June 30, 1999
WASHINGTON - All those trade scenarios, all those intricate plans thatconsumed Jerry Krause's life since he won the lottery a month ago turned out tobe a bunch of Bull-oney.
In the end, the Chicago Bulls decided to keep their No. 1 pick and selectElton Brand, the college player of the year who left Duke after his sophomoreseason.
Brand, a 6-foot-8 forward, was chosen after the Bulls took a serious lastlook at Rhode Island's Lamar Odom, bringing him into Chicago for a workout onthe eve of the draft.
Krause went with the safer of the two picks, choosing to try to rebuild hisdynasty with a solid frontcourt player.
"We considered trade offers in several directions," Krause said. "What wedidn't want to do is get in a situation where we lost Elton. He's got themakeup and physical ability to be a building block for this team."
Steve Francis was chosen second by Vancouver, Baron Davis went third toCharlotte, Odom went fourth to the Los Angeles Clippers and high schoolerJonathan Bender went fifth to Toronto but will be traded to Indiana for AntonioDavis.
"I didn't know where I was going to fit in this draft. I did want to be theNo. 1 pick," Brand said. "I feel I am the best player and I can improve alot. I think I can be the cornerstone in their rebuilding."
Asked if he knew he would be the No. 1 overall pick, Brand said: "Not atall. I didn't have the slightest idea. I feel blessed."
Brand, 20, was the first player ever to leave Duke as an underclassman. Heaveraged 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds in his final season there, leading theBlue Devils into the NCAA championship game.
Brand became the first player from Duke ever selected first overall.
"He's just an outstanding person," Krause said. "It was a very toughdecision. We just came to a decision that we think Elton Brand is anoutstanding player."
The Grizzlies selected second and chose guard Francis, who had indicated hewould be less than enthralled to play in Canada. Francis kept his head buriedin his hands as his name was announced, then raised his arms in the air to aloud ovation as he walked onstage to meet commissioner David Stern.
Francis played in college at nearby Maryland, averaging 17.0 points in hisonly season for the Terrapins. Francis, 22, was a first-team All-ACC selectionlast season and was widely considered one of the most exciting college playersto watch.
A shooting guard in college who was expected to be a point guard in thepros, Francis might play alongside point guard Mike Bibby with the Grizzlies.
"Hopefully, when I wake up tomorrow, I'll be happy," said Francis, who hasnever been to Canada. "I feel relieved now more than happy."
Davis was taken third by the Charlotte Hornets, who had said they would grabthe UCLA guard if he was still available.
Davis, 20, left the Bruins after a sophomore season in which he averaged15.9 points and 5.1 assists while still recovering from a torn anteriorcruciate ligament suffered during the 1998 NCAA tournament.
Instead of getting Davis, who they wanted, the Clippers landed Odom, the6-foot-10 phenom who so intrigued Krause.
The 19-year-old Odom had one of the most bizarre pre-draft existences ofanyone, making himself eligible, hiring and then firing an agent, trying to getreinstated at Rhode Island and then missing a pre-draft physical before NBAscouts in Chicago.
Those were only the latest travails involving Odom, who attended three highschools during his senior season and planned to enroll at UNLV before thevalidity of his entrance exam scores were brought into question.
"Some decisions I made may not have been the best at that time," Odomsaid. "I'm 19 years old. I'm thankful I didn't make those mistakes when I'm 29and it's too late."
At Rhode Island, he averaged 17.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists -numbers that had many player personnel directors calling him the most talentedall-around player available.
Toronto, selecting fifth, took the rail-thin, 205-pound Bender of Picayune,Miss., who scored 31 points in the McDonald's All-American game, breakingJordan's record by one.
The Raptors have already worked out a trade with Indiana that will sendBender to the Pacers in exchange for Davis. The trade will be formallyannounced Aug. 1, Davis' agent said.
Bender, 6-foot-10, was chosen higher than any high school entrant sinceKevin Garnett, who went fifth overall to Minnesota in 1995.
Wally Szczerbiak went sixth to the Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming thefirst senior selected in this draft. In 1997 and 1998, seniors were the toppicks overall. The Wolves acquired the sixth pick from New Jersey in theStephon Marbury trade.
Szczerbiak, 22, a 6-7 small forward with NBA 3-point range and a strongall-around game, is one of three collegians who have been added to the U.S.national team that will compete in July for a qualifying berth in the 2000Olympics.
The others are Brand and Richard Hamilton, a shooting guard from Connecticutwho was chosen seventh by the Washington Wizards - much to the delight of thehometown crowd.
Hamilton, 21, left Connecticut after a junior season in which he averaged21.5 points and led the Huskies to the national title. He could move right intothe starting lineup if the Wizards lose Mitch Richmond to free agency. Richmondis said to be pondering a return to his original NBA team, the Golden StateWarriors.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who coveted Szczerbiak, had to settle for Utahpoint guard Andre Miller, a member of the first-team All-America team. The23-year-old, who also completed four years of college, averaged 15.8 points and5.6 assists for the Utes last season.
Shawn Marion, a 6-7 forward from UNLV, went ninth overall to the PhoenixSuns, who acquired the pick from Dallas a year ago in the Steve Nash trade.
The Atlanta Hawks selected Arizona point guard Jason Terry with the 10thpick, quickly filling the vacancy left by the trade of Mookie Blaylock toGolden State on Tuesday.
Cleveland used its second first-round pick, 11th overall, to take Dukesenior Trajan Langdon, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard originally from Anchorage,Alaska.
Langdon was the second member of the Blue Devils to be picked the firstround, and Duke, which also lost William Avery and Corey Maggette, became thefirst school to have four first-rounders selected in the NBA draft.
The Raptors selected center Aleksandar Radojevic 12th overall, taking achance on a 7-foot-3 giant from Montenegro who has been playing basketball foronly a few years.
Maggette went 13th to Seattle and Avery was picked 14th by Minnesota.
Maggette was later traded to Orlando along with Dale Ellis, Billy Owens andDon MacLean for Horace Grant and two future No. 2 picks.
The New York Knicks picked 7-foot-2 Frenchman Frederic Weis with the 15thpick, bypassing homegrown guard Ron Artest of St. John's, who went 16th to theBulls.
Atlanta chose Cal Bowdler of Old Dominion 17th, Denver took James Posey ofXavier with the 18th pick, Quincy Lewis of Minnesota went 19th to Utah, DionGlover of Georgia Tech went 20th to Atlanta and Jeff Foster of Southwest TexasState went 21st to Golden State and then was traded to Indiana for the 26thpick, Vonteego Cummings of Pittsburgh.
Kenny Thomas of New Mexico went 22nd to Houston, Devean George of DivisionIII Augsburg (Minn.) went 23rd to the Los Angeles Lakers, Andrei Kirilenko ofCSKA Russia was picked 24th by Utah, and the Miami Heat selected homegrownforward Tim James of Miami with pick No. 25.
Jumaine Jones of Georgia went 27th to Atlanta and then was traded toPhiladelphia for a future No. 1 pick, Scott Padgett of Kentucky was picked 28thby Utah and Leon Smith of Martin Luther King HS in Chicago was the final pickof the first round by the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. He was later tradedto Dallas.
Evan Eschmeyer, a 6-11 center from Northwestern who was expected to go inthe first round, lasted until No. 34 when he was taken by New Jersey.
By CHRIS SHERIDAN
AP Basketball Writer
1999 NBA Draft Selections WASHINGTON (AP) - Selections from the 1999 NBA draft with team, player,projected position and college, high school, or foreign team:
First Round
1. Chicago, Elton Brand, F, Duke.
2. Vancouver, Steve Francis, G, Maryland.
3. Charlotte, Baron Davis, G, UCLA.
4. L.A. Clippers, Lamar Odom, F, Rhode Island.
5. Toronto (from Denver), Jonathan Bender, F, Picayune (Miss.), High School.
6. Minnesota (from New Jersey), Wally Szczerbiak, F, Miami (Ohio).
7. Washington, Richard Hamilton, G-F, Connecticut.
8. Cleveland (from Boston), Andre Miller, G, Utah.
9. Phoenix (from Dallas), Shawn Marion, F, UNLV.
10. Atlanta (from Golden State), Jason Terry, G, Arizona.
11. Cleveland, Trajan Langdon, G, Duke.
12. Toronto, Aleksandar Radojevic, C, Barton County (Kan.) C.C.
13. Seattle, Corey Maggette, F, Duke.
14. Minnesota, William Avery, G, Duke.
15. New York, Frederic Weis, C, Limoges (France),
16. Chicago (from Phoenix), Ron Artest, G-F, St. John's.
17. Atlanta (from Sacramento), Cal Bowdler, F, Old Dominion.
18. Denver (from Milwaukee via Phoenix), James Posey, G-F, Xavier.
19. Utah (from Philadelphia), Quincy Lewis, F, Minnesota.
20. Atlanta (from Detroit), Dion Glover, G, Georgia Tech.
21. Golden State (from Atlanta), Jeff Foster, F-C, Southwest Texas State.
22. Houston, Kenny Thomas, F, New Mexico.
23. L.A. Lakers, Devean George, G-F, Augsburg (Minn.).
24. Utah (from Orlando), Andrei Kirilenko, F, CSKA (Russia).
25. Miami, Tim James, F, Miami.
26. Indiana, Vonteego Cummings, G, Pittsburgh.
27. Atlanta (from Portland via Detroit), Jumaine Jones, F, Georgia.
28. Utah, Scott Padgett, F, Kentucky.
29. San Antonio, Leon Smith, F, ML King High School (Chicago).
Second Round
30. L.A. Lakers (from Vancouver), John Celestand, G, Villanova.
31. L.A. Clippers, Rico Hill, F, Illinois State.
32. Chicago, Michael Ruffin, F, Tulsa.
33. Denver, Chris Herren, G, Fresno State.
34. New Jersey, Evan Eschmeyer, C, Northwestern.
35. Washington, Calvin Booth, F-C, Penn State.
36. Dallas, Wang Zhi-Zhi, C, Army Rockets (China).
37. Vancouver (from Boston), Obinna Ekezie, F, Maryland.
38. Orlando (from Golden State), Laron Profit, G-F, Maryland.
39. Cleveland, A.J. Bramlett, F, Arizona.
40. Dallas (from Toronto), Gordan Giricek, G, Cibona (Zagreb-Croatia)
41. Denver (from Seattle), Francisco Elson, C, California.
42. Minnesota, Louis Bullock, G, Michigan.
43. Charlotte, Lee Nailon, F, Texas Christian.
44. Houston (from Phoenix), Tyrone Washington, F-C, Mississippi State
45. Sacramento, Ryan Robertson, G, Kansas.
46. New York, J.R. Koch, F, Iowa.
47. Philadelphia, Todd MacCulloch, C, Washington.
48. Milwaukee, Galen Young, G-F, UNC-Charlotte.
49. Chicago (from Detroit via Atlanta), Lari Ketner, F-C, Massachusetts.
50. Houston, Venson Hamilton, F, Nebraska.
51. Vancouver (from L.A. Lakers), Antwain Smith, F, St. Paul's College.
52. Atlanta, Roberto Bergersen, F-G, Boise State.
53. Miami, Rodney Buford, F-G, Creighton.
54. Detroit (from Indiana), Melvin Levett, G, Cincinnati.
55. Boston (from Orlando via Denver), Kris Clack, F-G, Texas.
56. Golden State (from Portland), Tim Young, C, Stanford.
57. San Antonio, Emmanuel Ginobili, G, Reggio Calabria (Italy).
58. Utah, Eddie Lucas, F, Virginia Tech.