The Exchange
Basketball-Reference's Cleveland, Portland, league and executive transaction logs agree that the Cavaliers traded Charlie Davis to the Trail Blazers on October 24, 1972 for Portland's 1974 third-round pick. Cleveland later used that selection at No. 38 on Clarence "Foots" Walker. Portland's official historical media guide adds cash to the Blazers' outgoing package, matching the cash asset preserved in the legacy archive entry. Because the amount is not reported, the archive credits Cleveland with receiving cash but does not assign it a numerical basketball value. The draft pick remains the transaction's decisive asset.
Portland's Charlie Davis Return
Davis immediately joined the Portland rotation. He played 69 games for the Trail Blazers in 1972-73, logging 1,333 minutes while averaging 8.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Basketball-Reference credits him with 612 points that season. His role collapsed the next year: Davis appeared in only eight games in 1973-74, totaling 90 minutes and 31 points. Portland's media guide records the club waiving him on October 30, 1973. In all, the Blazers received 77 regular-season games, 1,423 minutes and 643 points before the player asset left without a trade return.
Cleveland Waits for the Pick
Cleveland had to wait until the 1974 draft to realize its main return. The Cavaliers selected Walker 38th overall out of West Georgia. He immediately made the NBA roster and played 72 games as a rookie in 1974-75. Walker averaged only 4.2 points and 2.7 assists in 14.9 minutes, but the early role demonstrated that the third-round pick had already become a usable rotation guard rather than a speculative asset that never reached the league. He then appeared in 81 games during Cleveland's 1975-76 breakthrough season.
Six Seasons of Cavaliers Value
Walker remained with Cleveland through 1979-80. His Cavaliers game totals were 72, 81, 62, 81, 55 and 76, or 427 regular-season appearances across six seasons. His role grew over time. He averaged 5.6 assists in 1977-78, 5.8 in 1978-79 and 8.0 in 1979-80, when he also scored 9.4 points per game in 31.9 minutes. He was never an All-Star, but a third-round pick producing six seasons and eventually handling full-time point-guard duties represents unusually strong realized value for the draft slot.
Different Types of Return
Portland's side should not be dismissed. Davis gave the Blazers one full season of legitimate scoring and another short stint before his release. A 77-game return is meaningful for a player acquired with a third-round pick and cash. The difference is duration. Cleveland transformed that same pick into 427 games, multiple seasons of rotation minutes and several years of starting-level point-guard responsibility. The unpriced cash only adds to Cleveland's side rather than being needed to create the advantage.
Downstream Context
Walker's Cleveland value continued until September 24, 1980, when the Cavaliers traded him to New Jersey. His later Nets production is not part of this direct return, but the fact that Cleveland still had a movable player asset after six seasons reinforces the durability of the original pick. Davis, by contrast, was waived by Portland after eight games in his second Blazers season. The transaction therefore produced both more direct games and a longer asset life for Cleveland.
Final Verdict
Cavaliers Win, A/B-. Cleveland receives an A because Portland's third-round pick became Foots Walker, who supplied 427 regular-season games over six seasons and developed into the club's primary point guard by the end of the decade; the unpriced cash is additional value. Portland receives a B- because Davis contributed 77 games and one useful scoring season, but he was waived before the end of 1973 and produced no retained downstream asset. Confidence is high on the pick identity, player production and transaction date; the only material uncertainty is the cash amount, which the official Portland media guide confirms without pricing. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.