Date Correction and Trade Structure
Basketball-Reference's Atlanta, New York and league transaction ledgers all place the Eddie Mast trade on October 9, 1972. Richie Guerin's Atlanta executive record and Red Holzman's New York record use the same date. The legacy archive carried October 7 from an older legacy source, so this review corrects the canonical trade date to October 9 while retaining the old date as a superseded source value. The basketball structure is straightforward: Atlanta received Mast, and New York received Atlanta's 1973 second-round pick, later used at No. 28 on Pat McFarland.
Atlanta's Return
Mast had barely played for the Knicks, appearing in only 12 regular-season games across 1970-71 and 1971-72. Atlanta gave him a larger role after the trade. In 1972-73 he appeared in 42 games, logged 447 minutes, scored 119 points and collected 136 rebounds. That works out to 2.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per game. The Hawks went 46-36 and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals, so Mast's contribution was limited to reserve frontcourt depth rather than a major rotation role. Still, 42 actual NBA appearances represent a measurable return from the transaction.
New York's Draft Asset
The Knicks held the second-round pick through the 1973 draft and used it on McFarland with the 28th overall selection. That identifies the pick outcome precisely, but it does not create NBA production for New York. McFarland never appeared in an NBA game. Basketball-Reference lists his professional career entirely in the ABA: 67 games for the Denver Rockets in 1973-74, 70 for the Denver Nuggets in 1974-75 and 11 for the San Diego Sails in 1975-76. Those games cannot be credited to the Knicks because New York never received NBA service or a later trade return from the drafted player.
Why the Pick Still Has Some Value
A second-round selection is not worthless simply because the selected player never appeared for the drafting team. New York acquired a real draft asset and exercised it on a player who proved capable of playing 148 professional ABA games. The hindsight grade therefore should not treat the Knicks' side as if it received literally nothing on transaction day. But realized-value grading follows what the franchise ultimately obtained from the asset. In New York's case, no NBA games, minutes, points, trade return or compensatory pick are documented from McFarland.
Mast's Limited Ceiling
Atlanta's advantage also needs to stay modest. Mast did not become a long-term Hawk. His 42-game 1972-73 season was his only year in Atlanta and his final NBA season. He played only 447 minutes, and no later transaction converted him into another player or pick. The Hawks therefore received useful roster depth rather than a lasting asset chain. That makes this a small win, not a franchise-changing trade. The comparison comes down to 42 documented NBA games on one side versus a second-round pick that produced zero Knicks appearances on the other.
Final Verdict
Slight Hawks Edge, B-/D+. Atlanta receives a B- because Mast supplied 42 regular-season games and useful reserve minutes on a 46-win playoff team. New York receives a D+ because the pick became McFarland, who never played in the NBA or generated a documented Knicks trade return, though the club did acquire and exercise a legitimate second-round asset. Confidence is high on the corrected October 9 date, the pick outcome and the player production. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.