The Ledgers Resolve the Future Considerations as a Third-Round Pick
Basketball-Reference's Chicago, Washington and league transaction pages all record the September 13, 1976 exchange as Tom Kropp to the Bulls for a 1977 third-round draft pick. Chicago's official historical media guide uses the broader phrase "future considerations" for the same acquisition. Those descriptions are not mutually exclusive: the league and team transaction ledgers identify the specific draft asset that later satisfied the consideration. This review therefore keeps the pick as the verified outgoing Chicago asset rather than leaving the return unresolved.
Kropp Gave Chicago One Useful Bench Season
Kropp was a fringe Washington player before the trade, appearing in 25 games but only 72 total minutes for the Bullets in 1975-76. Chicago gave him a much larger role. In 1976-77 he played 53 games and 480 minutes, scoring 174 points while shooting 48.0 percent from the field. His per-game line was modest at 3.3 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 9.1 minutes, but the Bulls received a full season of usable reserve minutes rather than an empty roster transaction.
His Chicago Tenure Ended After One Season
The return did not develop into a long-term rotation piece. Basketball-Reference credits Kropp with only two minutes in one 1977 playoff appearance, and Chicago's official media guide records the Bulls waiving him on October 17, 1977. RealGM independently lists the waiver and his move to free agency two days later. Kropp never appeared in another NBA regular-season game. That ceiling keeps Chicago's grade below the stronger historical trades where a low draft pick produced multiple seasons or a starter-level role.
Washington Used the Pick on Steve Puidokas
The Bullets kept and exercised the acquired third-rounder. Basketball-Reference's 1977 draft ledger shows Washington selecting Washington State center Steve Puidokas at No. 57 overall, and the Bullets transaction page lists the same selection. Puidokas never recorded an NBA regular-season appearance. Contemporary Washington Post draft coverage described him as a productive four-year college center, but his professional career continued outside the NBA. The pick therefore had legitimate option value on draft night without creating realized NBA production for Washington.
The Margin Should Stay Narrow
Chicago did not acquire a major contributor, and Washington did receive a real draft asset rather than nothing. The distinction is realized outcome: Kropp supplied 53 games and nearly 500 regular-season minutes, while Puidokas supplied no NBA games. That supports a Bulls edge, but not the legacy B+ grade. A third-round pick in this era carried enough uncertainty that one season of reserve play is a modest win rather than a major value event.
Final Verdict
Slight Bulls Edge, B-/C. Chicago receives a B- because Kropp delivered 53 regular-season games and useful bench minutes for the cost of a third-round pick, even though he was gone before the next season began. Washington receives a C because the acquired pick was fully exercised at No. 57 but Steve Puidokas never appeared in an NBA regular-season game. Confidence is high on the transaction and draft outcome. The source wording differs only in specificity: Chicago's media guide says future considerations, while the Basketball-Reference ledgers identify the consideration as the 1977 third-round pick.