North Carolina's Ty Lawson and Wake Forest's Jeff Teague were, according to 76ers' president/general manager Ed Stefanski, the runners-up at No. 17 in the NBA draft, where UCLA's Jrue Holiday ultimately became the choice.

Lawson went No. 18, taken by the Minnesota Timberwolves and immediately traded to the Denver Nuggets.

Here's Mike Bratz, the Nuggets' director of pro scouting in the Denver Post, on how they feel about that:

''We have a formula here where we track point guard efficiency. (Lawson) had one of the highest ratings in history, not just this year. And he had by far the highest rating for a guard this season. So (he's a) very, very, very efficient player. The skills he has blend in very well to this team's framework.''

And here's Teague, in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on how he views his future:

''I feel like when you look back down the road, I'm going to be the best point guard taken in this draft. With my potential and my work ethic, I feel like I'm going to be the best.''

And while we're tracking the other point guards, Virginia Commonwealth's Eric Maynor went No. 20 to the Utah Jazz and created one of the more humorous post-draft moments when he passed on greetings to Jazz coach Jerry Sloan from his father.

Sloan, as the Chicago Bulls coach in 1980, cut Maynor's father, George, a fourth-round pick from East Carolina.

And one last item, referencing a rumor in the Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale: The speculation revolved around the possibility of a deal sending Jermaine O'Neal and Daequan Cook from the Miami Heat to the Sixers for Elton Brand.

The speculation was apparently based on the fact that the Heat had signed Brand to an offer sheet several years ago, only to see the Los Angeles Clippers match. But Stefanski said ''Absolutely not.''

How about the chances that such an offer was made?

''Zero,'' Stefanski said.

More on the Sixers' summer league plans and another opportunity fot Temple's Dionte Christmas coming in tomorrow's Daily News.