Denver Converted Willis and Radojević Into Williams and a First
The Nuggets sent veteran Kevin Willis and center Aleksandar Radojević to Milwaukee in October 2001, receiving Scott Williams and a conditional first-round selection. Williams was another experienced interior player who could contribute defense and rebounding, but the draft asset offered more enduring flexibility. The first later became associated with No. 17 Josh Smith in 2004. Denver's earlier transaction ledger listed the two outgoing players without correctly showing the full fate of the players across Milwaukee and Houston, obscuring why the Bucks participated.
Milwaukee Chose Radojević and a Second-Round Right
The Bucks acquired Radojević from Denver and a Houston 2002 second-round selection later used on Dan Gadzuric. In the same sequence, they routed Willis to Houston. This was also part of Milwaukee's effort to reorganize its cap situation before pursuing veteran forward Anthony Mason. The draft compensation and Radojević's contract were genuine incoming assets; describing the Bucks as getting nothing would erase the trade's structure. Radojević didn't become an established long-term star, and the selection's later player success must be evaluated through its eventual rights history.
Houston Obtained Kevin Willis as a Veteran Center
The Rockets received Willis from Milwaukee in exchange for the 2002 second-round right. Willis was a veteran big with an unusually long professional career, giving Houston an established interior reserve rather than an untested prospect. His prior years with other clubs indicated the experience the Rockets wanted, but they were not new Houston playing production on the transaction date. The move also helped Milwaukee shift its roster construction toward different frontcourt needs. The three clubs' differing objectives explain why the player and pick movements initially appeared as multiple linked transactions.
The Draft Chain Limits Who Can Claim Josh Smith's Career
Denver receives A- under the inherited grading for Williams and a first-round opportunity that eventually became associated with Josh Smith's draft slot. Houston earns B for the current veteran Willis, while Milwaukee receives C for Radojević, the Houston second and financial flexibility. Smith's eventual NBA development took place elsewhere, so his full playing career cannot be counted as a Nuggets outcome. The right itself was valuable, and its movement should be separated from the later work of the player chosen with it.
Final Verdict
Nuggets Win. Denver earns A- for Scott Williams and a first-round right later linked to Josh Smith's 2004 draft position. Houston receives B for Kevin Willis's experienced center play. Milwaukee gets C for Aleksandar Radojević, the 2002 second-round right eventually used on Dan Gadzuric and roster flexibility. The transaction's three incoming packages are confirmed, but future drafted-player careers must follow their actual teams.