Atlanta traded Armond Hill to Seattle on December 2, 1980 for 1983 and 1984 second-round picks plus cash. Hill played 72 regular-season games for Seattle across parts of two seasons, then was packaged with another second-round pick for Phil Smith, who added 105 SuperSonics games. Atlanta later turned the 1983 second into Johnny Davis, who played 128 Hawks games over two seasons, and routed the 1984 second through Jim Johnstone before Johnstone became part of a multi-asset package for George Johnson. Both branches produced value, but Atlanta's more direct Johnny Davis return and cash give the Hawks a slight edge.
Basketball-Reference's Atlanta, Seattle and league transaction ledgers agree on the December 2, 1980 exchange. Seattle acquired Armond Hill. Atlanta received Seattle's 1983 second-round pick, Seattle's 1984 second-round pick and cash. The cash amount is not identified in the reviewed records, so this review preserves the term without assigning it a dollar value.
Hill played 51 games for Seattle after the trade in 1980-81, totaling 255 points and 174 assists. He returned for 21 more SuperSonics games in 1981-82, bringing the direct Seattle return to 72 regular-season appearances. On February 16, 1982, Seattle traded Hill and a separate 1982 second-round pick to San Diego for Phil Smith. Smith then played 26 games for Seattle in 1981-82 and 79 more in 1982-83. That gives the Hill branch additional downstream value, but this review does not treat all 105 Smith games as if Hill alone bought them because Seattle also surrendered a second-round pick.
Atlanta did not use Seattle's 1983 second-round pick at the draft. On December 31, 1982, the Hawks sent that pick to Indiana for Johnny Davis. Davis became a substantial Atlanta guard. He played 53 games in 1982-83, starting 33 and averaging 12.9 points and 5.9 assists. He followed with 75 games and 72 starts in 1983-84, averaging 12.3 points and 4.3 assists. Across the two seasons, Davis gave Atlanta 128 regular-season games. In August 1984 the Hawks traded Davis to Cleveland for John Garris and Stewart Granger. This review does not need that later branch to establish the value of the original 1983 pick.
Atlanta also did not directly draft Ben Coleman with Seattle's 1984 second. On June 30, 1982, the Hawks sent that future pick to Kansas City for the draft rights to Jim Johnstone. Three months later, Atlanta sent Johnstone plus separate 1983 and 1985 second-round picks to San Antonio for George Johnson. Johnson played 37 regular-season games for Atlanta in 1982-83. Because two additional second-round picks were included in that trade, this review credits only partial downstream value from the Johnstone branch.
Seattle received 72 Hill games and later used Hill with another second-rounder to acquire Phil Smith, who added 105 games. That is a legitimate and useful return. Atlanta's 1983 pick, however, directly produced 128 Johnny Davis games with heavy starting usage, while the 1984 pick retained enough value to help create another trade branch. The unquantified cash also belongs on Atlanta's side even though it is not scored.
Slight Hawks Edge, A-/B+. Atlanta receives an A- for the Davis return, additional 1984-pick trade utility and cash. Seattle receives a B+ for 72 Hill games plus his role in the later Phil Smith package.