New Jersey acquired Darryl Dawkins from Philadelphia on August 27, 1982 for a 1983 first-round pick and $700,000 cash. Dawkins played 258 regular-season games for the Nets across five seasons, started 196 and scored 3,687 points, including 81 starts in 1982-83 and 80 in 1983-84. Philadelphia used the No. 17 pick on Leo Rautins, who played 28 regular-season games for the 76ers with three starts and averaged 1.7 points before moving on. The known cash payment gives Philadelphia real value, but Dawkins' multi-year starting production makes the Nets the clear realized-value winner.
Basketball-Reference's New Jersey and Philadelphia transaction records identify the August 27, 1982 package as Darryl Dawkins to the Nets for a 1983 first-round pick and cash. The canonical package specifies the cash at $700,000. The pick later landed at No. 17, where Philadelphia selected Leo Rautins.
Dawkins played 81 regular-season games for the Nets in 1982-83 and started all 81. He averaged 12.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while shooting 59.9 percent from the field. He was even better in 1983-84, starting 80 of 81 games and averaging 16.8 points on 59.3 percent shooting. New Jersey reached the playoffs and upset defending champion Philadelphia in the first round. That second season alone supplied more top-end basketball value than the draft return ultimately produced for the 76ers.
Injuries reduced Dawkins' availability after 1983-84, but he still remained a meaningful part of New Jersey's frontcourt. He played 39 games in 1984-85, 51 in 1985-86 and six in 1986-87. Across five Nets seasons, Dawkins appeared in 258 regular-season games, started 196 and scored 3,687 points. This review credits only his New Jersey production. His prior Philadelphia career and later appearances elsewhere do not affect the Nets' realized return.
The 76ers used the No. 17 pick in the 1983 NBA Draft on Syracuse forward Leo Rautins. Rautins played 28 regular-season games for Philadelphia in 1983-84, started three and averaged 7.0 minutes, 1.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.0 assist. He played only four more NBA games, all with Atlanta the following season. Philadelphia therefore received just one limited NBA season from the first-round component.
Unlike many historical cash considerations, the amount here is known. Philadelphia received $700,000 in addition to the first-round pick, so its side should not be evaluated as Rautins alone. The cash provided tangible financial value and raises the 76ers' grade. It still does not produce on-court value comparable to several seasons from a starting-caliber center.
The Nets accepted the cost of a first-round pick and substantial cash, but the acquired player immediately became a starter and stayed for five seasons. Dawkins gave New Jersey 258 games and nearly 200 starts. Philadelphia's draft branch produced 28 games and three starts. Even with the $700,000 payment, the realized basketball gap is too large to call the transaction even.
Nets Win, A-/C+. New Jersey receives an A- for acquiring five seasons of center production, including two high-volume starting years. Philadelphia receives a C+ because it obtained a first-round pick and a meaningful known cash payment, but the selected player produced only 28 games for the franchise.