The Rockets thought the Grizzlies would have to accept that pick if it was conveyed to them to complete the Steve Francis trade. Instead, the Grizzlies only have to accept a pick other than the Rockets' own selection -- which they are not about to surrender -- if the pick in question is among the top 13.

"There's nothing in the rules that says we have to send it or they have to take it," Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said. "They can wait til next year to take our pick for sure. It's up to them. From their point of view, we've been in the lottery now (for three seasons). They might roll the dice and wait until next year."

Next season, the Rockets must send their pick or another team's lottery pick to complete the deal. The Grizzlies could choose to take this season's pick if they lose their own pick to Detroit. But that only would happen in the long-shot chance they fall out of the top five.

But the Rockets' second first-round pick has become more valuable with every addition to the draft mix -- Duke's Mike Dunleavy is the latest -- and the rise in stature of some of the European players, especially 19-year-old forward Nickoloz Tskitishvili. With the improved draft, the second pick might help the Rockets move up or add a pick to make up for the choice they would lose next season.

Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports: On paper, the theories seem intriguing. The Bulls break a two-year string of bad luck, win the top pick at next Sunday's draft lottery, then auction it off to land a proven superstar like Vince Carter, Allen Iverson or Michael Finley in return.

In reality, none of it is likely to happen, even if those star players do turn up on the trade market.

Despite their young roster, the Bulls are not eager to swap the first-round draft pick for a veteran. They could end up drafting anywhere from one to five, depending on how the lottery turns out.

If the Bulls get one of the first three selections, they will enjoy the prospects of adding either Duke guard Jason (now Jay) Williams, 7-foot-6 Chinese center Yao Ming, or the latest player to declare for the draft, 6-9 Duke forward Mike Dunleavy Jr.

He's not a true point guard, but Williams could become a dynamic scorer in the mold of Baron Davis. Yao would allow the Bulls to field one of the tallest lineups in basketball history.

If he stays in the draft, Dunleavy might have a chance to break into the top two. Though he still needs some bulk, Dunleavy is a talented passer and scorer whose versatile skills should fit well in the NBA.

If the Bulls' choice is not among the top three, don't expect many teams to call with trade proposals, because the talent is questionable.

If that's the case, the Bulls figure to choose between Kansas forward Drew Gooden, Northeast Mississippi's Qyntel Woods, Connecticut forward Caron Butler and Memphis guard DeJuan Wagner, though the possibilities could change before the June 26 draft.

Anyone dreaming of a major trade should remember that teams would want the No. 1 pick and a major player, probably Tyson Chandler or Jalen Rose, in return from the Bulls. Since the Bulls have based their future on having the NBA's best inside game within five years, Chandler must stay.

How about Rose and the No. 1 pick to Philadelphia for Iverson? Rose had the worst season of his career when he was matched with coach Larry Brown in Indiana. A reunion doesn't sound like a good idea.

The same deal for Carter? It would bring one of the league's most talented players to the Bulls. But Carter has proven in Toronto that he's not much of a leader. How much sense would it make to match Carter with Chandler and Eddy Curry? Besides, as long as Carter keeps filling the seats at the Air Canada Centre, the Raptors won't consider trading him.

Does Dallas owner Mark Cuban covet Yao enough to offer Finley in a trade? Not likely. It would give the Mavericks three 7-footers on the front line and two point guards in the backcourt. Then who guards Kobe Bryant?

The more realistic trade possibilities are Cleveland point guard Andre Miller or Minnesota's Wally Szczerbiak. Both will be looking for contract extensions near the maximum salary this summer and their teams might be glad to take Williams in return.

Williams would be a less expensive option for Cleveland at point guard. In Minnesota, he would fill a need and the Timberwolves could move Chauncey Billups into Szczerbiak's spot.

But don't expect to Bulls to take on either of these players, either. General manager Jerry Krause has been frugal during the rebuilding process and isn't likely to change tactics now. Why overpay for a veteran when you can ride the potential of a high draft pick with four years to spend in the NBA's rookie wage scale?

The proverbial clock is ticking.

One day after the 76ers' season ended with a 120-87 loss to the Boston Celtics, coach Larry Brown said his players must prove to him they are willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the team; otherwise, they will be gone.

Allen Iverson included.

"The one thing I can assure you is we're going to do everything we can to make this team better," Brown said yesterday as the players cleaned out their lockers at the First Union Center, then departed for the summer.

Vince Carter met the media yesterday wearing game-worn jerseys of his Raptors teammates.

More than making a fashion statement, Carter was trying to leave a metaphorical message.

In his absence, the Raptors salvaged their season by winning 12 of their final 14 games to make the post-season.

Without Carter, the Raptors became a team in the truest sense with everyone sharing the basketball and each player being asked to step up in crunch time.

While most of the Raptors scrambled to get ready for their summer vacation yesterday, Alvin Williams was preparing for an expenses-paid visit to Scalpelworld.

The fifth-year Raptor faces not one but possibly three post-season operations -- one on each knee and another on his left ankle.

The Raptors' playoff experience turned out to be a microcosm of their entire season.

One bad game. Two good games. And two games in which a strong effort was negated by mental lapses.

The term "communication breakdown" implies there are at least two parties who need to communicate. It also means there are at least two parties who could take positive measures in an effort to clear things up.

In short, both the Raptors' coaches and guard Chris Childs are to blame for what happened in the dying stages of Games 2 and 5 against the Detroit Pistons.

Vince Carter strolled into the gym at the Air Canada Centre on Friday clad in the jerseys of half his team, the shirts arranged haphazardly over his shoulders, his baseball cap askew.

The get-up was a show of support for his teammates, the injured star said, from whom he drew inspiration as he watched the Raptors dig themselves out of a deep mid-season hole to advance to a deciding game in their first-round playoff series.

The team gathered at the ACC the morning after their 85-82 Game 5 loss to the Detroit Pistons, to mull over the season before heading to points abroad. Carter went around the locker-room collecting his teammates' jerseys.

The Toronto Raptors' Game 5 loss to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA quarter-finals drew a record high average audience for an NBA game on TSN.

The all-sports television network announced Friday that Thursday's 85-82 Pistons win drew an average audience per minute of 612,000 viewers and peaked at 11 p.m. EDT at 944,000 viewers.

TSN's previous high was an average of 525,000 in Game 5 between the New York Knicks and the Raptors in 2001.

The indisputable fact about the Toronto Raptors is that they truly became a team over a season of incredible highs and mind-blowing lows, a group that did more than pay lip service to attributes like chemistry, cohesion and one-for-all-and-all-for-one.

Even in the midst of a potential season-ruining losing streak they remained a united group that didn't degenerate into backstabbing and nitpicking, and their resurgence in the final three weeks of the season only cemented the bonds that grew all season.

Lenny Wilkens faces some tough decisions ahead and so, too, do the Toronto Raptors about him.

With everyone in the organization facing some sort of employment review by their immediate supervisors, Wilkens will pass judgment on players just as management passes judgment on him in the wake of a season that can be considered only marginally successful.

General manager Glen Grunwald and owner Larry Tanenbaum were adamant in the throes of the losing streak that Wilkens' job was safe and there would be no discussion of his future until the season had ended. Well, it ended Wednesday in Detroit and you can be sure that when Grunwald returns from a scouting trip to Europe on Monday, a meeting with his boss and his coach will be among the first things he does.