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Wednesday, June 27
Youthful Bulls deal Brand to Clippers
Associated Press
DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Two years ago, the Chicago Bulls made
Elton Brand the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
On Wednesday, they traded their best player to the Los Angeles Clippers for the rights to 7-foot high school forward/center Tyson
Chandler and forward Brian Skinner.
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Wed., June 27
The Bulls haven't drafted well since their championship team broke up. They've had good selections, but other than Elton Brand, their recent selections are still in the "can they make it?" category. Brand was a good selection, but even with him, they were still a low-percentage team in the Eastern Conference every year. Full analysis
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Brand, who shared the NBA rookie of the year award with Steve Francis after the 1999-2000 season, averaged 20 points and 10
rebounds during his two seasons in Chicago.
Chandler was the No. 2 pick by the Clippers. He averaged 26
points, 15 rebounds and eight blocked shots at Dominguez High in
Compton, Calif.
The Bulls now have two high school players on their roster. With
the fourth pick Wednesday night, Chicago took local product Eddy
Curry, a 6-11 center from Thornwood High of South Holland, Ill.
"I think it will be great with two high schoolers," Chandler said. "We can learn from each other and we will get through this
together. I think it will be a little easier for us because we're
not so much on our own. We can get out there and work out together
and make this really good."
Chandler and Curry faced each other in a high school tournament
in December. Both players had 16 points, and Chandler's Dominguez
team beat Curry's Thornwood squad 54-50.
Curry shot just 5-for-18 in the game against Chandler.
Kwame Brown, another prep star, was the first pick, so three of
top four selections came directly out of high school.
"I think all the high school guys have to get out there and
work really hard," Chandler said.
"We'll be under a lot of scrutiny and we can't let it get to
us. We have to focus on the goal we're here to do."
Curry led Thornwood to the state tournament finals, averaging 22
points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots while shooting 64
percent from the field.
Both the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune reported
Wednesday that the Bulls listened to a trade offer from the Wizards
in which Chicago would have sent Brand to Washington for the first
pick.
Now Brand, who was the bright spot for the Bulls as they went
32-132 the last two seasons, is gone.
"Those are big shoes to fill," Chandler said of Brand. "I'll
go out and play my game and do what I'm capable of doing."
Curry said playing close to home should help him make the
transition.
"I'll be surrounded by my family and that's what I needed at
this time. My family will make it a lot easier," Curry said.
"I know in my heart I'm ready to do this, especially
physically. I think emotionally and physically nobody can be 100
percent ready for the lifestyle you are about to embark on,
regardless if you go to four years of college or come out of high
school," Curry added.
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Ramsay: Youth good for Bulls
High school star goes first in NBA draft
 ESPN's Melissa Stark and Andy Katz discuss the emotions of being traded on draft night with Tyson Chandler.
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