24th pick and sent a pair of second-round selections to Detroit for D.J. White, who was taken with the 29th pick, all under the watchful gaze of Sonics' owner Clay Bennett in the team's draft room.

Taking Westbrook at No. 4 might be considered a stretch by some, as rumors followed the Sonics most of Thursday about their desire to move down a few spots. But Presti and the Sonics stood firm, enamored with Westbrook's quick, explosive moves on offense, and his intensity and reach on defense. Some of Westbrook's dunks from his just-concluded sophomore season at UCLA have become YouTube lore, but it was his work in becoming the Pac-10 defensive player of the year that was the tipping point that pushed him ahead of Arizona's Jerryd Bayless and Indiana's Eric Gordon.

All through last season, Seattle's starting point guard and UCLA alum Earl Watson continually raved about Westbrook's play and his potential when he decided to turn pro. Now, the drafting of Westbrook is an obvious sign that neither Watson or Luke Ridnour are the Sonics' long-term answer at point guard.

"I consider myself playing the point guard at the next level," Westbrook said. "I've been playing point guard pretty much all my life. Now is my time to show it to the whole world playing at the next level."

Westbrook flourished in his sophomore season at UCLA, jumping from the bench to the Bruins' starting lineup and now into the top five of the draft. After spending the offseason running in the sand dunes of Manhattan Beach, Calif., Westbrook started 34 of 39 games for the Bruins, averaging 12.7 points and becoming the defensive stopper UCLA relied on in critical situations. He finished his time at UCLA with a career-high 22 points in a losing effort against Memphis in the national semifinals.

"(I've) worked my tail off every day trying to become the best player I can possibly become. Now it's finally here," Westbrook said.

But it was his defense that made the ultimate impression on Presti. Westbrook will be asked to help a defense that was fourth-worst in the NBA last season.

"Russell Westbrook, in our opinion, is the best defender in the draft, best perimeter defender," Presti said. "We had him targeted early in the year. He's a competitor and he is the ultimate teammate."

Westbrook was the highest draft pick from UCLA since another guard, Baron Davis, went No. 3 in the 1999 draft.

Seattle also built for the future with its other first-round pick. The 6-foot-10 Ibaka, who has 17 siblings, is a raw project who will be stashed overseas for the next few years, likely in Spain, but Seattle will retain his NBA rights.

The Sonics also held four second-round picks, but dealt away the 32nd and 46th overall selections to Detroit for White. The Sonics took Cal center DeVon Hardin with the 50th pick. Seattle took Sasha Kahn with the 56th pick, but traded Kahn to Cleveland for cash considerations.