A Late Draft Prospect Became a Cash Transaction
Atlanta transferred the draft rights to Roberto Bergersen to Portland in June 1999, receiving cash considerations. The exchange happened during draft-related roster planning, when teams could decide whether to hold a second-round prospect's rights or direct resources elsewhere. Portland accepted the opportunity to evaluate Bergersen without sending an established NBA player back. Atlanta chose an immediate financial return rather than waiting for the prospect to develop into an eventual rotation contributor.
Portland Received Rights, Not Proven NBA Minutes
Bergersen's scoring ability at the college level gave him a plausible case for an NBA opportunity, but rights ownership is not the same as an established playing role. The Trail Blazers did not turn this acquisition into a long-tenured star. His later basketball career outside the NBA should not be converted into Portland NBA points or assists. The club acquired the chance to investigate his potential at a limited price, and that developmental option was the main basketball asset.
The Hawks Preferred a Defined Financial Return
Atlanta gained cash instead of keeping a player whose future NBA place was uncertain. That choice was understandable for a team assessing the end of its draft board. The deal did not produce a new Atlanta rookie or additional draft selection, so there is no later Hawks draftee to attribute to the Bergersen exchange. A cash return has real operational value, but it is different from securing even a modest on-court reserve who can immediately help the team.
Equal Grades Reflect Limited Realized Production
Portland obtained the rights to a player it could evaluate, while Atlanta received money and avoided a development commitment. Neither receiving team established a lasting NBA contributor through this particular deal. The inherited Even Trade and C grades describe a small transaction with neither a dramatic success nor a meaningful talent loss. Its historical significance is in the movement of a second-round prospect's rights rather than in any imagined playoff impact.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. Atlanta gets C for receiving cash instead of holding Roberto Bergersen's draft rights. Portland also gets C for taking a low-cost chance on the prospect, without gaining an established long-term NBA contributor. The financial benefit and speculative rights value are different, but neither side obtained a large basketball return.