WINNERS

TIMBERWOLVES – Needed a small forward who can shoot; got Wally Szczerbiak. Needed a point guard; got William Avery. Second-round pick Louis Bullock could be a super sleeper.

BULLS – The start of another Bulls run. Got four physical players, led by two great competitors – Elton Brand and Ron Artest. Let the free agent spending begin.

MAGIC – Two months ago Corey Maggette was considered the top prospect in the draft and the Magic didn’t have a 1st-round pick. Today they have Maggette for Horace Grant (34) and a two second-rounders.

PACERS – Wanted to get more athletic and did so by trading Antonio Davis, a second-round pick in the 1990 draft, for Jonathan Bender, the fith player taken overall.

LOSERS

RAPTORS – Had their choice of Jason Terry, Andre Miller and William Avery. Chose Bender instead. Avery was still on the board when the Raptors picked again at 12 but took Aleksandar Radojevic.

SONICS – Point guard and GM Gary Payton wants to win now. Only explanation for Seattle trading away a future star in Maggette for Grant.

KNICKS – Tried to make chicken salad out of chicken droppings by drafting Frederic Weis as their center of the future. Used their 2nd round pick on Iowa’s J.R. Koch. New Garden chant – CBA! CBA!

MAVERICKS – Wang Zhi Zhi has a better chance of stealing nuclear weapons secrets for the Chinese than playing in the NBA. Is Don Nelson still wearing fish ties?

FOUR TO WATCH

JAZZ – Utah has have mastered the art of drafting low. Quincy Lewis (19th) is Richard Hamilton-like. Andrei Kirilenko’s (24th) got some game. Scott Padgett (28) has a shot and knows how to play.

HEAT – Wanted desperately to move up but found no takers. Got a great athlete and hard worker in homeboy Tim James. Bet Rodney Buford (53rd) makes the team.

WIZARDS – Finally, they weren’t dummies. Needed a backup for Mitch Richmond and took Hamilton. Calvin Booth (35th) of Penn State can block shots even if he can’t make em.

CAVALIERS – We think Andre Miller is the point guard most ready to make an impact. We also think taking Trajan Langdon – a shooting guard who can’t off his own shot – 11th was a reach.