Yesterday Wiretap spoke about the surgery that new Clipper Elton Brand had on his left knee.  Today in the Chicago Sun-Times Jerry Krause informs us that the surgery was minor, that he spoke to the L.A. Clippers before the trade of the surgery, and it was Brand's and agent David Falk's idea not to announce it.  "He (Brand) and David Falk chose not to announce it. I asked them if they wanted to, and they said, `No.'"

In other Bulls news, Krause said he does not plan on hosting any free agents on Sunday, the first day teams can talk to free agents and also the day of Krause's 23rd wedding anniversary, according once again to the Sun-Times.  "We'll make our calls, and I'll be on the phone," Krause said.  Please Jerry, this year do not miss the boat.

Marc Stein of the Dallas Morning News writes that the Clippers once again headlined at the draft, this time, by trading out of it.  In trading the #2 for Elton Brand, a proven 20-and-10 guy, the Clippers have got a sure-fire top-notch power forward for years to come -- if Sterling can pay when the time comes.

Elton Brand played out the majority of his final season with the Chicago Bulls injured, according to the Chicago Tribune.  In a game against the Knicks Dec 1 Brand suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee, causing him to miss three games.  He returned for the Bulls 20th game of the season, scoring 20 points, then went on to average 20 points and 10 rebounds over the course of the year... again.

In April Elton Brand underwent arthroscopic surgery to fix the tear.  He has since fully recovered, and should have no problems passing today's physical with the Clippers.  It was indicated that the Clippers knew about the surgery before the trade.

Two seasons ago Tim Floyd played Elton Brand and Ron Artest extensively in their debut seasons, both out of necessity and entitlement says K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.  Then, last season rookies Marcus Fizer and Jamal Crawford started playing sparingly, having to work hard for their minutes.  Which is the better method?  The answer varies with whom you ask.  What method will Floyd use on High Schoolers Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry?  It looks like he could be taking the Fizer/Crawford route.  "I've talked about learning curves with young players, and they're all different," Floyd said. "What dictates that as much as anything is how hard guys work."

Another positive with these young men, according to the Tribune, is that both wanted to be here.  'Chandler went so far as to have his agent, Jeff Schwartz, contact general manager Jerry Krause before the draft to tell him how much his client liked his Chicago visit. Curry can mature in his hometown.'

Does Tyson Chandler know which team he is playing for?  Are he and Eddy Curry that good that they can turn the Bulls around by 25 whole wins, even after losing their best player from the previous two seasons?  As Chandler met the media, these were his words.  "I think we can win 30 or 40 games next season," said Chandler.  "We're not shooting low. We're not trying to get better by two or five or 10 games. We want to make the playoffs. We have big hopes."

If the Bulls are to improve, and at the moment 15 wins is a stretch, then they must get veteran help - and fast.  With last years free agency a failure to say the least, Bulls staff had a three hour meeting to discuss strategies for free agency on Thursday, then followed up with another two hour meeting to discuss trades.  "We understand that these guys are going to need some veterans around them because the game is different from even the college game, and Tyson and Eddy missed that step," said coach Tim Floyd.

The Los Angeles papers arepraising Elgin Baylor's draft day acumen for a second year in a row.  They're even starting to use the "p" word--playoffs.  But on a cautionary note, next summer notorious cheapskate Donald Sterling is going to have to pay Michael Olowokandi, and the summer after Elton Brand (brought to you by the equally notorious David Falk) and Lamar Odom will want maximum contracts.

Who would have thought it?  Jerry Krause, Mr. Safety himself, has scrapped his plan to build around safe, solid pick Elton Brand and picked up a new plan, the riskiest one of them all.  After taking High Schooler Eddy Curry with his own pick, Krause traded Elton Brand to the Los Angeles Clippers for the rights to the second overall pick Tyson Chandler, another 7 foot high schooler many consider to be similar to Kevin Garnett.

As Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune put it, the Bulls' stunning moves to retool on the shoulders of two teenage 7-footers is a daring risk. But it also gives them a chance to develop a championship nucleus. Brand is a wonderful player, but still 6-8. He was never going to become a dominant player in the NBA. He'll be a good one for a decade.  Neither Curry nor Chandler may ever be. But if they reach their potential, the Bulls could become a great team again.  Tyson Chandler, however, is confident.  "We're going to be a real exciting team, we're all really athletic, we'll do a little run and gun. I think it's going to be just like the Clippers last year when they made a turnaround. They're starting to win over fans. I think we can do the same."  

For the sanity of Bulls fans worldwide, lets hope he is right.

Both players are Chicago Bulls, fresh out of high school, and around 7 feet tall.  Now, add something else to the list of things the duo have in common.  "We were talking on the bus coming over here," Chandler said. "We both want the same uniform number, 2. We were both talking that we'd like to change our numbers from high school. I said I wanted 2 and he said, 'That's crazy. I was thinking the same thing.'  Now that we're on the same team we'll have to go one-on-one. We'll see who wins."

It was Eddy Curry, however, that made Bulls' fans smile with anticipation.  With their primary player now on the other side of the country, Curry said 'some nights I may play like Shaq. Some nights I may play like Chris Webber'.  Right now, the Bulls will settle for anything.