THE NBA / MARK HEISLER : Trades Could Become the Talk of a Wide-Open Draft

There never has been a draft like the one Wednesday, headed by four sophomores and one senior--in high school--with all the teams trying to trade up, down or both.

Here’s how it looked going into the weekend before the storm, when the real trade talk starts:

1. GOLDEN STATE--Joe Smith, Maryland. After working him out, the Washington Bullets said he had weak fundamentals, which makes you wonder how he tore up the ACC for two years. Said another personnel director, “I always thought shooting and rebounding were fundamentals.”

2. CLIPPERS--Jerry Stackhouse, North Carolina. But if the Philadelphia 76ers part with Clarence Weatherspoon, the Clippers would trade down to No. 3 and draft Antonio McDyess.

3. PHILADELPHIA--McDyess, Alabama. Super-athletic power forward. But Weatherspoon or Sharone Wright has to go if they take him.

4. WASHINGTON--Rasheed Wallace, North Carolina. Mr. Potential. Mr. Trouble? Clipper Coach Bill Fitch, who tried him out, said he has great gifts and “a short attention span.”

5. MINNESOTA--Kevin Garnett, Chicago Farragut Academy. They’re trying to dump Christian Laettner and J.R. Rider. This 18-year-old is talented, 6 feet 11 in stocking feet and seems a great cornerstone for a rebuilding project. Says one personnel director, “You could make a case for him going No. 1.”

6. VANCOUVER--Bryant Reeves, Oklahoma State. Legitimate 7-footer, great touch, better than anyone expected.

7. TORONTO--Ed O’Bannon, UCLA. At least he’ll get to play a lot.

8. DETROIT--Corliss Williamson, Arkansas. New Coach Doug Collins wanted a hard-nosed big man, settles for hard-nosed 6-6 1/2 man. He’d prefer to deal for Portland’s Otis Thorpe.

9. NEW JERSEY--Shawn Respert, Michigan State. So what if he’s a 6-0 3/4 shooting guard? They’ll settle for someone who can make a jumper and attend practice occasionally. “He has eyeball range,” says a personnel guy. “If he can see it, he can make it.”

10. MIAMI--Cherokee Parks, Duke. Pistons pass on the Dukie reunion.

11. MILWAUKEE--Damon Stoudamire, Arizona. Needs a big man, settles for a talented little one.

12. SACRAMENTO--Randolph Childress, Wake Forest. Point-guard size, no playmaker but big-time shotmaker.

13. DALLAS--Kurt Thomas, Texas Christian. Power forward with a bad-boy rep.

14. BOSTON--Bobby Sura, Florida State. Hard-nosed shooting guard.

15. DENVER--Mario Bennett, Arizona State. Considered a Robert Horry type--before Horry became good. Nuggets would rather deal for Thorpe too.

16. ATLANTA--Gary Trent, Ohio U. The Hawks need front-line players, but the Shaq of the MAC is only 6-6.

17. CLEVELAND--David Vaughn, Memphis. Long-armed 6-9 1/2 power forward, but some question his desire.

18. PORTLAND--Michael Finley, Wisconsin. Big guard who did well in postseason camps. But it’ll be a surprise if Trader Bob Whitsitt doesn’t deal one of these picks.

19. PORTLAND--Sherell Ford, Illinois Chicago. Athletic wing player, made 41% of his three-point shots as a senior, was MVP of the pre-draft Desert Classic.

20. CHICAGO--Alan Henderson, Indiana. Horace Grant is gone, but in the most sincere form of flattery, Jerry Krause is still drafting Grant-types--skinny longshots.

21. PHOENIX--Loren Meyer, Iowa State. The Suns are desperate for size. In stocking feet, he’s 6-10, 261 and no stiff.

22. CHARLOTTE--Rashard Griffith, Wisconsin. This 6-10 hulk was considered a lottery pick until scouts saw him up close. Now it’s only a matter of how far he has dropped.

23. INDIANA--Tyus Edney, UCLA. The Pacers need that little extra something to get over the top. If he can stay injury-free, he can be it.

24. DALLAS--Anthony Pelle, Fresno State. A true 7-footer who made a move as a senior after transferring from Villanova.

25. ORLANDO--Dragan Tarlac, Yugoslavia. This year’s Euro-special, a 6-10, 268-pound Serbian power forward.

26. SEATTLE--Brent Barry, Oregon State. Another chip off the old Rick. Plays both guard spots, which would help, what with Kendall Gill on the block.

27. PHOENIX--Theo Ratliff, Wyoming. A 6-9 1/2 shot-blocker for a team that needs one.

28. UTAH--Andrew DeClerq, Florida. Down year as a senior but he’s 6-9 1/2.

29. SAN ANTONIO--Jason Caffey, Alabama. A power forward for a team trying to forget it ever heard of Dennis what’s-his-name.

FACES AND FIGURES

Oliver Miller finally licks his weight problem: The Pistons found out he rigged the scales at their practice facility two weeks ago so that 315 should have been 335. They promptly dropped him from the protected list and he was picked up Saturday by the Toronto Raptors. Said Doug Collins: “If he were here, maybe that would change how we’re looking at the draft. But you can’t trust someone who’s never been responsible.” . . . The Bulls have reportedly taken Scottie Pippen off the block, in their inimitable style--meaning they still won’t extend his contract. An insider says Pippen is likely to hold out next fall.

New Jersey brass forced General Manager Willis Reed to put his expensive busts Benoit Benjamin and Yinka Dare on the expansion list, losing Benjamin to Vancouver. Anywhere else, this would suggest Reed was in trouble, but the Net owners are standing by their man--for another season, anyway.

Congratulations to former Clipper coach Don Casey, now a Celtic assistant, who got an offer to become Collins’ top assistant in Detroit, then a four-year, $1-million deal to stay. . . . Advice to Casey: Whatever happens, don’t let them make you the coach.

Here’s how far Derrick Coleman’s stock has fallen: The Nets were reportedly willing to trade him to the Pistons for Allan Houston and the No. 8 pick. The Pistons turned it down. . . . Rasheed Wallace’s mother, Jackie, a Philadelphian, said she wasn’t sure she wanted her son to work for madcap 76er owner Harold Katz. Bristled Katz: “In this league, we still do the picking, I believe. If we like Rasheed, we’ll draft Rasheed. Once Mom meets me, she’ll love me. When I sign the checks, I’m as sweet as can be.”