Swap meet.(player trading during National Basketball Association draft)(Brief Article)

The Clippers, Kings and Hawks were the big winners as the draft took a back seat to draft-night trades

Forget that the average age of the lottery picks was 19.6. Or that, for the first time, high school seniors went 1-2, a junior college player was chosen 11th and 21 picks were made before the names of two college seniors were called.

Here's all the proof you need to know the NBA draft isn't what it used to be:

The Clippers woke up the next day feeling giddy. That's right, those once pathetic Clippers, the club owned by that loser cheapskate Donald Sterling, were the big winners June 27.

In a draft devoid of instant stars, the Clippers found a way to get an immediate boost from the second pick. They traded it. About the time Tyson Chandler, 18, was wrapping up his stories about how happy he was the Clippers had taken him so he could stay at home and continue doing his mom's laundry, he was asked to turn in his team cap. Chandler was heading to the Bulls for Elton Brand, one of the top power forwards in the Eastern Conference.

Though Chandler has two coveted NBA commodities--size and athleticism--his future is as unknown as any of the three other high school players who were taken in the first eight picks.

The Clippers didn't want to wait to find out what Chandler would become. They know what they're getting in Brand, 22, who two years ago became the first Duke player to leave early. He averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds the past two seasons, putting him in select company with Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Chris Webber.