There were trades that happened, trades that didn't happen and trades that haven't officially happened.
All in all, the NBA draft was a big deal.Five trades involving six first-round picks, eight veterans and three second-round picks turned Wednesday night's draft into anything but the Tim Duncan Show.
Duncan went first to the San Antonio Spurs in what turned out to be the only predictable moment of the evening - expect for a rare injection of humor from the bland center from Wake Forest.
"Do you want me to be mean?" Duncan said after being queried on his niceness. "I can be mean. I'm leaving," he said to a roomful of interviewers.
Duncan didn't really mean it and stayed for a few more moments while the commissioner was announcing the second pick.
It turned out to be Utah forward Keith Van Horn, who was chosen by Philadelphia, but will be heading to New Jersey once an eight-player deal can be finalized.
It will send Van Horn, forwards Don MacLean and Lucious Harris and another player, perhaps Michael Cage, to New Jersey for guard Jim Jackson, center Eric Montross and draft picks Tim Thomas (No. 7) and Anthony Parker (No. 21).
The trade cannot be formally announced until a grievance is settled between the 76ers and Celtics regarding last week's now-dead trade of Michael Cage and Clarence Weatherspoon for Dino Radja, who failed a physical Tuesday night.
In other deals, Milwaukee sent the rights to first-round pick Danny Fortson of Cincinnati, along with veterans Johnny Newman and Joe Wolf, to the Denver Nuggets for center Ervin Johnson. Portland and Dallas swapped the rights to picks Chris Antsey and Kelvin Cato, and Philadelphia, Denver, Portland and Orlando made minor deals involving second-round picks.
Perhaps the biggest news of the night was the non-trade of Scottie Pippen from Chicago to Boston.
Boston coach Rick Pitino said the Bulls wanted too much in a deal that reportedly also was to include Chicago center Luc Longley.
"They wanted to really sweeten it, and we couldn't do that," Pitino said after the Celtics selected Chauncey Billups with the third pick and Ron Mercer sixth.
TNT analyst Brian Burwell reported that Michael Jordan made a phone call to Bulls management threatening to retire if the Bulls traded Pippen.
David Falk, the agent for Jordan, said he doubted that was true.
Duncan, the consensus college player of the year in 1996-97 and the first player to repeat as a unanimous first team All-American selection since Shaquille O'Neal in 1990-91 and 1991-92, averaged 20.8 points and led the nation in rebounding with 14.7 per game.
He became the first college senior to be chosen No. 1 overall since Larry Johnson in 1991.
Van Horn went second, then acknowledged the upcoming trade to the Nets.
With the third pick, Boston selected Billups, who was generally regarded as the best all-around point guard available.
The Vancouver Grizzlies, selecting fourth, chose Bowling Green point guard Antonio Daniels. Tony Battie, a junior 6-foot-11 center from Texas Tech who was projected to go as high as second, went fifth to the Nuggets.
With the sixth pick, Pitino went with Mercer, who played for him at Kentucky the past two seasons. The Celtics acquired the sixth pick in last summer's trade with Dallas for Montross.
The Nets, picking for Philadelphia with the seventh pick, chose Thomas.
The eighth pick was Golden State's and the Warriors chose Colgate center Adonal Foyle, the NCAA career leader in blocked shots (492).
Perhaps most surprised - and pleased - by the Warriors' selection of Foyle was Toronto general manager Isiah Thomas, who was hoping that Tracy McGrady would drop to No. 9.
The 18-year-old did, and the Raptors made him the fourth high schooler to be picked in the first round in the past three years. The others were Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal.
Milwaukee, picking 10th, chose Fortson. The selection was curious - and indicative of the trade for Johnson that happened 45 minutes later - because Milwaukee already has an established power forward in All-Star Vin Baker.
Olivier Saint-Jean, a French native who attended San Jose State and left after his junior year, went 11th to Sacramento.
The Indiana Pacers picked Providence forward Austin Croshere at No. 12 and Cleveland used the first of its two first-round picks on Kentucky shooting guard Derek Anderson.
Michigan forward Maurice Taylor went at No. 14 to the Los Angeles Clippers. Iowa State center Cato was the selection of the Mavericks at No. 15.
Cleveland, picking again at No. 16, chose 5-foot-9 Stanford point guard Brevin Knight and Orlando then went for a high-scoring player from a small school by choosing forward Johnny Taylor of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Portland took Antsey, a 22-year-old Australian center, at No. 18. Detroit picked Kansas big man Scot Pollard at No. 19 and Minnesota made it three straight centers to be selected when the Timberwolves chose Paul Grant of Wisconsin. Portland later acquired second-round pick C.J. Bruton from Vancouver for cash.
The Nets' second pick - also going to Philadelphia when the big trade is finalized - was Bradley guard Parker.
The Atlanta Hawks, picking 22nd, chose California guard Ed Gray.
At No. 23, the Seattle SuperSonics took Minnesota point guard Bobby Jackson. Houston used the next pick on Southern Cal swingman Rodrick Rhodes, New York grabbed Minnesota forward John Thomas, Miami selected New Mexico guard Charles Smith and Utah picked Kansas point guard Jacque Vaughn.
With the last pick of the first round, Chicago chose Keith Booth of Maryland.