What Lasted After the Trade
On October 13, 1971, Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers completed a deal built around Rick Roberson, 1972 second round pick (#16-Jim Price), 1973 first round pick (#5-Kermit Washington), and 1973 second-round pick (No. 23, Billy Schaeffer). The trade details matter because the eventual result was not driven by package size alone. Cleveland surrendered 1972 second round pick (#16-Jim Price), 1973 first round pick (#5-Kermit Washington) and 1973 second-round pick (No. 23, Billy Schaeffer) for Rick Roberson, leaving the partner with a clear realized-value win. Cleveland converted Rick Roberson into a package that ultimately included Jim Price, Kermit Washington and Billy Schaeffer. Roberson was useful, but the first-round value and Washington's long NBA career make this one of the franchise's earliest clear losses. Rick Roberson provided Cleveland with a capable starting center, so the Cavaliers received legitimate immediate value. The Lakers obtained the deeper and more durable asset package. Taken together, those results show why the retrospective evaluation centers on realized player production, draft conversion, contract value and any downstream asset use that is specifically connected to this transaction. The key question is whether one side created durable separation from what it actually received, and the record says it did.
Why One Side Finished Ahead
Los Angeles Lakers own the stronger side of the comparison. Los Angeles won the 1971 deal by turning Rick Roberson into three draft picks, including the selections used on Jim Price and Kermit Washington. Rick Roberson provided Cleveland with a capable starting center, so the Cavaliers received legitimate immediate value. The Lakers obtained the deeper and more durable asset package. Jim Price became an All-Star guard, while Kermit Washington developed into a high-level rebounder and defender before later trades redirected his value. The useful point is not simply that Los Angeles Lakers received 1972 second round pick (#16-Jim Price), 1973 first round pick (#5-Kermit Washington), and 1973 second-round pick (No. 23, Billy Schaeffer); it is that the return became more valuable than what Cleveland Cavaliers ultimately realized from its side. The A- grade credits that completed value without assuming that every later event was predictable at the moment of the trade. Where the available evidence identifies a consequential player, pick or financial advantage, that realized outcome is the basis for the edge.
What the Losing Package Produced
Cleveland Cavaliers did receive identifiable value, centered on Rick Roberson. Cleveland surrendered 1972 second round pick (#16-Jim Price), 1973 first round pick (#5-Kermit Washington) and 1973 second-round pick (No. 23, Billy Schaeffer) for Rick Roberson, leaving the partner with a clear realized-value win. Cleveland converted Rick Roberson into a package that ultimately included Jim Price, Kermit Washington and Billy Schaeffer. Roberson was useful, but the first-round value and Washington's long NBA career make this one of the franchise's earliest clear losses. That return is why the losing side still receives a specific D- grade rather than being treated as if it got nothing. But a useful piece, short-term role or plausible trade-day rationale is not the same as matching the better long-term outcome. The comparison stays tied to what the assets became for each franchise, and the evidence in this trade leaves Cleveland Cavaliers short of the value created on the other side.
How Opportunity Cost Shapes the Grades
The grades are A- for Los Angeles Lakers and D- for Cleveland Cavaliers. That spread is a measurement of realized distance, not a claim that every incoming asset for Los Angeles Lakers was a star or that every incoming asset for Cleveland Cavaliers failed. The transaction included Rick Roberson, 1972 second round pick (#16-Jim Price), 1973 first round pick (#5-Kermit Washington), and 1973 second-round pick (No. 23, Billy Schaeffer), and those pieces carried different levels of production, draft value and strategic usefulness. By grading the two teams separately, the evaluation can recognize legitimate value on the losing side while still reflecting the stronger completed return that supports Lakers Win.
Final Verdict
Lakers Win. Los Angeles Lakers receive A-, while Cleveland Cavaliers receive D-. The decisive evidence is the realized value of the trade: Los Angeles Lakers' side of 1972 second round pick (#16-Jim Price), 1973 first round pick (#5-Kermit Washington), and 1973 second-round pick (No. 23, Billy Schaeffer) produced the stronger historical return than Cleveland Cavaliers' side of Rick Roberson. The losing team had a defensible asset case and receives credit for what it actually obtained, but the completed production, draft consequence or transaction value described in the available evidence creates enough separation to name a winner. The verdict therefore follows the outcome rather than the size or appearance of the original packages.