The Seattle SuperSonics introduced P. J. Carlesimo as their coach, returning him to the sideline nearly eight years since his last head-coaching job, which was shrouded in controversy.

The former All-Star forward, Grant Hill, whose career has been plagued by injuries since he joined the Orlando Magic seven years ago, agreed in principle to a two-year deal with the Phoenix Suns. At 34, he hopes to finish his career with a title.

“The opportunity was there for him to contribute in a meaningful way,” Hill’s agent, Lon Babby, said in a telephone interview yesterday.

Hill could have probably received a more lucrative deal elsewhere, but he signed with Phoenix for $1.8 million this season and has a player option for a second year. Deals are not official until Wednesday.

Babby was contacted by 15 teams, including San Antonio, Miami and Detroit, where Hill began his career. Before the Pistons opened the 2000 playoffs, Hill sprained his left ankle. Five operations later, he was never the same. Throughout his $93 million deal with the Magic, Hill played in only 200 games, 65 last season when he averaged 14.4 points a game.

Hill is following the quest marked by other prominent former All-Stars (like San Antonio’s Michael Finley and Miami’s Gary Payton) who latched onto contenders at the end of their careers. The 58-year-old Carlesimo, on the other hand, was ecstatic about returning to the top chair, even if it is with a team in transition.

“I wasn’t sure it was ever going to happen,” Carlesimo said yesterday. “I love the young talent we have. This opportunity was very attractive.”

He joins the Sonics in the wake of a dizzying rebuilding movement that began on draft night. Seattle took the 6-foot-9 forward Kevin Durant with the second overall pick, traded the seven-time All-Star guard Ray Allen to Boston while receiving the rookie forward Jeff Green in the deal. But they lost the free-agent forward Rashard Lewis to Orlando on Tuesday.

Carlesimo, known for his intense demeanor, was fired in 1999 by the Golden State Warriors, two years after an infamous confrontation in which Latrell Sprewell choked him during a practice. Sprewell was suspended for one season before resurfacing with the Knicks.

“Hopefully, I’ve changed a lot, in terms of the relationships I have with people,” Carlesimo said, acknowledging that some people might still harbor a negative perception of him. “Regardless if that changes, what happened, happened. And I’m happy to be back.”

Working as an assistant to Gregg Popovich in San Antonio for the past five years not only reinforced his defensive strategies, Carlesimo said, but Popovich also taught him the importance of relating to star players off the court.

The Sonics took more than two months to find a replacement for the fired Bob Hill. Clay Bennett, the Sonics’ owner who was a former minority owner of the Spurs, first hired Sam Presti, 30, as the general manager, after he spent five years in the Spurs’ front office.

“Sam has a vision,” Carlesimo said. “He’s not looking for a quick fix. But he does want to do it as quickly as possible.”

Seattle seemingly took a conservative route in hiring Carlesimo over the former Sonics assistant Dwane Casey, fired last season by Minnesota.

“I personally believe what we need for our program right now is a teacher,” Presti said, according to The Associated Press. “P. J.’s background in the collegiate game, his background in the N.B.A. and his background with winning most recently in San Antonio were huge impacts.”

Carlesimo had moderate success in his first N.B.A. job, with Portland, from 1994 to 1997, where the Trail Blazers made the playoffs three consecutive years but lost in the first round. He went 36-103 before the Warriors fired him.

Carlesimo said the opportunity and support in Seattle reminded him of his time at Seton Hall, where he was from 1982 to 1994, winning national coach of the year honors in 1989.