Indiana Bought Two Young Rotation Players With a Distant First
Indiana acquired Bill Garnett and Terence Stansbury from Dallas on October 22, 1984 for a future first-round pick that was protected in 1990 and otherwise unprotected in 1991. Garnett played 145 regular-season games for the Pacers over two seasons, while Stansbury played 148 over the same span. Indiana therefore received nearly 300 combined games of immediate frontcourt and wing depth rather than waiting years for the asset to convey.
Dallas Preserved the Pick Until It Became a 1990 First
The future first eventually landed at No. 14 in the 1990 draft. Dallas did not use the selection on Travis Mays. Instead, the Mavericks packaged that pick, Bill Wennington and another 1990 first in a trade with Sacramento for Rodney McCray plus two second-round picks. Because the McCray deal included several outgoing assets, his entire Dallas tenure cannot be assigned to this one pick. The important point is that the 1984 trade left Dallas holding premium first-round currency six years later.
The Downstream First Gave Dallas the Higher Ceiling
McCray played 149 regular-season games for Dallas across two seasons, starting 116, after arriving in the multi-asset Sacramento trade. Indiana’s side was more direct: Garnett and Stansbury both became useful Pacers immediately but neither developed into a long-term cornerstone. Dallas gets the higher grade because the deferred first retained enough value to help bring back another established starter, even after discounting the rest of that package.
The Six-Year Wait Changed How Dallas Could Use the Asset
This wasn't an immediate opportunity for Dallas to select a rookie in 1984. The first was protected in the top seven in 1990 and otherwise would become unprotected in 1991. By the time it materialized as No. 14 in 1990, the Mavericks could treat the selection as an established draft-night bargaining chip. That distinction is central to the grade: Dallas used the pick alongside Bill Wennington and a separate first in the Sacramento deal for Rodney McCray and two seconds. The 1984 pick played a part in that later return, but it was not solely responsible for McCray's 149 Dallas games. Indiana's direct return from Garnett and Stansbury was real, and Dallas carried years of uncertainty before realizing its asset. Those qualifications justify a modest Mavericks advantage rather than a one-sided score.
Final Verdict
Mavericks Win — Dallas B, Indiana C+. The Pacers received 293 combined games from Garnett and Stansbury, so the trade gave them real short-term depth. Dallas still wins the long view because the future first matured into a No. 14 asset and became part of the package for Rodney McCray, who then started 116 games for the Mavericks. The margin stays modest because that later return was shared with other outgoing assets.