The Draft-Day Exchange
Basketball-Reference's Chicago, New York and league transaction ledgers agree on the May 28, 1974 structure: the Bulls sent Howard Porter and their 1975 second-round pick to the Knicks for New York's 1974 first-round pick. Chicago used that selection at No. 14 on Maurice Lucas, while New York later used the second-rounder at No. 34 on Larry Fogle. The legacy archive record also carries cash from New York to Chicago. Specialist transaction histories preserve that financial component, but the Basketball-Reference ledgers do not, so the archive keeps the cash as source-supported but marks the amount and cross-source consistency as unresolved rather than making it central to the verdict.
Chicago Drafts a Star Who Never Plays There
Lucas became an excellent professional player, but his career cannot be credited to the Bulls. Chicago drafted him 14th overall in 1974, and Lucas chose the ABA instead, joining the Spirits of St. Louis before later playing for the Kentucky Colonels. When the ABA-NBA merger arrived in 1976, Portland selected Lucas with the second pick of the special dispersal draft and paid the required signing price. He then became a championship-level Trail Blazer. The key hindsight distinction is franchise realization: Chicago spent the acquired No. 14 pick on Lucas but received zero Bulls regular-season games from him.
Porter's Short Knicks Stay
Porter did not become a long-term Knick, either. He appeared in 17 games for New York in 1974-75, averaging 1.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in 7.8 minutes. Those direct numbers are modest. The asset remained useful, however. On December 24, 1974, New York traded Porter to Detroit for the Pistons' 1975 first-round pick, later used on Bill Robinzine. That conversion matters because it means the Knicks recovered a first-round asset only seven months after sending one to Chicago.
The Robinzine Pick Moves Again
New York did not ultimately make the Robinzine selection. On February 1, 1975, the Knicks packaged that first-round pick with Henry Bibby and sent both to New Orleans for Jim Barnett and Neal Walk. Because Bibby was a substantial co-asset, this archive does not attribute the entire Barnett-Walk return to Porter. It does credit Porter's conversion as a meaningful downstream branch: the player acquired from Chicago became part of a first-round asset that helped New York complete another trade during the same season.
Larry Fogle Adds Almost Nothing
The second-round pick from Chicago became Larry Fogle at No. 34 in the 1975 draft. Fogle reached the NBA but played only two games for the Knicks, totaling 14 minutes. He scored two points and collected three rebounds. That is enough to verify the pick outcome but not enough to materially alter the transaction. New York's useful value came from Porter and his downstream first-round pick, not from Fogle.
Why Lucas' Portland Career Does Not Count for Chicago
Lucas' later résumé can make the Bulls' side look much better if the draft identity is confused with realized franchise value. Portland obtained Lucas from the Kentucky Colonels in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft; the NBA's own transaction chronology identifies Portland as the club that selected him in that process. Chicago therefore cannot receive credit for Lucas' Portland games, 1977 championship or later All-Star production. The Bulls correctly identified a great player in the 1974 draft, but the acquired pick did not turn into Chicago on-court value.
Final Verdict
Slight Knicks Edge, B-/C+. New York receives a B- because Porter supplied 17 games and, more importantly, was converted into a 1975 first-round pick that became part of another Knicks trade; Fogle adds only two games. Chicago receives a C+ because the Bulls acquired a premium first-round pick and selected an excellent player, but Lucas chose the ABA and never played for Chicago. Any cash received provides real but unpriced value and prevents a lower grade. Confidence is high on the player and pick movement and medium on the cash component because the major transaction ledgers do not all include it. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.