1971 NBA Trades

Cincinnati acquired Fred Taylor from Phoenix on December 27, 1971 for a 1973 third-round pick that became Joe Reaves at No. 42. Taylor gave the Royals 21 games and 214 minutes before his NBA career ended after the season. Phoenix eventually used the pick on Reaves, but he appeared in only seven Suns games and 38 minutes before continuing in the ABA. The direct realized NBA value therefore leans Cincinnati, although both returns were small and short-lived. The trade is better viewed as a slight Royals edge than the inherited even grade because Taylor supplied materially more immediate court time than Phoenix received from the pick outcome.

The December 24, 1971 Cincinnati-source record duplicates the same Fred Taylor-for-1973 third-round pick transaction that authoritative team logs place on December 27. The source record is retained only for provenance.

Indiana traded Don Sidle to the Memphis Pros on December 17, 1971 for Larry Cannon. Cannon gave the Pacers 28 regular-season games after the trade, totaling 478 minutes while averaging 6.6 points and 2.6 assists, then missed the entire 1972-73 season because of a blood disorder. He returned for only three Indiana games in 1973-74 before being waived. Sidle produced a slightly larger direct return for Memphis, playing 42 games and 566 minutes while averaging 7.1 points and 3.3 rebounds before San Diego selected him in the 1972 ABA expansion draft. Both returns were short, but Memphis received modestly more realized court value.

Milwaukee agreed on December 13, 1971 to acquire Wali Jones from Philadelphia for a 1974 second-round pick and a player to be named later, completed with John Block on July 28, 1972. Jones gave the Bucks 75 regular-season games across two seasons and nine playoff appearances in 1972 before being waived. Philadelphia received the stronger long-term return. Block started all 48 games he played for the 76ers in 1972-73, averaging 17.9 points and 9.2 rebounds, then was traded for Tom Van Arsdale and the 1974 No. 42 pick used on Harvey Catchings. The separate No. 36 pick was later sent to Portland as free-agent compensation, so Rubin Collins' career is not Philadelphia value.

Chicago traded Charlie Paulk to New York on December 10, 1971 for a 1973 second-round pick and, according to Pro Sports Transactions, cash. The Knicks got only 28 games and 151 minutes from Paulk before waiving him after the season. Chicago did not keep the pick through draft day: on October 18, 1972 the Bulls sent that same selection and, according to Pro Sports Transactions, cash to Philadelphia for Dennis Awtrey; the 76ers later used No. 32 on Caldwell Jones. Awtrey then gave Chicago 147 regular-season games and 17 playoff appearances across two seasons before the 1974 expansion draft. The path still makes Chicago the clear hindsight winner, but Awtrey's value is not credited entirely to the Paulk pick because the later deal included additional unpriced cash.

Detroit acquired Jim Davis from Houston in December 1971 for the first-round pick that ultimately became No. 4 overall in the 1972 draft. Davis gave the Pistons 282 games across four seasons, mostly as a reserve center. Houston did not actually draft Corky Calhoun with the pick: the Rockets traded it to Phoenix on April 7, 1972 for Otto Moore. Moore then gave Houston 95 games, including an 82-game 1972-73 season averaging 11.7 points and 10.6 rebounds, before the Rockets traded him for Ron Riley. Riley added 178 Houston games across three seasons. That downstream chain gives Houston the stronger realized return.

Houston traded Curtis Perry and its 1972 first-round pick to Milwaukee on December 9, 1971 for Greg Smith and a 1973 third-round pick. Milwaukee used the No. 6 pick on Russ Lee, while Houston used No. 51 on E.C. Coleman. Perry became the most valuable immediate piece, giving the Bucks 198 regular-season games across three seasons and contributing during their 1974 Finals run. Smith gave Houston 54 games in 1971-72 and four more the next season before being traded for Stan McKenzie; Coleman added 58 Rockets games in 1973-74 before the expansion draft. The Rockets received useful value, but Milwaukee's Perry-plus-first-round return was stronger overall.

Seattle traded Bob Rule to Philadelphia on November 25, 1971 for two second-round picks and cash. The first pick became Joby Wright at No. 18 in 1972; he played 77 games for Seattle. The second became Leonard Gray at No. 26 in 1974; Gray gave the SuperSonics 166 games, 5,062 minutes and 2,061 points before a 1976 trade to Washington. Rule was still productive for Philadelphia, averaging 17.3 points and 8.0 rebounds in 60 games, but he played only three more 76ers games before being traded for Dave Sorenson, who added 48 games. Seattle's two drafted players and cash produced the stronger total return.

Atlanta acquired Jim Washington from Philadelphia on November 19, 1971 for Bill Bridges. Washington gave the Hawks 253 regular-season games after the trade, including three straight full seasons as a major frontcourt rebounder, before Atlanta moved him to Buffalo in 1975 for a fifth-round pick. Bridges was excellent for Philadelphia in 1971-72, starting 62 games and averaging 13.2 points with 13.5 rebounds, but the 76ers kept him only 74 games before packaging him with Mel Counts for LeRoy Ellis and John Trapp. Because that later return required another player, only partial downstream credit belongs to Bridges. Atlanta holds the stronger realized result.

New York acquired Luther Rackley from Cleveland on November 15, 1971 for a 1972 second-round pick that became Steve Hawes, another future draft pick and cash. Rackley gave the Knicks 62 regular-season games plus 11 playoff appearances during their 1972 NBA Finals run. Cleveland never received Hawes's NBA production; the Cavaliers traded his rights to Houston the following September for a 1973 third-round pick used on James Lister, who never appeared in an NBA game. The second future pick remains unidentified and the cash amount is unresolved. On realized traceable value, New York holds the better result.

New York acquired Earl Monroe from Baltimore for Mike Riordan, Dave Stallworth and cash, then integrated the former rival beside Walt Frazier on the 1973 championship team.

Atlanta acquired Don Adams and Larry Siegfried from Houston on November 9, 1971 for Jim Davis and John Vallely. Adams became the best immediate player in the deal, giving Atlanta 70 games, 2,030 minutes, 11.7 points and 7.1 rebounds that season; Atlanta later turned him into the 1973 second-round pick used on Tom Ingelsby. Houston's direct return looked modest, but Davis created the strongest downstream chain. After 12 Rockets games he was traded to Detroit for a 1972 first-round pick, which Houston sent to Phoenix for Otto Moore. Moore then gave Houston a full 82-game, 11.7-point, 10.6-rebound season and was later traded for Ron Riley, who played 178 games for the Rockets. That chain gives Houston the stronger retrospective return.

Chicago reacquired Norm Van Lier from Cincinnati on November 9, 1971 and also received the 1972 third-round pick used on Frank Russell. The Bulls sent Jim Fox and the 1972 second-round pick used on Mike Ratliff. Van Lier became a seven-season Chicago cornerstone, playing 535 regular-season games and earning three All-Star selections, an All-NBA Second Team honor and seven All-Defensive selections while with the Bulls. Cincinnati still received useful value: Fox played 71 games at 12.3 points and 9.3 rebounds, Ratliff played 60 career games after being drafted No. 28, and Fox later helped bring back Don Kojis in a multi-player deal. Russell played only 23 Chicago games. The Bulls win clearly, but Cincinnati's real production supports a B rather than the legacy D.

Philadelphia acquired Fred Carter and Kevin Loughery from Baltimore on October 17, 1971 for Archie Clark, a 1973 second-round pick that became Louie Nelson and cash. Clark immediately gave the Bullets an All-Star, All-NBA Second Team season and remained a high-level guard for three years, while Nelson added 49 rookie games. The 76ers still extracted more long-term value. Carter became a five-season scoring mainstay, averaging at least 18.9 points in four straight full Philadelphia seasons, and Loughery supplied 106 games. When Philadelphia moved Carter in December 1976, Milwaukee sent back two second-round picks; one became Hall of Famer Maurice Cheeks. That direct downstream chain pushes the hindsight verdict toward Philadelphia even though Baltimore received an excellent immediate return.

New York traded Jeff Congdon to the Dallas Chaparrals on October 13, 1971 for a draft choice described in contemporary transaction records only as a 'high' pick. Congdon played 20 games for Dallas, totaling 261 minutes while averaging 4.0 points and 1.8 assists, then his professional playing career ended. The Nets' media guide confirms that a draft choice came back, but neither it nor the surviving ABA draft ledgers identify the year, round or player outcome. Because Dallas received limited but verified NBA/ABA court value while New York's pick remains unresolved, the Chaparrals hold only a slight hindsight edge rather than a decisive win.

Cleveland acquired Rick Roberson from the Lakers on October 13, 1971 for three draft choices that became Jim Price, Kermit Washington and Bill Schaeffer. Roberson gave the Cavaliers 125 games across two seasons, averaging 13.1 points and 12.7 rebounds in 1971-72 and 12.6 points with 11.2 rebounds in 1972-73. Pro Sports Transactions' draft ledgers also tie the Lakers' own 1973 first-round pick, later No. 15 Barry Parkhill, to Cleveland in the same deal, while Basketball-Reference's 1971 transaction pages omit that incoming pick. Cleveland later packaged Roberson, John Johnson and that No. 15 pick to move up to No. 2 for Jim Brewer. The Lakers still hold the stronger realized package, but the source conflict and Cleveland's substantial Roberson value make the old A/D split too extreme.

Boston traded Bill Dinwiddie to Milwaukee on October 11, 1971 for a 1972 sixth-round pick used at No. 96 plus cash. Pro Sports Transactions and RealGM identify the selection as Wally Wright, while Basketball-Reference labels the same No. 96 pick Wally Rice; the source-backed record preserves Wright and notes the naming conflict. Dinwiddie played 23 games and 144 minutes for the Bucks in his final NBA season. Wright never appeared in an NBA game, so Milwaukee received the stronger realized basketball return, but only by a modest margin because Dinwiddie's role was tiny and Boston also received unpriced cash.

Denver acquired Chuck Williams from Pittsburgh on September 30, 1971 for Mickey Davis's ABA rights. Williams gave the Rockets a full 84-game season, 1,580 minutes and 8.7 points per game, then appeared in all seven of Denver's playoff games. Davis played only 23 Condors games and 126 minutes before Pittsburgh folded after the season. The transaction may have completed or revised a September 16 preliminary agreement involving Davis, a player to be named, a 1972 second-round pick and cash, so those unresolved earlier terms are not counted again here. On the independently verified player-for-player exchange, Denver received the much stronger realized return.

Indiana traded Warren Jabali to The Floridians on September 24, 1971 for a 1972 ABA draft choice and cash. Jabali immediately became one of Florida's best players, appearing in 81 games, earning an ABA All-Star selection and averaging 19.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 40.9 minutes. The Floridians folded after the season, so the club received only one year of team value before Jabali entered the dispersal draft. Indiana's draft-pick outcome cannot be identified in the surviving 1972 ABA ledger and the cash amount is unknown. The known basketball return therefore favors Florida, but the unresolved Pacers assets keep the margin below the legacy A/D split.

A September 16, 1971 Pro Sports Transactions entry says Denver sent Mickey Davis's rights to Pittsburgh for a player to be named within ten days, a 1972 second-round pick and cash. Basketball-Reference does not record that deal; instead, both team and league ledgers show a September 30 exchange of Mickey Davis for Chuck Williams. The timing strongly suggests the September 16 entry was a preliminary agreement or a transaction later completed or revised by the September 30 trade. Because the pick, cash and unnamed player cannot be independently reconciled to the final exchange, this record remains intentionally ungraded rather than double-counting value.

Houston acquired Dick Cunningham from Milwaukee on September 12, 1971 for John Block. Cunningham gave the Rockets 63 games and 720 minutes in 1971-72 before Houston sold his rights back to Milwaukee for cash the following September. Block played only 11 games for the Bucks, but Milwaukee then packaged him with a 1974 second-round pick to acquire Wali Jones from Philadelphia; Jones gave the Bucks 75 regular-season games across the next two seasons. Because that downstream return required an additional draft asset, Milwaukee gets only partial credit for Jones, leaving the trade as a modest Bucks edge rather than a runaway win.

Los Angeles acquired LeRoy Ellis from Portland on September 11, 1971 for a 1972 second-round pick that became Ollie Johnson at No. 30 plus cash. Ellis became a useful reserve on the 1971-72 Lakers championship team, appearing in 74 regular-season games and 13 playoff games, then was included with John Trapp in the 1972 trade that brought Bill Bridges and Mel Counts to Los Angeles. Portland still realized the stronger direct return: Johnson played 157 games across his first two Trail Blazers seasons with a much larger rotation role, and the Blazers also received cash. That gives Portland a modest hindsight edge while preserving Ellis's championship value.

Cleveland acquired Greg Howard from Phoenix on August 13, 1971 for a 1972 third-round pick that became Scott English and a future third-round pick. Pro Sports Transactions also lists cash going to Phoenix, while Basketball-Reference and Suns media guides omit that cash detail. Howard gave Cleveland 48 games and 426 minutes in his final NBA season; English gave Phoenix 29 games and 196 minutes as a rookie. The known player production is similarly limited, but Phoenix retained the additional future third-round asset, so the Suns hold a modest retrospective edge without assigning invented value to the unresolved pick or disputed cash.

Houston sold Toby Kimball's player rights to Milwaukee for cash on July 30, 1971. The legacy canonical record had the transaction reversed, showing Houston receiving Kimball and sending cash; Basketball-Reference confirms the opposite direction. Kimball then played 74 regular-season games and seven playoff games for a 63-win Bucks team before Milwaukee traded him to Kansas City-Omaha for a 1973 fourth-round pick that became Clyde Turner at No. 59. Turner never played in the NBA, but Kimball's one season plus the downstream pick gave Milwaukee the stronger traceable basketball return, while Houston's cash amount remains unknown.

Atlanta acquired Herm Gilliam and Don May from Buffalo on July 26, 1971 for Jerry Chambers and Walt Hazzard, who had changed his name to Mahdi Abdul-Rahman. The trade favored Atlanta in realized basketball value. Gilliam became a four-season Hawks rotation guard, playing 280 games from 1971-72 through 1974-75 and averaging at least 10 points each year, while May added 75 games in his first Atlanta season. Buffalo received a strong first season from Hazzard at 15.8 points and 5.6 assists per game, but his Braves tenure faded quickly and Chambers played only 26 games for the club.

Chicago traded the rights to Dick Gibbs to Houston on June 9, 1971 for a 1973 second-round pick that became Kevin Stacom at No. 24. Gibbs gave the Rockets 64 games and 757 minutes as a rookie, then Houston later sold his rights to Kansas City-Omaha. Chicago used the acquired pick on Stacom, but he stayed at Providence for another season and re-entered the 1974 NBA draft, so the Bulls received no NBA court value from the selection. That makes Houston the stronger realized side despite Gibbs's modest production.

New York acquired Tom 'Trooper' Washington from The Floridians on May 14, 1971 for a 1972 third-round ABA draft choice; Pro Sports Transactions also records cash going to Florida. Washington gave the Nets two full seasons of productive frontcourt play, including 80 games at 11.0 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in 1971-72 and 18 playoff appearances during the franchise's run to the ABA Finals. The transferred third-round pick is traceable to Florida's 1972 draft position but has no identified player outcome in the surviving draft ledger, so the realized basketball value strongly favors New York while the cash remains unpriced.

Chicago acquired Charlie Paulk from Cincinnati on May 14, 1971 for Matt Guokas and a 1972 second-round pick that became Sam Sibert at No. 19. Paulk played only seven games for the Bulls before Chicago converted him into a 1973 second-round pick, then used that pick in the Dennis Awtrey trade; Awtrey became a useful two-season Bulls center. Cincinnati still produced the stronger direct return because Guokas gave the Royals/Kings franchise nearly three productive seasons, including 61 games at 7.3 points and 5.3 assists in 1971-72 and 79 games at 9.1 points in 1972-73, while Sibert added only five NBA games.

New York purchased John Roche's ABA rights from Kentucky for cash on May 8, 1971 and signed him four days later. The return became far more valuable than a routine rights purchase: Roche made the 1972 ABA All-Rookie team, played all 82 games at 12.9 points per game as a rookie, and averaged 23.6 points across 18 playoff games as the Nets reached the ABA Finals. New York later traded him back to Kentucky for Mike Gale and Wendell Ladner, both of whom contributed during the Nets' 1974 championship run, giving the original cash purchase an additional downstream payoff.

New York traded Cazzie Russell to San Francisco for Jerry Lucas on May 7, 1971. Both teams received substantial value: Russell became a 1972 All-Star and scored 4,631 points across three Warriors seasons, while Lucas gave the Knicks 221 regular-season games, helped them reach the 1972 NBA Finals and remained a key frontcourt piece on the 1973 championship team. The championship contribution and immediate contender fit give New York the stronger retrospective result without turning Golden State's productive return into a failure.

Detroit traded Otto Moore to Phoenix on April 2, 1971 for a 1972 first-round pick that became Bob Nash at No. 9. Moore gave Phoenix 81 games of useful center play in 1971-72, then the Suns flipped him to Houston for another 1972 first-round pick, No. 4 Corky Calhoun, who became a multi-season Phoenix rotation player. Nash played only 71 games and 450 minutes for Detroit across two seasons, so the realized and downstream basketball value favors Phoenix despite Detroit receiving legitimate lottery-level draft capital.

Los Angeles acquired Flynn Robinson from Cincinnati on March 29, 1971 for a second-round pick that became Joe Bergman, with Pro Sports Transactions also recording cash going to the Royals. Robinson became a valuable reserve on the 1971-72 Lakers championship team, playing 64 games and averaging 9.9 points in 15.7 minutes while helping the club through its historic 33-game winning streak. Bergman never played an NBA regular-season game, so the known realized basketball return strongly favors Los Angeles despite Cincinnati's unpriced cash consideration.

Portland traded Jim Barnett to the Warriors for three draft choices that became Charlie Yelverton, Bill Smith and Dave Twardzik. Basketball-Reference dates the exchange March 23, 1971, while Pro Sports Transactions records March 27; the canonical March 27 identity is preserved with that conflict stated. Barnett gave Golden State three useful seasons, but Portland ultimately received the stronger realized return because Twardzik came back from the ABA, became a core rotation guard on the 1977 championship team, and combined with shorter contributions from Yelverton and Smith.

Denver received John Barnhill, Art Becker, an undisclosed 1972 high draft pick and cash from Indiana for Wayne Chapman and Don Sidle in the February 1971 ABA exchange. Basketball-Reference dates the player swap February 1 and omits the pick and cash, while Pro Sports Transactions dates it February 2 and includes both additional assets. On realized basketball value, Denver came out ahead: Becker became a 1972 ABA All-Star after a strong post-trade finish, Barnhill supplied useful guard minutes, and Indiana received only limited production from Chapman and Sidle.

Cleveland traded McCoy McLemore to Milwaukee on February 1, 1971 for Gary Freeman, a 1971 second-round pick that became Willie Long at No. 35, and cash. Freeman played only 11 games and 47 minutes for Cleveland before his NBA career ended, while Long chose the ABA and never played for the Cavaliers. McLemore gave Milwaukee 28 regular-season games during its 1971 championship run, appeared in the playoffs, and returned for 10 more games the next season. With the cash amount undisclosed, Cleveland's full return cannot be priced, but the known realized basketball value favors Milwaukee.

Denver sold Lonnie Wright to The Floridians for cash on January 24, 1971. Wright immediately improved after leaving the Rockets, averaging 7.9 points in 31 games for Florida over the rest of 1970-71, then returning for 77 games in 1971-72 at 8.0 points per game. Across those two Floridians seasons he played 108 games and 2,267 minutes. The cash amount is not disclosed in the reliable transaction records, so Denver's financial return cannot be fully priced, but the known basketball value favors The Floridians.

New York's canonical record treats January 22, 1971 as the date the Nets acquired Virginia's 1971 ABA second-round pick, No. 17 Bob Kissane, for a player to be named later identified by ProSportsTransactions as Bill Bunting. Basketball-Reference instead records Bunting going to Virginia for a draft choice on March 15, so the completion date is source-conflicted. The realized return is not: Kissane never produced an ABA or NBA season, while Bunting played 49 games and 551 minutes for Virginia across 1970-71 and 1971-72. That evidence reverses the old slight-Nets edge and favors the Squires.

Denver acquired Larry Brown from the Virginia Squires for cash on January 22, 1971. Brown immediately became the Rockets' primary distributor, averaging 8.4 points and 6.1 assists in 34 games after the trade, then returned for 76 games in 1971-72 at 9.1 points and 7.2 assists per game. Across the two Denver seasons he played 110 games and 2,825 minutes. The cash amount is not disclosed in the reliable transaction ledgers, so Virginia's financial return cannot be fully priced, but the known basketball value gives Denver a clear win.

Denver traded the ABA rights to Ken Durrett to the Virginia Squires on January 22, 1971 for Virginia's 1971 first-round ABA pick, No. 5 Cliff Meely, plus a player to be named later or cash that remains unresolved. ProSportsTransactions confirms the pick chain, while Basketball-Reference confirms the rights exchange. Durrett chose the NBA and played for Cincinnati; Meely chose the NBA and played for Houston. Neither rights asset produced ABA games for its acquiring club, and the extra Denver consideration is still unidentified, so a winner cannot be graded responsibly.

The New York Nets acquired Manny Leaks from the Texas Chaparrals on January 6, 1971 for Ed Johnson and Levern Tart. Leaks immediately became a productive interior scorer for New York, averaging 17.1 points and 9.7 rebounds in 40 games after the trade. Texas received 33 games of 18.9-point scoring from Tart plus eight games from Johnson. The Chaparrals extracted a little more combined short-term production from the two-player package, but Leaks was the best single long-term asset in the exchange, keeping the result to a slight Texas/San Antonio lineage edge rather than a decisive win.

Denver acquired Tom Workman from the Utah Stars on January 5, 1971 for a draft choice. Workman played 39 games for the Rockets, averaging 6.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 12.5 minutes per game before Denver waived him the following September. The surviving reliable transaction ledgers do not identify the draft choice's round, year or eventual player, so Utah's realized return cannot be traced with enough confidence for a fair grade. The trade remains intentionally ungraded.