The Bullets Bought Immediate Scoring with a Future First
Washington acquired Dallas forward Jay Vincent on September 3, 1986, by sending the Mavericks its first-round choice in 1990. Bullets general manager Bob Ferry explained at the time that the roster needed another scoring forward alongside Moses Malone and Jeff Malone. Dallas faced a crowded forward rotation and accepted a draft asset whose precise slot was still four years away. The exchange therefore traded present certainty for future flexibility. Contemporary reporting and the clubs' transaction ledgers corroborate the basic terms: Vincent went to Washington, and the future Washington first went to Dallas.
Dallas Converted the Pick Rather Than Drafting Willie Burton
The Washington-origin selection eventually became No. 9 in 1990, but Willie Burton never played for the Mavericks. Dallas included the choice alongside another first-round pick in a June 21, 1990 deal bringing Fat Lever from Denver. The Nuggets then moved No. 9 and their No. 15 to Miami for the No. 3 selection. Miami selected Burton ninth. Official Denver and Miami media guides document that chain. Dallas deserves partial credit for using the Washington pick as consideration for Lever, but not direct credit for Burton's career and not the entire value of Lever, who cost another first as well. Lever's Mavericks stint was later hampered by injuries, including just four games in 1990-91.
Vincent Delivered a Useful but Short Washington Return
Vincent filled a legitimate scoring role for the Bullets in 1986-87, playing 51 regular-season games with 13.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per appearance. He also appeared in three playoff games. Those numbers provided a return more immediate than Dallas could collect from a pick that would not convey until 1990. But he wasn't a long-term answer for Washington. Dallas eventually gained transaction utility from the choice, and Washington gained a rotation scorer when it wanted one. This is why B- grades for both sides and an even verdict are defensible: the pick had value despite its indirect outcome, while Vincent's direct production was measurable but brief.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. Washington receives B- for Jay Vincent's immediate 1986-87 scoring. Dallas also receives B- for a first-round asset later used alongside another choice to acquire Fat Lever. Miami, not Dallas, drafted Willie Burton with the Washington-origin No. 9 pick.