The Exchange
Basketball-Reference's Atlanta, Detroit and league transaction logs agree on the April 13, 1973 structure: the Hawks sent George Trapp to the Pistons for Detroit's 1973 first-round pick. Richie Guerin's executive record confirms the same deal. Atlanta used the acquired selection on Houston big man Dwight Jones. The legacy archive entry labels him as the No. 6 pick, but Basketball-Reference's draft and Atlanta transaction pages place Jones ninth overall. The source-backed record corrects the pick slot while preserving the underlying player identity. No cash or secondary asset appears in the reviewed trade logs.
Jones Gives Atlanta Three Productive Seasons
Jones played 74 games as a rookie in 1973-74, averaging 8.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 19.6 minutes. His role expanded the next season. In 75 games during 1974-75 he averaged 10.4 points and 9.3 rebounds in 27.8 minutes, giving Atlanta a legitimate frontcourt rebounder from the acquired pick. Jones then appeared in 66 games in 1975-76 and averaged 10.1 points with 7.9 rebounds. Across those three Hawks seasons he totaled 215 regular-season games. That is strong direct value from a first-round selection obtained for one veteran forward.
Trapp Becomes a Durable Detroit Rotation Forward
Detroit also received real value. Trapp played all 82 games in 1973-74, scoring 765 points while averaging 9.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 18.2 minutes. He followed with 78 games in 1974-75 and 76 more in 1975-76. Trapp appeared in six games at the start of 1976-77 before Detroit waived him on October 20, 1976. His Pistons total was 242 regular-season appearances, more games than Jones played for Atlanta. The old D grade therefore understates the return badly: Detroit received three full seasons of dependable rotation availability.
Peak Value Favors Jones
The difference is role and production rather than longevity. Jones developed into a larger rebounder and scorer, peaking at 10.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game for Atlanta. Trapp's best Detroit scoring season was 9.3 points, and his rebounding stayed under four per game during each Pistons season. Trapp was useful, but Jones occupied a more valuable frontcourt role and was still only 24 when Atlanta moved him. That makes the direct player comparison lean toward the Hawks despite Detroit receiving 27 more regular-season games.
Atlanta Retains Trade Utility in 1976
On June 7, 1976, Atlanta traded Jones and the No. 1 pick in the 1976 draft to Houston for Gus Bailey, Joe Meriweather and the No. 9 pick. Houston used the top choice on John Lucas, while Atlanta selected Armond Hill at No. 9. That later deal shows Jones retained meaningful market value after three Hawks seasons. It would be incorrect to credit Atlanta with the entire Bailey-Meriweather-Hill package because the No. 1 pick was the dominant co-asset. The source-backed evaluation therefore treats the transaction only as evidence that Jones remained tradeable, not as a full downstream return from the 1973 deal.
Detroit's Asset Chain Ends with a Waiver
Trapp's Detroit chain ends differently. RealGM's 1976 Detroit offseason ledger records the Pistons waiving him on October 20, 1976. He did not generate a player, pick or cash return for Detroit. That does not erase 242 useful regular-season appearances, but it means the Pistons received no additional asset after his playing contribution. Atlanta, by contrast, moved Jones inside a larger trade while he still had value. The distinction is modest because Atlanta also surrendered the first overall pick in that deal, but it supports the Hawks' side of an otherwise competitive comparison.
Final Verdict
Slight Hawks Edge, A-/B+. Atlanta receives an A- because the acquired first-round pick became Jones, who supplied 215 games, three productive seasons and a 10.4-point, 9.3-rebound peak before retaining trade utility in the 1976 Houston deal. Detroit receives a B+ because Trapp played 242 games across parts of four seasons and was a durable rotation forward, but his peak impact was lower and his Pistons tenure ended with a waiver rather than a trade return. Confidence is high on the trade mechanics, corrected No. 9 draft slot, player production and both players' later transactions. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.