1968 NBA Trades

New York acquired Manny Leaks and Randy Mahaffey from Kentucky for Dan Anderson and Ollie Darden on December 30, 1968. The Nets received the stronger immediate production: Mahaffey played 48 games at 13.8 points and 8.1 rebounds, while Leaks played 20 games at 12.5 points and 14.2 rebounds. New York later traded each player separately for a draft choice. Kentucky still received useful value. Darden played 90 Colonels games across two seasons, and Anderson played eight before Kentucky moved him in a three-team transaction that brought back another draft choice. The broader asset chain favors New York, but both sides produced meaningful returns.

New York sent Walt Bellamy and Howard Komives to Detroit for Dave DeBusschere, acquiring the defensive forward who completed the structure of the 1970 and 1973 championship teams.

Indiana acquired Steve Chubin from the Minnesota Pipers for Mike Lewis on December 19, 1968. Chubin immediately became a productive Pacers guard, averaging 13.8 points and 5.2 assists across 24 games before Indiana traded him to New York for Ron Perry, who added another 27 regular-season games at 13.5 points per game. Minnesota received the stronger long-term asset. Lewis played 52 games for the Pipers after the trade, then remained with the franchise after its return to Pittsburgh and became a two-time ABA All-Star while ranking among the league's top rebounders. The realized value gap makes the Pipers side the clear winner.

Phoenix acquired Jim Fox and Detroit's 1969 third-round pick for McCoy McLemore on December 17, 1968; the pick became Lamar Green at No. 33. Fox immediately averaged 13.8 points and 13.3 rebounds in 51 Suns games, then played 81 more for Phoenix the next season. Green added 345 regular-season games for the Suns across five seasons after being drafted. Detroit received two useful seasons from McLemore, who played 123 Pistons games at 7.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. A legacy NBA Guide listing also shows an unidentified pick going to Detroit, but team and league ledgers do not corroborate it, so that asset is not credited in the verdict.

New York acquired Ron Perry from the Miami Floridians for Maurice McHartley on December 16, 1968. Perry gave the Nets a short scoring burst, averaging 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 23 games before New York moved him to Indiana on January 31 for Steve Chubin. Miami received the steadier immediate return: McHartley played 52 games for the Floridians after the trade and averaged 14.5 points with 3.7 assists. Both teams extracted useful value from a short-lived exchange, and neither side created a lasting advantage.

Boston acquired Jim Barnes' player rights from Chicago on December 1, 1968. Barnes became frontcourt depth for the eventual NBA champions, appearing in 49 regular-season games and averaging 5.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game. He stayed for the full 1969-70 season and played 77 games. Chicago's transaction ledger describes the move as a sale, but the surviving public records do not identify the amount. Boston received the clearer realized return, while Chicago's financial return cannot be measured precisely.

Indiana acquired John Fairchild from Denver on November 25, 1968 for a draft choice. Fairchild played 52 regular-season games for the Pacers, averaging 5.5 points and 2.1 rebounds, then appeared in nine playoff games during Indiana's run to the 1969 ABA Finals. He remained with the Pacers into the next season before being sold to Kentucky for cash. Denver's incoming draft choice is verified, but its round and eventual player remain unresolved. Indiana therefore received the clearer realized basketball return, while Denver preserved future value that cannot be traced confidently.

Chicago acquired Bob Love and Bob Weiss from Milwaukee for Flynn Robinson on November 23, 1968. Love became the centerpiece of the Bulls' early-1970s rise, making three All-Star teams, earning two All-NBA Second Team selections and three All-Defensive selections while developing into the franchise's leading scorer before Michael Jordan. Weiss added six seasons of steady guard play. Milwaukee did receive a productive scorer in Robinson, who averaged 20.3 points over 65 games that season, but the long-term value gap created by Love and Weiss makes this one of Chicago's strongest early franchise trades.

Atlanta acquired rights to Richie Guerin from Sonics in exchange for Dick Smith.

New York acquired Bob Verga from Denver on November 11, 1968 for a draft choice. Verga played 24 games for the Nets and averaged 12.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists before New York traded him with Levern Tart and Hank Whitney to Houston on January 31, 1969 for Willie Somerset and Leary Lentz. Denver's incoming draft choice is verified, but its round and eventual player remain unresolved. The Nets received measurable production and then preserved Verga as part of another trade package, giving New York the clearer realized return.

New York traded Tony Jackson to the Minnesota Pipers on November 7, 1968 for a draft choice. Jackson played only one game for Minnesota before the Pipers moved him to Houston on November 24 for another draft choice. Houston then received the actual on-court value, with Jackson appearing in 60 games and averaging 11.5 points. Minnesota therefore preserved asset value despite receiving almost no playing return, while New York's incoming pick remains untraced in the reviewed record. With both draft outcomes unresolved and only one Minnesota game from Jackson, the original transaction grades near even with a slight New York edge for converting a player who no longer fit its roster into a future asset.

Atlanta acquired Walt Hazzard from Seattle in exchange for Lenny Wilkens.

New York acquired Ollie Darden from Indiana for cash on October 9, 1968. Darden played 30 games for the Nets and averaged 11.5 points and 7.1 rebounds before New York packaged him with Dan Anderson to Kentucky for Manny Leaks and Randolph Mahaffey on December 30. Indiana received only cash, with no disclosed amount in the reviewed sources. Because Darden gave New York immediate rotation production and remained useful as a trade asset, the Nets created the stronger realized value, although the modest scale of the deal keeps the grade compressed.

This Detroit-side October 9 import is the opposite-team duplicate of the disputed Paul Long movement retained in nba-trade-lal-1968-0053. The specialist source and modern team ledgers disagree on the mechanism and date, so a second active record would double-count one unresolved event.

Los Angeles and Detroit legacy archive entrys describe the same early-October 1968 Paul Long roster movement, but the reviewed historical sources disagree on what actually occurred. A specialist database places the movement across October 8-9 and describes Los Angeles sending Long to Detroit for consideration. Basketball-Reference's Lakers ledger omits the event, while the Detroit and league ledgers instead record Long joining the Pistons as a free agent on October 12. Long produced no Detroit games that season and appeared in nine ABA games for Kentucky. The Lakers record is retained only as the source-conflict container, the Detroit duplicate is superseded, and no winner or grade is assigned.

Milwaukee sent Johnny Egan to the Los Angeles Lakers on October 8, 1968 for future draft consideration. Basketball-Reference's Milwaukee, Lakers and league ledgers agree on the date and pick-for-player structure, while Pro Sports Transactions additionally reports cash and notes a Lakers media-guide date discrepancy. Egan immediately became a major Los Angeles rotation guard, playing all 82 games at 13.9 points and 4.3 assists, then all 18 playoff games as the Lakers reached the 1969 NBA Finals. He stayed for a second Finals season before Cleveland selected him in the 1970 expansion draft. The Bucks' pick outcome remains unresolved, making the Lakers' realized return clearly stronger.

Chicago traded Keith Erickson to the Los Angeles Lakers for Erwin Mueller on September 23, 1968. Erickson immediately became a steady Lakers rotation wing, playing 77 regular-season games in 1968-69 and all 18 playoff games during a run to the NBA Finals. Mueller gave Chicago 52 games before the Bulls traded him to Seattle on January 31, 1969 for a 1970 fourth-round pick that became John Davis. Chicago preserved some downstream value, but Erickson's multi-season role and repeated playoff contributions made the Lakers' return clearly stronger.

New York acquired Dewitt Menyard from the Houston Mavericks for a draft choice in September 1968. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value. Menyard never appeared in another professional game after his 1967-68 Houston season, meaning the Nets received no realized on-court production. Houston's incoming draft choice is verified but its round and player outcome remain unresolved. With one side producing no games and the other retaining a legitimate future asset, Houston holds a modest retrospective edge.

Denver acquired John Fairchild from the Los Angeles Stars on September 15, 1968 for a draft choice. Fairchild played 11 games for the Rockets, averaging 3.6 points in 12.3 minutes, before Denver traded him to Indiana on November 25 for another draft choice. Los Angeles's incoming pick is verified, but the reviewed records do not securely identify its round or eventual player. Denver therefore received limited direct production but preserved value by converting Fairchild into another future asset, producing a narrow realized edge over an unresolved Stars pick.

Milwaukee acquired Dick Cunningham from Phoenix on September 12, 1968. The compensation record is unusually messy: Basketball-Reference lists John Arthurs, cash and a future second-round pick, while Pro Sports Transactions preserves contemporary reporting that the deal involved cash, Arthurs as the later player to be named and an informal claim on Milwaukee's 1970 first-round pick, which became the No. 16 slot. Cunningham gave the Bucks 295 regular-season games across six seasons and remained on the roster for the 1971 championship. Phoenix received real asset value, but the disputed draft-paper trail makes its completed return harder to measure.

Atlanta acquired Dennis Hamilton from Suns in exchange for 1969 third round pick (#39-Lloyd Kerr); cash.

Denver acquired Larry Bunce from the Los Angeles Stars on August 29, 1968 for a draft choice. Bunce played 23 games for the Rockets, averaging 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 9.8 minutes, before Denver traded him to Dallas on January 4, 1969 for Rich Peek and another draft choice. Los Angeles's incoming pick is verified but its exact exercised selection remains unresolved, so the legacy suggestion that it became Ted Weirman is not treated as established fact. Denver received modest on-court value and preserved transactional value through the later Dallas deal, giving the Rockets a narrow realized edge.

Denver traded Willie Murrell to the Miami Floridians on August 28, 1968 for a draft choice and cash. Murrell became a major rotation player immediately, appearing in 75 regular-season games at 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds and then leading Miami with 16.4 points per game across 12 playoff appearances as the Floridians reached the Eastern Division Finals. Denver's incoming draft asset and cash are both verified, but the exact draft selection and cash amount remain unresolved. Miami therefore received the clearer realized basketball value, while Denver retained real but unquantified asset value.

Boston acquired Emmette Bryant from Suns in exchange for 1969 second-round pick (#24 Gene Williams).

Denver acquired Bob Verga from the Dallas Chaparrals on July 13, 1968 for Bob Bedell and a 1969 third-round draft choice. Verga played only six games for the Rockets, averaging 11.2 points in 25.0 minutes, before Denver traded him to New York for another draft choice on November 11. Bedell gave Dallas 42 regular-season games in 1968-69 at 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds, then remained with the franchise for brief appearances over the next two seasons. The original third-round pick is documented but its exact drafted player remains unresolved. Dallas received the deeper direct return, while Denver at least preserved some value by flipping Verga.

New Jersey acquired Maurice McHartley from the Dallas Chaparrals on July 9, 1968 for a 1969 draft choice. McHartley played 24 games for the Americans/Nets at 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists before New York traded him to Miami for Ron Perry. Perry then gave the Nets 23 games at 19.3 points before being moved for Steve Chubin, who added 28 Nets games that season and 11 more in 1969-70. Dallas received a 1969 draft asset described by secondary transaction research as a "high" pick, but its exact exercised selection remains unresolved. New Jersey therefore produced the clearer traceable player value.

Los Angeles acquired Wilt Chamberlain from Philadelphia on July 9, 1968 for Archie Clark, Darrall Imhoff and Jerry Chambers. Chamberlain played five seasons for the Lakers, reached four NBA Finals, anchored the 69-win 1971-72 team and won Finals MVP as Los Angeles captured its first championship after moving from Minneapolis. Philadelphia received meaningful value rather than an empty package: Clark immediately played all 82 games in 1968-69 and later became an All-Star-level scorer, while Imhoff gave the 76ers 161 regular-season games over two seasons. The title, repeated Finals access and historic 33-game winning streak still make the Lakers the decisive winner.

Indiana acquired Mel Daniels from the Minnesota Muskies on May 24, 1968 for Jimmy Dawson, Ron Kozlicki, a future first-round draft choice and cash. Basketball-Reference confirms all four outgoing asset classes; Pacers retrospectives consistently describe $100,000 while Pro Sports Transactions reports $75,000, so the exact cash amount remains disputed. Daniels became the foundation of Indiana's ABA dynasty, winning two league MVP awards with the Pacers and anchoring the 1970, 1972 and 1973 championship teams. Dawson and Kozlicki never played another professional season, while the future first-round pick is linked by secondary transaction research to Larry Cannon. The Pacers won decisively.

San Francisco traded the NBA rights to Edgar Lacy to the Los Angeles Lakers on May 9, 1968 for what contemporaneous reporting described as a high pick in the next draft. The exact selection tied to that consideration has not been verified, and the Warriors' 1969 draft list does not show a clearly identifiable extra Lakers-derived choice. Lacy never played for the Lakers; he signed with the ABA's Los Angeles Stars and appeared in 46 games before leaving professional basketball. With no verified Lakers games from Lacy and no traceable exercised pick for San Francisco, the completed NBA value is effectively even and minimal.

Denver sold Tom Hoover to the Houston Mavericks for cash on May 2, 1968. Hoover had already completed a 70-game season for the Rockets, so the transaction concerns his rights after that campaign rather than games transferred midseason. Houston received only four regular-season games from Hoover in 1968-69 before trading him to Minnesota for Willie Porter on November 25. Porter then appeared in two games for Houston. Because the cash amount Denver received is not disclosed, the exchange cannot be valued precisely; Houston's traceable player chain produced only six games.

Detroit traded John Tresvant and Tom Van Arsdale to Cincinnati on February 1, 1968 for Happy Hairston and Jim Fox, correcting the legacy January 29 date. Van Arsdale became the defining piece: he played 379 regular-season games for the Royals/Kings franchise after the trade and made three consecutive All-Star teams from 1970 through 1972. Tresvant added 81 Cincinnati games before being traded for Al Tucker. Detroit received 122 games from Hairston and 49 from Fox, plus later trade value from both players. The Pistons return was productive, but Cincinnati's combination of longevity and Van Arsdale's All-Star peak created the stronger realized outcome.

Atlanta acquired Don Ohl from Bullets in exchange for Tom Workman; 1968 third round pick (#33-Jack Thompson).

New Jersey traded Barry Leibowitz to Oakland for Levern Tart on January 18, 1968. Tart gave the Americans 31 games at 19.0 points per game that season, then stayed through the move to New York and added 35 games at 14.7 points in 1968-69 before joining a three-player trade to Houston. Leibowitz played 35 games for Oakland at 14.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists before the Oaks included him with Ronald Franz and Steve Jones in the June 1968 deal for Larry Brown and Doug Moe. Both sides preserved downstream value, but New Jersey received the stronger direct player return.

San Diego traded Johnny Green to Philadelphia on January 11, 1968 for a 1968 fourth-round pick that became Darryl Jones, correcting the legacy January 10 date and removing an unsupported cash component. Green played 35 games for the 76ers after the trade and 74 more in 1968-69, giving Philadelphia 109 regular-season appearances plus playoff depth during two postseason runs. Jones was selected 48th overall by San Diego but never appeared in an NBA game. Philadelphia therefore received the only meaningful realized basketball value from the exchange.

Chicago traded Erwin Mueller to Los Angeles on January 9, 1968 for Jim Barnes and a 1968 third-round pick that became Dave Newmark. Chicago received 47 regular-season games from Barnes and 81 rookie games from Newmark, then sold Barnes' rights to Boston. Los Angeles received 39 games from Mueller at 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds, then converted him into Keith Erickson in September 1968. Erickson played 309 Lakers regular-season games through 1972-73, including 73 games at 11.3 points in 1970-71, and remained on the 1972 championship roster. That downstream conversion gives Los Angeles the stronger realized return.