Atlanta Paid a Second-Round Pick for Four Seasons of Mike Glenn
Basketball-Reference's Atlanta and league transaction ledgers record the October 12, 1981 mechanism as veteran free-agent compensation. Atlanta signed Mike Glenn and sent New York its 1982 second-round pick, later No. 34 Vince Taylor. The canonical record describes New York agreeing not to exercise its right of first refusal. That contractual framing is compatible with the compensation result: Atlanta secured Glenn, while the Knicks received the pick.
Glenn Became a Long-Term Hawks Rotation Guard
Glenn played 49 games for Atlanta in 1981-82 and averaged 7.7 points in 17.0 minutes. He returned for 73 games in 1982-83, 81 in 1983-84 and 60 in 1984-85. Across those four Hawks seasons he appeared in 263 regular-season games and made nine starts. He was never a star, but his efficient reserve scoring gave Atlanta substantially more than a one-year rental. His best Atlanta value came from reliability. Glenn shot better than 50 percent from the field in each of those Hawks seasons and remained a regular part of the backcourt rotation until moving to Milwaukee.
New York's Pick Became Vince Taylor
The Knicks used the incoming No. 34 selection in the 1982 NBA Draft on Duke guard Vince Taylor. Taylor appeared in 31 regular-season games for New York in 1982-83, made no starts and averaged 10.4 minutes, 3.1 points and 1.3 assists. Those 31 games were the entirety of his NBA career. That gives New York a real but limited return from the compensation pick.
Why Atlanta Wins Clearly
Atlanta gave up a second-round pick and received 263 games across four seasons from Glenn. New York turned the pick into 31 games from Taylor. The difference is not only games played. Glenn supplied repeated rotation value and several seasons of efficient bench scoring, while Taylor's NBA contribution ended after one year.
Final Verdict
Hawks Win, A-/D. Atlanta receives an A- for converting a second-round pick into four useful seasons and 263 regular-season games from Glenn. New York receives a D because Taylor played only 31 games and never started before his NBA career ended.