Sam Smith: Mercer To Bulls For The 5th Pick In 3-Way Trade

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

Smith says the C's aren't receiving any great offers for Mercer,
so they may deal him in a three way trade between Boston, Toronto,
and the Bulls, where the C's receive Toronto's number 5 pick,
the Raptors the No. 1 choice, and the Bulls - Mercer and McGrady.

Can you say Andre Miller or Radojovic?  And it's funny they just had
Radojevic in for a workout, but of course they have no interest
in moving up for him?  Warning lights should have gone on, after that
statement was made...
      


      Chicago Tribune | Sports 


      Sam Smith: Bulls may pick Eschmeyer     

      Column
      Don't be surprised if Bulls pick Eschmeyer

      By Sam Smith
      Tribune Pro Basketball Writer
      June 2, 1999 
      With the first pick in the 1999 NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls . . .
      Will keep everyone guessing until June 30.
      But here's something to file until then.
      Just before the 1997 draft, the Bulls were close to trading Scottie 
      Pippen. They were thinking it might be the only way to avoid the kind of 
      season they just endured.
      A deal was close: The Bulls would deal Pippen to the Boston Celtics for 
      two first-round draft choices, and there was a subsequent deal with Denver 
      that would have landed the Bulls another first-rounder. That would have 
      given the Bulls the fifth, sixth and 10th picks in the first round.
      The Bulls intended to use the top two picks for Ron Mercer, who went to 
      Boston at No. 6, and Tracy McGrady, who went to Toronto at No. 9.
      The Bulls eventually opted to retain Pippen and go for a sixth 
      championship.
      But now here they are at No. 1 in the draft. And Toronto, which has the 
      No. 5 and No. 12 picks in this draft, is desperate to get Maryland guard 
      Steve Francis, who should go first or second.
      And Boston, according to league general managers, is holding something of 
      an auction for Mercer, who isn't expected to re-sign with the Celtics 
      after next season.
      So don't dismiss this scenario: The Bulls deal No. 1 to Toronto for 
      McGrady and No. 5, perhaps also No. 12. Then they ship No. 5 to Boston, 
      which is not getting great offers, for Mercer.
      None of the players at the top of this draft is enough to build around. 
      Figure Toronto and Boston to jump at such offers, and the Bulls to walk 
      away with the two players they wanted to begin their rebuilding two years 
      ago.
      Remember, when Jerry Krause couldn't get Brent Barry out of the previous 
      draft, he signed him as a free agent three years later. His fixations have 
      staying power.
      And with the No. 16 pick in the draft, the Bulls could select . . .
      Evan Eschmeyer.
      "Chicago would be a great situation," said the Northwestern center, who 
      worked out for the Bulls this weekend. "They've proved they'll do what it 
      takes to create winning teams. It would be a chance to go somewhere and 
      prove myself early on."
      And why not Eschmeyer? He seems to have been around Chicago basketball 
      longer than Johnny Kerr.
      Talk about mature. The guy is 23, already has an education degree and has 
      finished his pre-med requirements.
      "But I'm ready to focus on basketball now," Eschmeyer says. "I want to 
      give it time and prove myself."
      Scouts project the 6-foot-11-inch, 260-pound Eschmeyer as a Will 
      Perdue/Luc Longley type. He sees himself as a Brian Grant-type role 
      player. They share the same agent, Chicago attorney Mark Bartelstein, who 
      has a reputation for working with lesser-known but high-quality role 
      players such as Grant and former Bull Jud Buechler. In this draft 
      Bartelstein has four potential first-rounders: Eschmeyer, Arizona's A.J. 
      Bramlett, Boise State's Roberto Bergersen and Xavier's James Posey, who 
      impressed at the pre-draft camps, as fellow Xavier alum Grant did to move 
      in to the lottery in 1994.
      "I feel I'm known for doing the little things, not backing down," 
      Eschmeyer says.
      The Bulls have a desperate need for a center, and it would be refreshing 
      if they were to bring in a player who isn't still learning how to play 
      basketball.
      Eschmeyer was a basketball prodigy coming out of Ohio in 1993. He averaged 
      30.2 points and 14.5 rebounds as a high school senior, won everything in 
      the state and a gold medal in the Olympic festival.
      "I thought for sure I'd be in the NBA in a few years," he says. "I felt I 
      knew what it took. I was very arrogant."
      A couple of years on the sideline watching will humble anyone.
      Eschmeyer had severe foot problems that required two surgeries and caused 
      him to miss the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons.
      "I always felt I'd be all right," he says. "I knew it was a matter of 
      working hard and doing the right things. It took a while longer than I 
      thought it would, but it came back stronger than ever."
      By his second season, Eschmeyer was a dominant player on a poor team.
      He was first-team All-Big Ten three straight seasons, averaging 21.7 
      points and 10.7 rebounds as a junior and 19.6 points and 10.1 rebounds as 
      a senior despite constant double- and triple-teaming.
      He's not the quickest center and won't be the most dominant, but he can be 
      a useful player for many years.
      Atlanta, Cleveland, Sacramento, Golden State, Toronto and Minnesota have 
      him lined up for workouts.
      "I feel I've had a chance to develop as a player," Eschmeyer says. "Nobody 
      is going to have to baby-sit me. I feel I'm kind of a throwback player, a 
      banger who likes to rebound. I'm not afraid of getting hit in the head 
      going for a rebound. That's sometimes hard to teach."
      Perhaps that's what they mean about Northwestern players using their 
      heads.