1966 NBA Trades

Chicago sold Nate Bowman's player rights to Philadelphia on December 14, 1966. Bowman had already appeared in nine games for the Bulls that season, but he never played a regular-season game for the 76ers after the sale. Philadelphia then lost his rights to Seattle in the May 1967 expansion draft without receiving any direct on-court production. Bowman later played for New York, but that Knicks tenure cannot be credited to Philadelphia. Chicago received undisclosed cash, so the realized outcome gives the Bulls a modest edge rather than the legacy 76ers-win framing.

Chicago traded Len Chappell to Cincinnati for George Wilson on November 25, 1966. Wilson played 43 games for the Bulls after the trade, averaging 4.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 10.4 minutes, before Seattle selected him in the 1967 expansion draft. Chappell gave Cincinnati 54 games that season and 10 more in 1967-68 before the Royals moved on from him. The direct value therefore leans toward Cincinnati, but both returns were short-lived and neither team preserved a meaningful downstream asset from the exchange.

New York acquired Neil Johnson's player rights from Baltimore for cash on October 31, 1966. Johnson gave the Knicks 94 regular-season games across two seasons, including 51 games at 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 1966-67 and 43 more the next year. Phoenix then selected him from New York in the 1968 expansion draft, ending the Knicks' control of the asset. Baltimore received undisclosed cash. New York realized more direct basketball value, but Johnson's reserve role and the unknown cash amount keep the result in the modest-win range.

Chicago sold John Barnhill's player rights to Baltimore on October 14, 1966. Barnhill played 53 regular-season games for the Bullets in 1966-67, averaging 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 22.9 minutes. Baltimore then lost him to San Diego in the 1967 expansion draft, so the acquired rights produced only one season of direct value and no later trade return. Chicago received undisclosed cash. The Bullets realized more visible basketball value, but the short tenure and unknown cash amount keep the result in the slight-edge range.

Boston sold Johnny Austin's player rights to Baltimore for cash.

Los Angeles traded LeRoy Ellis to Baltimore for Jim Barnes on September 22, 1966. Ellis became the stronger immediate asset, playing 311 regular-season games for the Bullets over four seasons. He averaged 14.9 points and 12.0 rebounds in 1966-67, then 12.4 points and 11.1 rebounds the next year. Barnes gave the Lakers 122 games across parts of two seasons, mostly in a reserve role, before moving on. The realized production therefore favors Baltimore by a clear margin, reversing the legacy Lakers-win framing while still recognizing that Barnes supplied useful frontcourt depth.

Boston acquired Wayne Embry from Royals in exchange for 1967 pick (No. 28, Sam Smith); cash.

Cincinnati sold Tom Hawkins's player rights to the Los Angeles Lakers on September 14, 1966. Hawkins became a useful Lakers rotation forward for three seasons, playing 228 regular-season games from 1966-67 through 1968-69. His best season came in 1967-68, when he averaged 11.6 points and 5.9 rebounds in 31.6 minutes across 78 games. Cincinnati received undisclosed cash and no traceable downstream basketball asset in the public transaction record. The Lakers therefore realized clearly measurable on-court value from the rights purchase, but the absence of a star-level or long-term return keeps the verdict in the modest-win range.

San Francisco traded Guy Rodgers to the expansion Chicago Bulls on September 7, 1966 for Jim King, Jeff Mullins and cash. Rodgers immediately became Chicago's lead guard, averaging 18.0 points and 11.2 assists in 81 games in 1966-67, but he appeared only four more times for the Bulls. King gave the Warriors 167 games, while Mullins stayed for ten seasons and became the enduring prize of the deal. Chicago got exactly the kind of veteran organizer an expansion club needed; San Francisco received the much stronger long-term return.

Boston acquired Bailey Howell from Bullets in exchange for Mel Counts.

Detroit sold Bob Warlick's player rights to San Francisco on September 1, 1966. The Warriors received 81 regular-season games from Warlick across two seasons, including 69 games at 8.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 1967-68. Detroit received undisclosed cash and no traceable downstream basketball asset in the public transaction record. Warlick did not become a major long-term piece, but San Francisco still turned the purchased rights into two seasons of actual rotation value. That supports only a modest Warriors edge rather than a major win.

Chicago sold Hank Finkel's player rights to the Los Angeles Lakers on May 11, 1966. The legacy TradeVerdicts record incorrectly described the asset as the No. 14 pick; Basketball-Reference shows Finkel was the 17th overall selection and records the transaction as a rights sale. Finkel played only 27 regular-season games for Los Angeles in 1966-67, averaging 1.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 5.2 minutes, before San Diego selected him in the 1967 expansion draft. His later productive seasons with San Diego and Boston, including Boston's 1974 championship season, were not Lakers value. That leaves Los Angeles with only a small realized edge over Chicago's undisclosed cash return.