Atlanta, Georgia – Was the recent NBA draft the best in years? I think so, especially since everyone seems excited about the players they drafted. Want even more evidence that the draft was full of quality? Just look at the rush to acquire the players who were not drafted.

According to our numbers a record 17 trades were proposed or consummated before, during and after the draft, which is another yardstick in measuring the quality of the talent showcased this year.

Again, international players were prominent early – three went in the lottery, topped by Andrea Bargani, a 7-0, 225-pound forward from Benetton Treviso (winner of still another Italian League title) who was chosen as the top pick in the first round by Toronto.

Seattle took long, lanky 6’11 237-pound Mouhamed Sene Saer, an African who played last year in Belgium. He may have been the most athletic big man in the draft and he really moved up on every team’s check list during the week preceding the draft. He was chosen with the 10th pick of the first round by Seattle. He may be a project but everyone wanted him. The Sonics were the ones to pull the trigger.

Philadelphia took Thabo Sefolosha, a two or three in the league, from Angelica Biella in Italy, but promptly traded him to Chicago for Rodney Carney, a high-flyer from Memphis (who the Sixers chose with the 13th selection).

Washington took a pair of international bigs, 6-11 218-pound Oleksiy Pecherov (Paris Basket Racing Club, France) at 18 and 6-10 230-pound Vladimir Veremeenko (Dynamo St. Petersburg, Russia) at 48. Dynamo ranks just beyond the European League winner (CSKA of Moscow) as the top team in Russia.

Point guard Sergio Rodriguez (Adecco Estudiantes Madrid, Spain) was taken at 27 by Phoenix, who then traded him to Portland for future considerations.

Then Portland, completing a series of very good first round choices, grabbed 6-10 225-pound Joel Freeland, an Englishman playing for Gran Canaria Fadesa in Spain, at 30. He is not ready but they are prepared to wait for him to develop.

In the second round, Golden State took 7-2, 245-pount Kosta Perovic, at 38, who was one of the most highly rated centers among the international contingent.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City, who helped their front court with the first round additions of Hilton Armstrong (UCONN) and Cedric Simmons (NC State), added Tyson Chandler, and chose 6-9 225-pound small forward Marcus Vinicius with number 43 after he impressed the club in workouts. He is a three man who played at Objectivo Sao Carlos (Brazil) last year and can really stroke it.

A pick later (#44) saw Orlando take the first of two Israeli players selected – 6-9 225 power player Lior Eliyahu (from Galil Elyon, Israel)

The Los Angeles Lakers traded their 51st to Detroit for Maurice Evans and the Pistons picked 7-1 200 pound Cheickh Samb who played at WTC Cornella in Spain last year.

Seattle (at 53) took the second Israeli – a combo guard/forward 6-5 210 Yotam Halperin who played in Spain last year for Union Olimpiana in Slovenia.

That triggered a rush to add international players the rest of the draft, probably to stockpile young players for the future.

Starting at pick #55, Cleveland took Ejike Ugboaja (Union Bank Lagos, Nigeria), a 6-8 225 forward; Toronto at #56 selected Edin Bavcic (Bosnia Telecom, Bosnia) a 6-10 235 power guy; Minnesota then jumped in with pick #57, taking Loukas Mavrokefalidis from top rated POAK (Athens, Greece), a 6-11 260-pound behemoth.

San Antonio finalized the international drafting by selecting at 59, the power forward, 6-10 225-pound Damir Markota from Cibona Zagreb (Croatia) and then traded him to Milwaukee for a future second.

All the above are prospects but when they will be available to play in the NBA is questionable.

Remember that many of the top international players are starring in the NBA today (see Nowitzki, Krstic, etc).

Now let’s look at the trades not already mentioned. And boy did they come rolling out.

Boston traded Dan Dickau, Raef LaFrentz, and the draft rights to Randy Foye (#7) to Portland for Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair and a future second round pick.

Then Minnesota traded the draft rights to Brandon Roy (#6) to Portland in exchange for the draft rights to Foye.

Chicago traded the draft rights to LaMarcus Aldridge (#2) and a conditional future second round draft pick to Portland in exchange for Viktor Khryapa and the draft rights to Tyrus Thomas (#4).

Minnesota drafted Washington’s Bobby Jones at (#37) and traded him to Philadelphia for a future second round pick and cash.

Phoenix traded veteran Brian Grant, the draft rights to Rajon Rondo (#21) and cash for a future first round pick.

Portland kept moving players around, trading the draft rights to James White (#31) to Indiana for the draft rights to Alexander Johnson (#45) and two second round draft picks.

Orlando got involved, trading the draft rights to Lior Eliyahu (#44) to Houston for cash.

Denver traded the draft rights to Leon Powe (#49) to Boston in exchange for a second round pick.

Toronto traded the draft rights to Edin Bavcic (#56) to Philadelphia for cash.

Dallas, excited about getting Michigan State’s Maurice Ager at #28, then wound up trading by sending the draft rights to J.R. Pinnock (#58) to the Lakers for a future second round pick.

Upon further review, please do not tell me this was not a very good draft.