New Jersey Exchanged Dallas Comegys for Walter Berry
The Nets traded Dallas Comegys to the San Antonio Spurs for Walter Berry on August 29, 1988. Both teams recorded the straight forward-for-forward exchange in their transaction histories, with no draft pick or cash included. The forwards were young enough to invite comparisons, but had entered different NBA circumstances. Berry had averaged more than 17 points per game during both of his San Antonio seasons, including 17.4 in 1987-88. Comegys had played 75 games in his rookie Nets campaign, averaging 5.6 points. New Jersey sought the higher-upside scorer, while the Spurs looked for a rotation body they could use without relying on a high-volume offensive role.
Berry’s Scoring Reputation Outlasted His Nets Tenure
Berry appeared in only 29 games for New Jersey during 1988-89, making 17 starts and scoring 259 points, an average of approximately 8.9 per game. The Nets sent him to Houston later in the season, where he made 40 further appearances. That additional Rockets production belongs to a different franchise and does not improve the realized return from the August trade. New Jersey received one brief look at Berry, not the strong Spurs scorer it had watched in the prior two seasons. The Nets’ C grade reflects this reduced output and the short tenure despite the attractiveness of the original basketball proposition.
Comegys Offered San Antonio More Availability
Comegys played 67 Spurs games in 1988-89, starting 10 and averaging 6.5 points with 3.5 rebounds. Those were modest reserve numbers, yet they came across more than twice as many games as Berry played for New Jersey. San Antonio did not develop Comegys into a central offensive option, and his NBA career ended after that season. The Spurs also finished 21-61, a reminder that this single depth trade did not solve the club’s larger problems. Both teams receive C in the canonical grades because neither returned sustained above-average player value. The relative regular-season minutes favored San Antonio, but the deal remained a small, temporary exchange for each club.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. New Jersey earns C after Walter Berry provided 29 games before another move. San Antonio also grades C for Dallas Comegys, who played 67 games with 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per outing. The Spurs obtained more availability, but neither acquired a lasting frontcourt answer.