The September 8 Trade Is Fully Documented
Basketball-Reference's New York Nets, San Antonio Spurs and ABA transaction ledgers all identify the same exchange: New York sent Billy Paultz to San Antonio for Rich Jones, Chuck Terry, Bob Warren and Kim Hughes. The Roy Boe and John Begzos executive transaction records independently preserve the deal from each franchise's side. The legacy archive entry was dated September 7, but the authoritative transaction ledgers consistently list September 8, 1975, so the source-backed repair corrects the transaction date while preserving the same five-player structure.
Paultz Was Immediately Excellent for San Antonio
San Antonio received far more than a short-term rental. Paultz played 83 games in 1975-76 and averaged 16.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.0 blocks in 35.6 minutes. He made the ABA All-Star team and became one of the Spurs' major frontcourt pieces alongside George Gervin and Larry Kenon. His value did not end with the ABA season: Paultz remained with the franchise into its NBA years, making this a durable return rather than a one-season outcome.
New York Received Two Immediate High-Minute Contributors
Rich Jones and Kim Hughes became important pieces immediately. Jones played 83 games for the 1975-76 Nets, averaging 13.2 points and 5.2 rebounds in 29.2 minutes. Hughes appeared in all 84 games, averaged 8.2 points and 9.2 rebounds, and later earned All-Rookie recognition. Both also played throughout the postseason as New York won the final ABA championship. That direct production alone makes the package much stronger than the old summary suggested.
Terry Added Depth and Warren Became Tim Bassett
Chuck Terry supplied another 66 regular-season appearances for New York in 1975-76 and remained with the franchise for the first NBA season. Bob Warren never became a Nets regular because New York traded him to the San Diego Sails on September 22 for Tim Bassett. Bassett then played all 84 regular-season games and 13 playoff games for the champion Nets, averaging 6.3 rebounds in the postseason. The archive should not pretend Warren alone created Bassett's entire later career value, but this is a direct one-for-one downstream conversion and therefore belongs in the original asset chain.
The Championship Context Matters Without Deciding the Trade by Itself
New York finished 55-29, defeated San Antonio in a seven-game ABA semifinal and then beat Denver for the 1976 ABA championship. The championship does not automatically make every incoming player more valuable, but Jones, Hughes, Terry and Bassett all supplied real regular-season or postseason minutes on that title team. San Antonio also benefited heavily from Paultz, who was an All-Star and productive starter. This is therefore a strong return on both sides rather than a case where one team received value and the other did not.
Final Verdict
Nets Win, A+/A. New York receives an A+ because the four-player package produced two major rotation players, additional depth, a direct Warren-to-Bassett conversion and substantial championship-season value, with several assets continuing into the NBA. San Antonio receives an A because Paultz was immediately an ABA All-Star, averaged a double-double with strong passing and rim protection, and remained a long-term Spurs center. The margin is narrower than the old grading suggested, but the combined volume and downstream value of New York's package gives the Nets the stronger hindsight return. Confidence is high on the corrected September 8 date, the five-player structure and the principal player outcomes. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.