Cleveland acquired Randy Smith from San Diego on September 21, 1979 for a 1980 first-round pick plus cash in the frozen Cavaliers source package. Smith played every game for Cleveland over two seasons, totaling 164 appearances while averaging 17.6 points in 1979-80 and 14.6 in 1980-81. Cleveland then traded Smith to New York for a 1981 first-round pick that was later used as compensation when the Cavaliers signed Scott Wedman. San Diego used the original No. 9 pick on Michael Brooks, who played 293 games over four Clippers seasons and averaged at least 11 points each year. The Clippers finish with a modest realized-value edge.
Basketball-Reference records Cleveland acquiring Randy Smith from San Diego on September 21, 1979 for a 1980 first-round pick. The frozen Cavaliers source package also lists cash going to San Diego, but the reviewed public transaction ledgers do not provide an amount, so this review does not score the cash term.
Smith played all 82 games in both of his Cavaliers seasons. In 1979-80 he averaged 17.6 points, 4.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 32.6 minutes. He followed with 14.6 points and 4.4 assists in 1980-81. Across the two seasons, Smith appeared in 164 games for Cleveland and remained a substantial backcourt contributor rather than a short rental. Cleveland also preserved a downstream asset. On May 20, 1981, the Cavaliers traded Smith to New York for a 1981 first-round pick. That pick was later sent to Kansas City as compensation when Cleveland signed Scott Wedman as a veteran free agent. Wedman then played 89 games for Cleveland across parts of two seasons. This review treats those games as downstream use of the Smith return, but stops there rather than assigning every later Wedman transaction branch back to this 1979 trade.
The Clippers kept Cleveland's 1980 first-round pick and selected Michael Brooks at No. 9. Brooks immediately played all 82 games as a rookie, averaging 14.7 points and 5.4 rebounds. He played all 82 games again in both 1981-82 and 1982-83, averaging 15.6 points and 7.6 rebounds in the first of those seasons and 12.2 points and 6.4 rebounds in the second. Brooks added 47 games in 1983-84 before knee trouble cost him the next two NBA seasons. His San Diego total was 293 regular-season games, with useful scoring and rebounding production across four years.
Cleveland did well. Smith produced 164 games of veteran guard play and was later converted into a first-round asset that helped facilitate the Wedman signing. San Diego, however, received 293 games from Brooks, including three consecutive 82-game seasons and several years of starter-level production. The unquantified cash would only strengthen the Clippers' side, but the grade does not depend on it.
Slight Clippers Edge, A-/B+. San Diego receives an A- for turning the pick into 293 Michael Brooks games over four seasons. Cleveland receives a B+ for 164 Randy Smith games plus a meaningful downstream first-round asset, making this a productive deal for both teams despite the Clippers' longer direct return.