After the draft trade dalliance, Schneider was forced to reiterate his belief that Thomas will remain part of a restructured Seattle squad. To achieve that goal Schneider might need to show Thomas the money. The veteran is set to enter the final year of his contract, earning $8.5 million, and wants a long-term deal. Only after a new contract is signed will the trade talks totally die, and Schneider can stop answering the same rounds of questions.