1978 NBA Trades

Chicago acquired Scott Lloyd from the San Diego Clippers on October 26, 1978 for a 1981 third-round pick. Lloyd played 67 games for the Bulls that season, totaling 465 minutes and averaging 1.7 points and 1.4 rebounds. San Diego later sent the incoming pick, along with a 1983 third-rounder, to Phoenix as compensation for signing Gar Heard. Heard played 78 games and 1,631 minutes for the Clippers in 1980-81. Phoenix ultimately used the 1981 pick at No. 62 on Sam Clancy, who never played an NBA regular-season game. Because the Clippers' downstream return required another pick and Chicago received only limited reserve production, the retrospective result is effectively even.

Detroit acquired rookie forward Otis Howard from Milwaukee on October 23, 1978 for a 1979 fourth-round pick. Howard played 11 games and 91 minutes for the Pistons, averaging 4.5 points and 3.1 rebounds, and those were the final NBA games of his one-season career. Milwaukee used the No. 69 pick on Eugene Robinson in the 1979 draft, but Robinson never appeared in an NBA regular-season game. Neither side created much lasting value. Detroit gets the slight hindsight edge because Howard at least produced 11 NBA appearances, while Milwaukee's draft return produced no NBA playing time.

Boston acquired Chris Ford and Detroit's 1981 second-round pick on October 19, 1978 for Earl Tatum. Ford played 309 regular-season games over four Celtics seasons, started 201 of them and was a 75-game starter on Boston's 1980-81 championship team. The extra pick became No. 25 Tracy Jackson, who appeared in 11 games for Boston before the Celtics sold his rights to Chicago in December 1981. Tatum played 76 games for Detroit in 1978-79 and averaged 7.8 points in 15.7 minutes. Detroit received a usable rotation season, but Boston's four years of Ford plus the additional draft asset produced the larger realized return.

Philadelphia traded World B. Free to the San Diego Clippers on October 12, 1978 for a 1984 first-round pick. Free immediately became an elite scorer in San Diego, averaging 28.8 points in 78 games in 1978-79 and 30.2 points in 68 games in 1979-80. The Clippers then traded him to Golden State for Phil Smith and another 1984 first-round pick, later used on Lancaster Gordon. Philadelphia held the original Clippers pick for nearly six years and used it at No. 5 in 1984 on Charles Barkley. Barkley played 610 regular-season games over eight Philadelphia seasons, averaging 23.3 points and 11.6 rebounds. Both branches produced substantial value, but the Barkley outcome gives Philadelphia the clear hindsight advantage.

Boston acquired Dennis Awtrey from Phoenix on October 11, 1978 for the Celtics' 1979 second-round pick, later used at No. 24 on Johnny High. A frozen Boston source batch also lists cash going to Phoenix, but the reviewed Basketball-Reference transaction ledgers omit cash, so this review preserves that term as unresolved rather than treating it as independently confirmed. Awtrey played 23 games for Boston before the Celtics moved him to Seattle for a 1979 first-round pick that later became part of the package for Bob McAdoo. Phoenix used the No. 24 pick on High, who played 274 regular-season games for the Suns across four seasons. Both sides created real value from the exchange, producing a defensible even retrospective result.

Golden State traded Charles Dudley to Chicago on October 10, 1978 for the Bulls' 1979 second-round pick and cash. The Warriors' official media guide supports the canonical October 10 date and includes cash, while Basketball-Reference dates the transaction October 11 and lists only the pick; this review preserves the first-party date and restores the cash term while documenting the source conflict. Dudley played 43 games for Chicago in 1978-79, averaging 2.7 points and 2.7 assists in 15.9 minutes, and was waived before the next season. Golden State used the pick at No. 28 in 1979 on Danny Salisbury, whose draft ledger shows no NBA regular-season career. The cash amount is not identified in the reviewed sources. Chicago therefore gets the modest hindsight edge from receiving actual rotation minutes, but this remained a low-impact transaction.

Detroit acquired Rickey Green from Golden State on October 9, 1978 for a 1980 second-round pick. The legacy archive entry also listed cash, but the Pistons, Warriors and league transaction ledgers all record a straight Green-for-pick exchange, so this review removes the unsupported cash term. Green played only 27 games for Detroit, averaging 6.6 points and 2.3 assists in 16.0 minutes, before the Pistons waived him on December 11. Golden State held the pick and used it at No. 24 in 1980 on Larry Smith. Smith became a nine-season Warriors fixture, playing 617 regular-season games for the franchise. As a rookie he averaged 9.6 points and 12.1 rebounds and earned All-Rookie recognition, then remained one of the team's primary rebounders through the decade. Golden State wins decisively because one second-round asset produced years of starting-caliber frontcourt value while Detroit received less than two months of Green.

Atlanta traded John Brown and future considerations to Chicago on October 8, 1978 for the Bulls' 1980 second-round pick. The legacy archive entry omitted the future-considerations term, which the Hawks, Bulls and league transaction ledgers all include. Brown gave Chicago 77 regular-season games in 1978-79, averaging 5.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 16.4 minutes. He was no longer with the Bulls the next season and later returned to Atlanta as a free agent, an independent transaction. The Hawks kept the pick and used it at No. 28 in 1980 on Craig Shelton. Shelton played 59 NBA games, all for Atlanta, including 55 as a rookie at 4.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 10.7 minutes. Chicago gets a slight hindsight edge because Brown provided a little more immediate rotation value, but neither branch produced a major long-term return.

Indiana's 1978 signing of Alex English cost the Pacers a 1979 first-round pick sent to Milwaukee as free-agent compensation. Basketball-Reference dates the signing and compensation to June 8, while the legacy October 3 record aligns with a draft-trade ledger that records Milwaukee's agreement not to exercise its right of first refusal. English gave Indiana 135 regular-season games across parts of two seasons, including 16.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in 1978-79. The Pacers later traded English with another first-round pick for George McGinnis, so that downstream return is shared-package value. Milwaukee did not draft Calvin Natt with Indiana's pick: the Bucks packaged the pick with John Gianelli for Harvey Catchings, and New Jersey used it at No. 8 on Natt. Catchings then played 372 games for Milwaukee. Indiana gets the edge because English's direct Pacers production was stronger, but Milwaukee realized a durable return from the compensation asset.

Houston acquired Slick Watts from New Orleans on September 21, 1978 for a 1981 first-round pick. Watts gave the Rockets 61 regular-season games in 1978-79, averaging 3.7 points and 4.0 assists in 17.1 minutes, and that season proved to be the end of his NBA career. The Jazz held Houston's pick until 1981 and used it at No. 13 on Danny Schayes. Schayes played 132 games for Utah across his first two seasons, including 50 starts and averages of 12.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in his second season. Utah then traded Schayes with cash to Denver for Rich Kelley, who added 184 regular-season games for the Jazz through 1984-85. The trade therefore produced one useful backup season for Houston but a much longer player-and-downstream branch for the Jazz.

Detroit reacquired Kevin Porter from New Jersey on September 8, 1978 for Eric Money, and both clubs extracted real value from the swap. Porter played all 82 games for the Pistons in 1978-79, averaged 15.4 points and an NBA-leading 13.4 assists, then left for Washington as a veteran free agent; Detroit received two first-round picks as compensation, one in 1980 and one in 1982. Money gave the Nets 47 games at 16.7 points and 5.3 assists before New Jersey included him with Al Skinner in a February 1979 trade for Harvey Catchings, Ralph Simpson and cash. Catchings was later moved for John Gianelli and the 1979 first-round pick used on Calvin Natt, but that downstream branch came from a multi-player package and cannot be credited entirely to Money. Detroit therefore gets the stronger source-traceable return: a league-leading season from Porter plus two directly attributable first-round compensation assets.

Milwaukee acquired the draft rights to Mel Davis from New Orleans on September 6, 1978. The Jazz's official media guide says New Orleans received a 1979 second-round pick with considerations. Pro Sports Transactions describes that pick as conditional and questions whether it was exercised, while the available 1979 draft-routing evidence does not identify a specific Jazz selection from the deal. Davis signed with Milwaukee four days later but was waived in October and never played an NBA regular-season game. Because Milwaukee received zero NBA games and the exact New Orleans draft return cannot be tied confidently to a player or pick, this review does not force a hindsight winner. The legacy description is normalized from 'conditional second round pick (not exercised?)' to a source-backed description that preserves both the official media-guide language and the unresolved conveyance status.

Denver acquired Mel Bennett from Indiana on September 1, 1978 for future considerations. The Nuggets, Pacers and league transaction ledgers all confirm that framework, and Indiana's official media guide likewise lists Bennett for future considerations without identifying the eventual compensation. Bennett never played a regular-season game for Denver. The Nuggets waived him on September 22, three weeks after the trade, and Basketball-Reference lists his 1978-79 season as time in the WBA rather than the NBA. No source located for this review identifies a draft pick, player, cash amount or other realized asset that Indiana ultimately received from the future-considerations clause. Because Denver received zero NBA games and Indiana's compensation remains unresolved, the record cannot support a directional hindsight verdict without inventing value. This review keeps the transaction active as a verified rights/player move but leaves both sides ungraded.

Philadelphia sent George McGinnis and the 1978 first-round pick used on Mike Evans to Denver on August 16, 1978 for Bobby Jones, Ralph Simpson and a future first-round pick that became No. 10 Leon Wood in 1984. Denver received real short-term value: McGinnis played 121 games for the Nuggets across parts of two seasons, averaged 22.6 points and 11.4 rebounds in 1978-79 and made the 1979 All-Star team. Evans did not play in 1978-79 and did not create immediate Nuggets value from the pick. Philadelphia's return was far more durable. Jones played 617 regular-season games across eight 76ers seasons, earned six straight All-Defensive First Team selections after the trade, won the inaugural Sixth Man of the Year award and helped the 1983 team win the championship. Simpson added 37 games before another trade, while Wood later played 67 Philadelphia games. The 76ers won the long-term value exchange decisively.

Chicago traded the NBA rights to Chuck Jura to Cleveland on August 11, 1978 for future considerations. The Bulls' official historical transaction log confirms the rights-for-future-considerations framework, while RealGM confirms Cleveland acquired Jura's rights that day. Pro Sports Transactions describes the return as multiple future draft picks but labels the connection to the 1979 No. 47 Calvin Garrett pick unconfirmed. Basketball-Reference does not carry the transaction in its team or league ledgers, and Jura's player transaction page lists only his 1972 Chicago draft selection. Jura never played an NBA regular-season game for Cleveland; contemporary career histories indicate he returned to Italy. Because the exact future draft choices cannot be verified, this review does not assign Garrett or any other specific pick to Chicago and does not force a hindsight winner. The transaction is preserved as a source-supported rights deal with unresolved consideration details.

Houston traded C.J. Kupec to Milwaukee on July 26, 1978 for the Bucks' 1979 fourth-round pick. The transaction is confirmed by the Rockets, Bucks and league ledgers. Neither side ultimately received NBA regular-season production from the acquired asset. Kupec never appeared in a game for Milwaukee; Basketball-Reference lists his final NBA season as 1977-78 with Houston. The Rockets held the pick until the 1979 draft and used it at No. 76 on Sammy Drummer, but the draft ledger records no NBA career for him. There is also no traceable downstream transaction attached to either asset after the deal. Houston at least retained a live draft asset for nearly a year, but hindsight realized-value grading cannot convert that unused opportunity into on-court production. With zero NBA games on both branches, this review resolves the trade as effectively even and low impact.

Boston traded its 1980 first-round pick to Indiana on July 19, 1978 for Earl Tatum. The legacy archive entry also showed cash moving in both directions, but the Celtics, Pacers and league transaction ledgers all record a straight player-for-pick exchange, so this review removes the unsupported cash entries. Tatum played only three Boston games, but the Celtics flipped him three months later to Detroit for Chris Ford and a 1981 second-round pick. Ford became a four-year Celtic, playing 309 regular-season games and starting 75 games on the 1981 championship team. Indiana held the first until February 1980, then packaged it with Alex English for George McGinnis. McGinnis played 173 regular-season games for the Pacers over parts of three seasons. Because English was also outgoing, this review gives the first-round pick only partial credit for that return. Boston's downstream conversion produced the stronger realized value.

Denver acquired the draft rights to Geoff Crompton from Kansas City on July 10, 1978 for a 1981 fourth-round pick. Crompton played 20 regular-season games for the Nuggets as a rookie, totaling 88 minutes, before Denver waived him on April 11, 1979. Kansas City held the pick until 1981 and used it at No. 78 on Kenny Dennard. Dennard played 52 regular-season games for the Kings across two seasons before the club traded him back to Denver in September 1983 for a 1985 third-round pick. That pick became No. 66 Michael Adams, who appeared in 18 Sacramento games as a rookie before being waived in December 1985. The return was modest on both sides, but Kansas City converted a future fourth into 52 Dennard games plus another draft asset, while Denver received only 20 games from Crompton. The Kings get the clearer realized-value edge.

Boston and San Diego completed this blockbuster on August 4, 1978, not July 7 as the legacy route date states. The Celtics received Tiny Archibald, Marvin Barnes, Billy Knight and two future second-round picks. Archibald played 363 Boston games across five seasons, made three All-Star teams, earned All-NBA Second Team honors in 1981 and started on the 1981 champions. The 1981 second became Danny Ainge, who played 556 Celtics games, won the 1984 and 1986 titles and made the 1988 All-Star team. Knight became Rick Robey in January 1979, and Robey later joined the 1983 second-round pick that became Rod Foster in Boston's multi-asset trade for Dennis Johnson. San Diego still received major value: Kermit Washington and Kevin Kunnert each played at least 81 games in 1978-79, Freeman Williams scored 4,467 points in 273 Clippers games over four seasons, and Sidney Wicks played 199 games. The Celtics' championship and downstream value wins, but the Clippers' return was substantial.

Indiana traded a 1980 second-round pick to Portland on June 30, 1978 for Corky Calhoun. The Pacers received the only NBA playing value created by the exchange. Calhoun appeared in 81 games in 1978-79, averaging 4.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.4 minutes, then played seven more games in 1979-80 before Indiana waived him on November 1, 1979. That gives the Pacers 88 regular-season games and 416 points from the veteran forward. Portland held the pick through the 1980 draft and used it at No. 32 on David Lawrence. Basketball-Reference records Lawrence as the Trail Blazers' second-round selection but shows no NBA regular-season career. The pick produced no later transaction branch in the cited Portland records. This was a low-impact trade overall, but Indiana received one full season of reserve production while Portland's draft return never reached an NBA regular-season game.

Denver's June 26, 1978 record is best understood as two same-day trades that form one three-team chain. First, Denver sent Darnell Hillman and the draft rights to Mike Evans to Kansas City for Ron Boone and a 1979 second-round pick. Denver immediately sent Boone, that Kings second-rounder and another 1979 second-round pick to the Lakers for Charlie Scott. The legacy archive entry omitted Boone and the Kings pick, so this review restores both. Scott gave Denver 148 regular-season games across two seasons. Los Angeles received 88 Lakers games from Boone, 27 games from No. 25 Ollie Mack and no NBA games from No. 41 Mark Young; Boone and Mack also retained modest downstream value. Kansas City got 78 games from Hillman while Evans was waived before playing. All three teams realized something, but Denver received the strongest single sustained return.

Denver traded Tom LaGarde to Seattle on June 9, 1978 for the first-round pick that became No. 17 Rod Griffin. The pick produced no NBA regular-season value for the Nuggets: Griffin was drafted at No. 17 but never appeared in an NBA game. Seattle received 105 regular-season games from LaGarde across two seasons, including 23 games for the 1978-79 championship team and all 82 games in 1979-80. He totaled 635 points and 502 rebounds for the SuperSonics, then appeared in 14 playoff games during Seattle's 1980 run to the Western Conference Finals. LaGarde left in the 1980 expansion draft when Dallas selected him, so Seattle received no further transaction return. The deal was not franchise-altering, but one side received two seasons from a rotation center and a championship-roster piece while the other side's first-round pick never reached the NBA.

Golden State traded its 1981 first-round pick to Portland on June 7, 1978 for the Trail Blazers' 1978 first-round pick. The legacy archive record described the outgoing asset as a 1979-or-1981 first, but the Warriors, Blazers and league transaction ledgers all identify it specifically as a 1981 first. Golden State used the incoming No. 22 pick on Raymond Townsend, who played 140 regular-season games for the Warriors across two seasons and scored 710 points. Portland never used the 1981 pick itself. In February 1980 the Blazers packaged that pick with Maurice Lucas and a 1980 first-round pick for Calvin Natt. The future Golden State pick eventually became No. 10 Albert King after New Jersey acquired it. Because the Blazers had to include Lucas and another first to get Natt, the entire Natt return cannot be credited to this asset alone. Portland still gets the edge because the 1981 first remained premium trade currency, while Townsend's direct Warriors value was modest.

Indiana and Portland made a major draft-day swap on June 8, 1978, one day later than the legacy archive entry date. The Pacers sent the No. 1 pick to Portland for Johnny Davis and the No. 3 pick. Portland used No. 1 on Mychal Thompson, who played 551 regular-season games across seven Trail Blazers seasons, averaging as much as 20.8 points and 11.7 rebounds in 1981-82. Indiana used No. 3 on Rick Robey, who played 43 Pacers games before being traded to Boston for Billy Knight. Knight then played 357 regular-season games for Indiana across the rest of 1978-79 through 1982-83. Davis became an even larger direct return, playing 319 Pacers games across four seasons while averaging 16.4 points and 5.4 assists. Portland landed the best single player, but Indiana converted the two-asset package into more total multi-year service and gets a narrow hindsight edge.

Buffalo sent the 1978 second-round pick that became No. 38 Lew Massey to the Lakers on June 7, 1978 for Tom Abernethy. The Lakers used the pick on Massey, but Basketball-Reference records no NBA regular-season career for him. Abernethy also never played a regular-season game for the Buffalo/San Diego franchise after the trade. His value came one month later, when Golden State signed him as a veteran free agent and San Diego received a 1979 second-round compensation pick. The Clippers then combined that pick, which became No. 30 Gary Garland, with another 1979 second-rounder as compensation for signing Brian Taylor. Garland ultimately played 78 games for Denver, not San Diego, so that production is not credited to the Clippers. The Abernethy-derived pick still helped San Diego acquire Taylor, giving the franchise a modest downstream benefit that the Lakers did not match. The Clippers get the edge in an otherwise low-impact deal.

Cleveland and Milwaukee swapped future first-round picks on June 1, 1978. The Cavaliers received Milwaukee's 1978 first, which became No. 15 Mike Mitchell. Milwaukee received Cleveland's 1979 first, which landed at No. 4. Both teams ultimately extracted major value. Mitchell played 271 regular-season games for Cleveland across parts of four seasons, averaged 24.5 points in 1980-81 and made the 1981 All-Star team before being traded with Roger Phegley to San Antonio for Ron Brewer, Reggie Johnson and cash. Milwaukee never used the No. 4 pick on Greg Kelser. On draft day in 1979, the Bucks traded that slot to Detroit for the No. 5 pick and selected Sidney Moncrief. Moncrief became a Hall of Famer, five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-Defensive selection and two-time Defensive Player of the Year for Milwaukee. Cleveland received an excellent star-level return; Milwaukee turned the future pick into a franchise cornerstone and gets the stronger hindsight result.

Boston traded Fred Saunders to New Orleans on February 1, 1978 for the Jazz's 1978 second-round pick. Saunders gave New Orleans 30 regular-season games over the rest of 1977-78, averaging 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.3 minutes. His NBA career ended after that season, so the Jazz received no later player or draft branch. Boston used the pick at No. 30 on Jeff Judkins, who became a useful two-season Celtics reserve. Judkins played 81 games as a rookie in 1978-79 and 65 more in 1979-80, totaling 146 Boston regular-season appearances and 1,060 points. He later continued his career elsewhere, but those later games do not belong to Boston's return. The Celtics converted a fringe veteran into two full seasons of second-round production, while New Orleans received only a 30-game rental. Boston gets the clear hindsight edge.

Denver sent Jim Price and its 1979 first-round pick to Detroit on February 1, 1978 for Ralph Simpson. The legacy archive entry also attached Detroit's 1979 second-round and 1980 third-round picks to the deal, but the authoritative Denver, Detroit and league ledgers list only Simpson for Price plus the first; this review therefore removes those unsupported extra picks from this transaction. Simpson played 32 Denver games at 5.5 points per game before being packaged with Bobby Jones and a 1984 first-round pick in the George McGinnis trade. Detroit received 34 games from Price at 11.5 points per game, then a 1980 second-round compensation pick when he signed with the Lakers. The 1979 first became No. 15 Phil Hubbard, who played 196 Pistons games across three seasons and later helped headline the multi-asset deal that brought Bill Laimbeer and Kenny Carr to Detroit. Detroit clearly received the stronger realized return.

New Jersey traded three future draft picks to Philadelphia on January 31, 1978 for rookie forward Wilson Washington. Washington gave the Nets 86 regular-season games across the rest of 1977-78 and 1978-79, averaging 8.3 points and 5.1 rebounds for the franchise before his NBA career ended. Philadelphia received the stronger long-term return. The 1979 second-round pick became No. 36 Clint Richardson, who played 426 regular-season games for the 76ers across six seasons and was part of the 1983 championship team. The 1982 second-round pick became No. 36 J.J. Anderson, who played only 13 games for Philadelphia before being waived. The 1983 third-round pick became No. 64 Claude Riley, who never played an NBA regular-season game. Richardson alone turned the package into a durable multi-year return, while New Jersey received two useful but short seasons from Washington. Philadelphia gets the clear edge.

Buffalo traded Ted McClain to Philadelphia on January 31, 1978 for a 1978 third-round pick that became No. 65 Marvin Delph. Basketball-Reference's team and league ledgers list the deal as player-for-pick, while Pro Sports Transactions also records cash going to Buffalo; the amount is not specified. McClain gave Philadelphia 29 regular-season games over the rest of 1977-78, totaling 91 points, 37 rebounds, 34 assists and 16 steals before the 76ers waived him in October 1978. Buffalo used the pick on Delph, but he never played an NBA regular-season game. Delph was later drafted again by Boston in 1979 without ever producing NBA service for the Braves/Clippers franchise. The cash creates some unquantified financial value for Buffalo, but there is no source-supported downstream basketball conversion. Philadelphia gets the modest edge because McClain supplied actual rotation minutes while Buffalo's player branch produced none.

New Jersey traded Darnell Hillman to Denver on January 30, 1978 for a 1979 second-round pick. The legacy archive entry also listed cash, but the Nets, Nuggets and league transaction ledgers all show only the player-for-pick exchange, so this review removes the unsupported cash term. New Jersey did not keep the pick to draft Clint Richardson. One day later the Nets bundled it with 1982 and 1983 picks for Wilson Washington, who played 86 regular-season games for New Jersey across two seasons. Denver received 33 games from Hillman at 7.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, then packaged him with Mike Evans in June for Ron Boone and another 1979 second-round pick. Both sides recycled their incoming asset with other pieces, limiting how much downstream value can be assigned to this trade alone. New Jersey gets a narrow edge because the pick helped produce a two-season Nets contributor, but the margin is small.

New Jersey reacquired John Williamson from Indiana on January 27, 1978 for Bob Carrington plus 1980 and 1981 second-round picks. Williamson immediately became the Nets' lead scorer, averaging 29.5 points in 33 games after the trade, 22.2 across 74 games in 1978-79 and 17.7 in 28 more Nets games in 1979-80. Indiana's package had far more depth than the old record suggested. Carrington played 35 Pacers games. The 1980 second became No. 29 Louis Orr, who played 162 Indiana games over two seasons. The 1981 second did not remain with Indiana: the Pacers traded it to Portland in October 1979 for Clemon Johnson, who played 290 Pacers games through 1982-83. Portland later used that pick at No. 26 on Brian Jackson. New Jersey got the best player and elite scoring peak, while Indiana turned three assets into nearly 500 combined games. The result is unusually balanced.

Golden State acquired Nate Williams from New Orleans for a 1978 second-round pick. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value. Williams played 46 games for Golden State to finish 1977-78 and all 81 games in 1978-79, giving the Warriors 127 regular-season appearances at 9.3 points per game across his two-season stint. New Orleans used the No. 35 pick on Tommie Green, who played 59 games as a rookie in 1978-79, averaging 3.9 points and 2.4 assists in 13.7 minutes. Green never played another NBA season, and Williams also finished his NBA career after 1978-79. The trade had no major downstream branch, so the realized comparison is direct: Golden State received more games and substantially more scoring from the veteran.