Trading Corey Maggette for Horace Grant? What the heck is wrong with Wally Walker? What sense is there in trading a young future star to get an old forward? This has to be one of the worst moves in Sonics history. What's next, getting Will Purdue and saying that he's the inside force that the Sonics need? With Wally Walker and Paul Westphal running the Sonics, I really feel sorry for Gary Payton, Vin Baker and Detlef Schrempf. Their talent is being wasted by not adding quality players. Wally Walker needs to go back to broadcasting or go to a team that his general manager's skills will fit in with. Do I hear the Clippers calling?

Reed Baker
Seattle

You are absolutely right. Don Nelson just doesn't get it. He drafts all these foreign players in the hope that they will turn into the next great superstar. Instead the Mavericks are stuck with 15 feet of stiffs every year. This year is no exception. What's even worse is that after this season his son, Donnie Nelson, becomes the coach. This franchise will be at the bottom for a long time.

Edward Ackels
Dallas

I agree the T-Wolves had the best draft, but I thought that the Cavs had a great draft, too.William Avery is superb, and Trajon Langdon could shoot the lights out in any gym. I think that the Cavs should have also gotten an "A," along with Minnesota.

I hate Don Nelson. I bet we could hire anyone else as a manager who could do better than him and at least draft someone native to this country.

Daniel Stoneking
Plano, Texas

The Magic took a gamble by trading for Corey Maggette, who can be either another Harold Minor or another Vince Carter. What made the trade a steal for the Magic is that all they had to give up was Horace Grant, who is obviously in the sunset of a not-so spectacular career. The risk the Magic took was well worth it for a guy who will stun fans with his sheer athletisism and potential. They also got a steal in the second round with Laron Profit, a solid all-around small forward who was overshadowed by Steve Francis and Terrance Morris during his senior season at Maryland after being the focal point in his sophomore and junior seasons. Louis Bullock is also a known-commodity. He can score with the best of them and could be a vital cog off the bench.

Jonathan Pong
Honolulu

The Sixers deserve more then a C-. With the acquistion of Jumaine Jones -- whom you did not mention in the Sixers grade analysis -- the Sixers scored a guy who should have been a lottery pick by giving up a future non-lottery pick. Because of that, the Sixers deserve at least a B or B-.

David Deutsch
Bethesda, Md.

Minnesota had, in my opinion, the best draft. Not only did they get Wally Szczerbiak, who is a great all-around player, they also picked up William Avery who is a quality point guard. They should be able to help their team out a lot, and they should be a contender for next year's playoffs.

Marco Cipriani
Pittsburgh

I think the Timberwolves had a fabulous draft. They filled two major holes, the shooting forward and backup point guard, in the first round, and got a decent shooter in the second. Far and away, the only pure A draft this year.

Dan Novotny
Aberdeen, S.D.

Good job on the grading, ESPN. I have to give you a B, though, for having the blind confidence in Brand that belongs to Duke fans and others who, I think, overestimate his ability. At 6-foot-8, he doesn't have the makings of a center and or the foot speed of a forward. I have two words for Krause and the Bulls -- Steve Francis!

David Tuttle
Logan, Utah

Even being a die-hard Knicks fan, I think you were too easy on them. This was a definite F. The only thing this Weis guy will contribute is to teach Patrick Ewing French while they are both on the bench injured. And we still don't have a real point guard.

Bob Homa
Parlin, N.J.

Give the Magic an A+ for getting Corey Maggette. As an avid Magic fan and also a Blue Devils fan, it was a banner day. I liked Horace Grant, but he was always hurt. Orlando got the best player in the draft, period. Thank the Sonics for me.

Kenny Harvey
Indianapolis

It's plain and simple -- the front office of the Seattle SuperSonics should all be brought out for a public hanging in front of the entire Seattle population. With the trade of Corey Maggette to Orlando, Wally Walker's head should roll. Corey Maggette has the most potential of any player in the draft, and Walker just gave it away for Horace Grant, the 34-year-old King of Queens. Good work, Wally.

Matt Keller
Snohomish, Wash.

In my opinion, Don Nelson is the worst person to have in charge of your draft. If he really wanted to improve the Mavs, he would pick someone who had talent, instead of "potential." Wang Zhi-Zhi is probably the worst pick of the draft, so I agree whole heartedly with the F you gave him.

Jon McClain
Spokane, Wash.

The Warriors deserve an A-. They acquired Mookie Blaylock earlier, and all they really needed was bench depth as long as they keep John Starks.

Matt Whetstine
Phoenix

I wish Don Nelson would wake up and draft an American. I don't understand his intentions of putting together a foreign basketball team. Maybe Dallas should fire him, so he can go coach overseas. Dallas will never be a winning team with him as GM.

Kyle Brown
Lubbock, Texas

You hit the mark with your comments on Dallas. What the heck is Nelson thinking? Maybe he figured Dallas couldn't get any worse and just decided to tank this draft. Don't expect the Mavericks to resemble the Stars any time soon.

Rodney Githens
White Oak, N.C.

In a town where there is heated competition for the title of Dumbest GM, Wally Walker has shown he is quite capable of putting Woody Woodward to shame.

Jim Guthrie
Tumwater, Wash.

I believe the grades for the Cavs and Magic should be a little higher. The Cavs picked up two refined, quality players and improved their team tenfold. The Magic added a remarkable talent who can learn and grow into a superstar on a playoff team. I see both Corey Maggette and Laron Profit contributing from day one to take this playoff team to the next level in the near future -- with or without Penny Hardaway.

Darin Maciaszek
Tampa, Fla.

I mostly agree with your analysis of the draft. However, I totally disagree with your take on the Clippers. Although Lamar Odom did waver between staying in school and going pro, he will be the most talented player out of this draft in a few years. The fact that the Clippers have a history of poor draft choices in the past does not mean that Lamar Odom is a poor choice. Michael Olowakandi is a project, but he will complement Odom well for a killer duo next year.

Chris Markham
Honolulu

I think you may have rated my beloved Sonics a bit high. I know this is hard to do since you gave them an F. But to totally lose the talented draft pick and one of the game's premier 3-point shooters for an over-the-hill power forward when you already have, until this year, one of the games premier power forwards, constitutes either a W for the obvious complete withdrawal or an F-- .

Rick Mangan
Portland, Ore.

You were absolutely right for giving the Seattle Sonics an F grade. I have been a Sonics fan my whole life, and I can't remember a dumber deal they made. Yes, I do remember making Jim McIlvaine the highest paid player on the team. Yes, I do remember Scottie Pippen being traded away for Olden Polynice. The Sonics traded four players for aging and mediocre Horace Grant. Grant, in his prime, wasn't even worth four players. This move is a disgrace, and I am ashamed to be a Seattle Sonics fan right now.

Bobby Palestini
Lodi, N.J.

This was the weirdest draft I can ever remember. Although several teams (Bulls, Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Magic) made excellent picks and trades, there were others that defied all logic. Sonics, Raptors, Knicks, Mavericks, and Celtics: what were you thinking?

Steve Ruybal
Morrisville, N.C.

The Bulls lost out by picking Elton Brand at No. 1. He was a good college player, but at 6-8, he's way too small to play center or even power forward in the NBA.

Matt Meyers
Vermillion, S.D.

I don't understand how you gave the Wizards a B-. They picked up the best player on the best team in college basketball who, aside from being a proven winner, can actually drain a mid-range shot with some sort of consistency. It's ironic to me how every supposed NBA guru laments the lack of shooters in the league, and then spends the remainder of their time hyping up kids who haven't won a thing and have a better chance of becoming busts than hitting an open shot.

Sam Michael
Silver Spring, Md.

I feel the Suns and the Clippers came out with the steals of the draft. Shawn Marion, my favorite college player out of UNLV, is going to be great. I hope he gets playing time because he's going to flourish in the West with a point guard like J-Kidd. Lamar Odom, in a couple of years, will be there with Duncan, Garnett, Iverson as the best players in the league.Odom is a NYC guy, so you know he's got game!

Socrates Palmer Jr.
Bronx, N.Y.

The Wolves made the best moves in this year's draft. They filled needs that I feel could make them a heavyweight contender next year. They were looking for shooters, and they got them. But I feel they made a mistake by dumping Bullock off to the Magic. Being a big Michigan fan over the years, I have watched a lot of Big Ten games, and if you're looking for a shooter, you don't give up one of the best for cash considerations.

Alex Plewinski
Minneapolis

The Rockets should have traded "The Dream." The two draft picks could have been either Wally Szczerbiak or Richard Hamilton with the 5th pick, and Corey Maggette with the 12th pick. Two years from now when the Rockets are fighting with the Mavs for lottery balls, they will wish they had any of those three players.

Scott Shirkey
Houston

How can you not give the Bulls an A+? Brand and Artest were two of the great scoring players in college, and they actually really have a chance at becoming good NBA players. I don't see how they could have done any better! I'm not even a Bulls fan.

Scott Hakel
Cincinnati

Am I missing something here or didn't the Cavs already have a starting point guard? Would somebody please get Wayne Embry away from this team. First, he ditches Ron Harper, then Kevin Johnson, then Mark Price, and now he appears ready to ditch a great young talent like Brevin Knight. What does he have against solid guards on his team?

S.D. Beauford
Indianapolis

With the addition of William and Wally, the Timberwolves are the next big-time NBA contender now. Find a way to keep Brandon at point guard and let Avery come off the bench for his first year in the league.Wally and KG at forwards?! Are you kidding?! I want a Spurs-Wolves rematch already!

Lance McDaniel
Hutchinson, Minn.

I would like to congratulate the Minnesota Timberwolves. With a solid nucleus now of Kevin Garnett, Joe Smith (maybe), Wally Szczerbiak and William Avery, all the T-Wolves lack is a shooting guard. If they find a way to swing a deal for Penny Hardaway through Terrell Brandon, we can surely be seeing this team in the near future as champions.

Jonathan Thomson
Lake Mary, Fla.