One NBA source said on Wednesday that the Bucks have reduced their coaching search to two candidates.

The primary object of the Bucks' search is considered to be former Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders. But numerous reports say he is in line for the Detroit Pistons coaching job if Larry Brown departs.

Brown was scheduled to check into the Mayo Clinic on Wednesday for a three-day checkup, and it was unclear if the 64-year-old coach would be given a clear medical update by Friday.

The Bucks are believed to be focusing anew on Terry Stotts, the former Atlanta Hawks coach and a lead assistant to George Karl for four seasons in Milwaukee. Stotts served as an assistant on Mike Montgomery's Golden State Warriors staff last season.

Multiple NBA sources are saying the Milwaukee Bucks have been ''vigorously'' pursuing Doug Collins for a ''prominent'' role in the team's basketball operations.

''The Bucks began their pursuit of Collins shortly after winning the top pick in the draft lottery [in May],'' one source said. "They wanted him as head coach. He said no. They offered to structure a new role as team president for him along with being head coach. He repeated that he didn't want to be a head coach.

"They remained hopeful and have been considering attempting to create some sort of new position where Doug would mentor their new head coach.''

The 20-year-old Andrew Bogut was the first selection in this year's draft.  Utah is the first school to have players picked first in both the NBA and NFL drafts in the same year. Quarterback Alex Smith was drafted No. 1 by the San Francisco 49ers in April.

Milwaukee had been debating whether to take Bogut or North Carolina small forward Marvin Williams with the franchise's first overall No. 1 pick since 1994, when the Bucks selected Glenn Robinson. In the end, the lure of a versatile, athletic 7-footer with Olympic experience was too much to pass up.

"Adding the quality and the competitor in Andrew Bogut, we really feel we're solid in the center position," Bucks general manager Larry Harris said.

The Atlanta Hawks chose Williams second, and the 19-year-old player flashed a bright smile at Stern while shaking the commissioner's hand. The 6-foot-9 small forward was a sixth man for the Tar Heels, who were expecting to have at least four players from their national championship team chosen in the first round.

Illinois junior point guard Deron Williams went third to the Jazz, who sent three first-round picks -- Nos. 6 and 27 in this year's draft, plus a 2006 first-round pick -- to the Trail Blazers earlier Tuesday. The 6-foot-3 Williams was the first of several point guards chosen in the first round.

New Orleans selected fourth and also chose a playmaker, picking Wake Forest sophomore guard Chris Paul, and the Charlotte Bobcats took North Carolina junior point guard Raymond Felton at No. 5.

High school senior Martell Webster of Seattle Prep went No. 6 to Portland, making him the first prep player taken in a draft notable for its historical significance. It likely marked the final time high school players would be eligible to jump directly to the pros -- the route chosen by Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James, Jermaine O'Neal and others.

Under terms of the new six-year collective bargaining agreement to take effect in July, high school players will have to wait one year after their class graduates to become draft eligible.

The Cavaliers picked up $2.1 million in salary-cap space Tuesday by trading swingman Jiri Welsch to the Milwaukee Bucks for a second round pick in 2006.

The Cavaliers acquired Welsch from the Boston Celtics in late February for a 2007 first-round pick. Welsch struggled after joining the Cavaliers and didn't fit into the future plans. The Cavaliers will have slightly more than $28 million with the move.

Point guard T.J. Ford, sidelined for more than a year with a bruised spinal cord, has medical clearance to take part in full-contact basketball for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Ford underwent cervical spine surgery in May 2004, three months after the rookie was injured during a game against Minnesota. He has been in rehabilitation ever since.

A statement Monday from Dr. Robert Watkins of the Los Angeles Spine Surgery Institute, said Ford has made a complete recovery.

"His prognosis is excellent for a normal basketball career," said Watkins, who performed the surgery.

Ford called it great news.

"I can't wait to get out on the floor and run up and down the court with my teammates," he said.

The Bucks made qualifying offers to centers Dan Gadzuric and Zaza Pachulia on Monday, making the two big men restricted free agents.

The moves give the Bucks the right to match any offer for either player.

Gadzuric averaged a career-high 7.3 points and 8.3 rebounds last season. Milwaukee picked him out of UCLA in the second round of the 2002 draft.

The 21-year-old Pachulia averaged 6.2 points and 5.1 rebounds last season and appeared in 74 games after Milwaukee acquired him from Charlotte following the 2004 expansion draft.

Teams are allowed to start negotiating with free agents Friday, and once a new six-year collective bargaining agreement is ratified, they will be able to sign them beginning July 22, the Bucks said.

The Milwaukee Bucks had hoped to get former Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders or Nate McMillan to be their head coach but now they might have to look elsewhere.

Flip Saunders is said to be waiting to see what happens in Detroit with Larry Brown and Nate McMillan seems more likely to stay with the Sonics or head to Portland where owner Paul Allen is rumored to be making a big offer to McMillan after his contract expires June 30.

So, this could have the Sonics going back to the drawing board and looking at canadiates like former Bucks assistant Terry Stotts, Grizzlies assistant Eric Musselman, and possibily former NBA head coach and now TNT analyst Doug Collins.

LeBron James would like to have some input on which players the Cavaliers go after in this summer?s free agency market set to begin next week.

On the top of Lebron?s list of Cavalier potential pick-ups are: Phoenix?s Joe Johnson, Milwaukee?s Michael Redd, Seattle?s Ray Allen, Washington?s Larry Hughes and Chicago's Eddy Curry, all shooting guards with the exception of the Bulls big man.  All big names in the 2005 free agent market, with each player demanding a max contract or close to it.

Johnson will not be available because the Suns are certain to resign the shooting guard with the departure of Quentin Richardson.

Several sources confirmed that ousted Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders is the early favorite for the now open head coaching job with the Milwaukee Bucks.

If hired, Saunders would replace Terry Porter whose recent surprise firing shocked the NBA world.

Saunders was let go from the Minnesota Timberwolves toward the end of the season.  In 2003-04, he led the team to the Western Conference finals and a 58-24 record.
 
Bucks general manager Larry Harris would not comment about Saunders or any other potential candidates for the job on Wednesday.

"There are quality candidates, certainly," Harris said.

The Bucks, according to NBA front-office sources, have fired Terry Porter, in hopes of attracting Flip Saunders or Nate McMillan -- or a similarly experienced coach -- to Milwaukee.

Another motivation, sources said, was giving Porter the chance to make a run at the Portland job. The Trail Blazers, who drafted Porter out of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1985, still have an opening. Porter was entering the final season of a three-year contract with the Bucks but with no extension offer on the table.

Although they're not alone in chasing Saunders and McMillan -- Detroit has interest in both should Larry Brown leave the Pistons' bench as expected -- Milwaukee's situation could tempt a veteran.

Besides the No. 1 pick it surprisingly won in last month's lottery, setting up a choice between Utah's Andrew Bogut and North Carolina's Marvin Williams, Milwaukee is expected to re-sign shooting guard Michael Redd this summer and still have considerable leftover salary-cap room for roster upgrades.