The Exchange
Basketball-Reference's Cleveland, Phoenix and league transaction logs agree on the August 13, 1971 core exchange: Phoenix sent Greg Howard to Cleveland for a 1972 third-round pick, later used on Scott English at No. 33, plus a future third-round pick. Phoenix's historical media guides likewise describe two third-round selections, although they date the transaction August 31 rather than August 13. Pro Sports Transactions uses August 13 and adds cash from Cleveland to Phoenix. The source-backed record keeps the canonical August 13 date, preserves the cash as source-specific unpriced consideration, and leaves the second third-round pick unresolved because the surviving ledgers do not identify its year or player outcome.
Cleveland Return
Howard supplied one season of reserve frontcourt minutes. In 1971-72 he appeared in 48 games for Cleveland, totaling 426 minutes while averaging 2.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 8.9 minutes per game. That was his final NBA season, so the Cavaliers received no multi-year continuation or later trade asset from the acquisition. The production was real but small: Howard ranked near the bottom of Cleveland's rotation in minutes, and his 139 points were a limited return for multiple draft considerations. Still, he did give the second-year franchise an NBA-ready player immediately rather than forcing it to wait on future selections.
Phoenix Return
Phoenix used the identified 1972 third-rounder on Scott English with the 33rd overall pick. English played 29 games for the Suns in 1972-73, totaling 196 minutes, 93 points and 44 rebounds while averaging 3.2 points in 6.8 minutes. He left the NBA after that season before later playing in the ABA, so Phoenix did not turn the named pick into a long-term NBA contributor. The Suns also held the future third-round pick documented by Basketball-Reference and their own historical transaction records. Because that pick's year and player outcome remain unresolved, it receives credit as a real asset acquired but not an invented realized result. Pro Sports Transactions' additional cash entry is handled the same way: real in that source, but unpriced and absent from the other transaction ledgers.
Hindsight Comparison
The direct player results are close and modest. Howard gave Cleveland 48 games and 426 minutes; English gave Phoenix 29 games and 196 minutes. Neither became a core player, and neither side can claim a major on-court conversion from the directly identified player asset. The difference is the additional third-round pick Phoenix received. Even without a verified player outcome, that was another usable transaction asset in the original package, while Cleveland's return ended with Howard's single season. The disputed cash is not needed to create the edge and therefore is not counted as a decisive value source. The result is a small Phoenix advantage rather than a one-sided trade.
Final Verdict
Suns Win, B-/C+. Phoenix receives a B- because English supplied limited rookie minutes and the club also acquired a second third-round asset whose ultimate outcome is unresolved. Cleveland receives a C+ because Howard played 48 games immediately but produced only 426 minutes and no downstream value. Confidence is medium because the core player-for-two-picks structure is well documented, while the historical sources disagree on the exact August date, Pro Sports Transactions alone adds cash, and the second third-round pick cannot yet be tied to a player. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.