Charlotte Traded Its Expansion Selection for Milwaukee’s No. 45
The Bobcats selected Georgian center Zaza Pachulia from Orlando during the June 22, 2004 expansion draft. The next day, general manager Bernie Bickerstaff sent Pachulia to Milwaukee for the Bucks’ No. 45 selection in the upcoming second round. ESPN’s same-day account and Charlotte’s later official media guide both verify the chronology and that the pick became Bernard Robinson, a forward from Michigan. This was not a case of the Bucks drafting Pachulia in 2004: he had been chosen by Orlando one year earlier and was available to the new franchise only through the expansion process. Charlotte chose a younger drafted wing over keeping the newly selected big man.
Pachulia Played Seventy-Four Games for Milwaukee
In 2004-05, Pachulia appeared in 74 Bucks games and averaged 6.2 points with 5.1 rebounds in 18.9 minutes. He started four games but was regularly available off the bench, a sizable first-year return from a veteran player acquired for a mid-second-round selection. He signed with Atlanta the following offseason, where he became a long-running frontcourt presence. Those Hawks seasons belong to another team’s roster history and should not be counted as Milwaukee production from the original expansion deal. The Bucks’ C+ grade can be supported by Pachulia’s real 74-game rotation season, without using his later championships or international accomplishments to inflate what they received.
Bernard Robinson Gave Charlotte a Lesser Draft Return
Charlotte selected Bernard Robinson at No. 45 and developed him on the inaugural Bobcats roster. His playing time was limited compared with Pachulia’s Milwaukee role, and the expansion club did not acquire a regular starting forward from this pick. The choice still had value: Charlotte used a player it might not have wanted to retain to obtain a prospect that matched a different positional need. But the direct NBA minutes created were smaller than Milwaukee’s center return. The Bobcats’ C- grade reflects the uncertainty of a mid-second-round selection that did not yield an enduring contributor. The transaction’s date was June 23 for the rights exchange, with the actual draft selection made June 24.
Final Verdict
Bucks Win. Milwaukee earns C+ after Zaza Pachulia supplied 74 games, 6.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in 2004-05. Charlotte receives C- for the No. 45 pick used on Bernard Robinson. This was an expansion-draft follow-up, not an original 2004 Bucks selection of Pachulia.