The Exchange
Basketball-Reference's Cleveland, Phoenix and league transaction ledgers agree that the Suns acquired Walt Wesley on November 22, 1972 for a 1973 second-round pick later used on Allan Hornyak. Pro Sports Transactions adds cash to Phoenix's outgoing package and identifies the pick as No. 26. Jerry Colangelo's executive record confirms the pick-for-Wesley structure. Because Basketball-Reference omits the cash while the specialist transaction database records it explicitly, the source-backed record keeps the cash but marks the amount unpriced rather than treating the discrepancy as grounds to remove it.
Wesley's Direct Phoenix Production
Wesley played 45 games for Phoenix in 1972-73 after appearing in 12 for Cleveland. His role was limited: 8.1 minutes per game, 3.2 points and 2.5 rebounds. Basketball-Reference credits him with 364 minutes, 144 points and 113 rebounds as a Sun. Those totals alone would make the trade modest. The important part of Phoenix's outcome came after the season, when the club retained enough value in Wesley to convert him into multiple future draft assets rather than simply losing him for nothing.
Phoenix Converts Wesley Again
On October 9, 1973, Phoenix traded Wesley to the Capital Bullets for third-round picks in 1974 and 1975. The 1974 selection became No. 49 Earl Williams, and the 1975 selection became No. 54 Bayard Forrest. This downstream deal is directly linked in the Phoenix transaction ledger and Jerry Colangelo's executive record. It gives the original 1972 transaction a second stage: Phoenix received 45 Wesley games, then turned the same player into two draft selections.
The Two Downstream Draft Picks
Williams played 79 regular-season games for Phoenix after being selected in 1974. Forrest later played 139 regular-season games for the Suns. Together they supplied 218 games. Neither became a star, and third-round selections carry inherently limited expected value, but both reached the NBA and contributed real minutes. That downstream production is much more than the original Hornyak selection produced for Cleveland and transforms Phoenix's side from a one-season rental into a multi-year asset chain.
Cleveland's Draft Return
Cleveland used the acquired second-round pick on Ohio State guard Allan Hornyak with the 26th selection in the 1973 draft. Basketball-Reference lists him as a Cavaliers draft choice but shows no NBA games or statistical line. Hornyak therefore produced zero NBA games from the pick. The cash component still has economic value, and its unknown amount prevents treating Cleveland's return as literally zero. Without a documented price, however, it cannot offset hundreds of realized NBA games on Phoenix's side with any precision.
Why the Old Even Grade Missed the Chain
The legacy Phoenix perspective called the trade roughly even because it compared Wesley's modest 45-game Suns stint with Hornyak's failed draft outcome and unpriced cash. That stops the asset chain too early. Phoenix did not waive Wesley; it traded him for two picks, and both selected players reached the NBA for the Suns. source-backed evaluation must include that documented downstream conversion while avoiding the opposite error of crediting Phoenix with unrelated later moves.
Final Verdict
Suns Win, A-/C. Phoenix receives an A- because Wesley provided 45 games and was then converted into two third-round selections that became Earl Williams and Bayard Forrest, who combined for 218 Suns games. Cleveland receives a C because Hornyak never played in the NBA and the cash amount remains unknown, though the verified payment keeps the return from being treated as empty. Confidence is high on the trade, draft identity and Wesley's later Capital deal, with only the cash amount unresolved. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.