NBA Trade Verdict

Even Trade

Boston acquired 1989 second-round pick (#44 Reggie Cross) from Pacers in exchange for Quinn Buckner.

September 3, 1985 Boston Celtics / Indiana Pacers Record confidence: Private Record

Boston Celtics Received

Trade Analysis

Boston Celtics Perspective

Boston added 1989 second-round pick (#44 Reggie Cross) without giving up a premium asset. The return proved slightly more useful than Quinn Buckner, but the deal remained a modest win.

Indiana Pacers Perspective

Indiana finished with a modest but defensible realized-value edge over Boston Celtics. Indiana received Quinn Buckner and sent 1989 second-round pick (#44-Reggie Cross). The Pacers side is graded B-, compared with C+ for the aggregate the other team return. The evaluation emphasizes what the players and draft assets actually became, while still accounting for role, timing, contract context and the competitive window. It does not treat every later outcome as something the teams could have perfectly predicted on the transaction date.