Cleveland traded McCoy McLemore to Milwaukee on February 1, 1971 for Gary Freeman, a 1971 second-round pick that became Willie Long at No. 35, and cash. Freeman played only 11 games and 47 minutes for Cleveland before his NBA career ended, while Long chose the ABA and never played for the Cavaliers. McLemore gave Milwaukee 28 regular-season games during its 1971 championship run, appeared in the playoffs, and returned for 10 more games the next season. With the cash amount undisclosed, Cleveland's full return cannot be priced, but the known realized basketball value favors Milwaukee.
Basketball-Reference's Cleveland transaction log confirms the February 1, 1971 deal: the Cavaliers sent McCoy McLemore to Milwaukee for Gary Freeman and a 1971 second-round draft pick later used on Willie Long. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value. The reliable sources reviewed here do not identify the cash amount, so it is preserved as real but unpriced consideration rather than used to manufacture a precise advantage.
Freeman's Cleveland stay was extremely brief. He appeared in 11 games and logged 47 total minutes after the trade, with the 1970-71 season becoming the last NBA season of his career. The draft pick became Willie Long at No. 35 overall, but Long did not join Cleveland. Basketball-Reference records Long's professional debut in the ABA with The Floridians, where he played 75 games as a rookie and averaged 11.7 points and 6.8 rebounds. That ABA production cannot be credited to Cleveland as realized return from the pick. Cleveland also received cash, but the amount remains unknown.
McLemore gave the Bucks more immediate court value than either identified Cleveland asset delivered for the Cavaliers. He played 28 regular-season games for Milwaukee after the trade, averaging 4.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 14.8 minutes, then remained available during the club's 1971 championship run. He returned for 10 more Milwaukee games in 1971-72 before being moved to Houston. This was not a major acquisition in the context of a team led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson, but McLemore was a real veteran depth piece for a championship roster rather than a purely theoretical asset.
Cleveland acquired three forms of consideration, but only one produced Cavaliers minutes and that contribution was tiny. Freeman logged 47 minutes, Long chose the ABA, and the cash cannot be valued from the surviving reliable records. Milwaukee, meanwhile, received 38 regular-season games from McLemore across two seasons and had him available during the 1971 title run. The unknown cash keeps the gap from becoming large, but the known basketball production points toward Milwaukee rather than Cleveland.
Bucks Win, C+/D+. Milwaukee receives a C+ for acquiring a usable veteran reserve who contributed during a championship season and remained into the next year. Cleveland receives a D+ on realized basketball value because Freeman barely played and the Willie Long pick never became a Cavaliers player, though the undisclosed cash prevents treating the return as empty. Confidence is medium-high on the transaction, pick outcome and player production, with the cash amount the principal unresolved variable. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.