The Exchange
Basketball-Reference's Detroit, Phoenix and league transaction logs agree on the April 2, 1971 structure: the Pistons sent Otto Moore to the Suns for Phoenix's 1972 first-round draft pick, later used on Bob Nash at No. 9 overall. That direct evidence resolves the older legacy wording that described the return only as future considerations subject to contingencies. The source-backed record therefore identifies the asset as the 1972 first-round pick while preserving the original transaction date and player relationship.
Detroit Return
Detroit used the acquired first-rounder on Bob Nash with the ninth pick of the 1972 draft. The pick had real value on transaction day, but Nash's Pistons production was limited. He appeared in 36 games as a rookie, totaling 169 minutes and 43 points, then played 35 games and 281 minutes in 1973-74. Across those two Detroit seasons, Nash logged 71 games and 450 minutes before leaving the franchise. His later NBA production with Kansas City cannot be credited to Detroit's realized return, so the Pistons received a high draft slot but only modest on-court conversion from it.
Phoenix Return
Moore gave Phoenix far more immediate court value than Nash gave Detroit. In 1971-72 he played 81 games and 1,624 minutes, averaging 7.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per game. Phoenix then converted Moore again on April 7, 1972, trading him to Houston for a 1972 first-round pick that became Corky Calhoun at No. 4 overall. Calhoun played all 82 games as a Phoenix rookie and 77 more the next season, giving the Suns 159 games and more than 4,200 minutes across his first two seasons alone. That downstream conversion makes Moore's value to Phoenix extend well beyond his one season on the floor.
Hindsight Comparison
The original trade gave both teams a credible asset, but Phoenix extracted much more realized value. Detroit received a top-ten pick and selected Nash, yet his two Pistons seasons totaled only 450 minutes. Phoenix received a durable rotation center for 81 games and then recycled him into the fourth pick of the same 1972 draft, producing a second multi-season rotation player in Calhoun. This is exactly the type of downstream asset conversion that matters in a retrospective grade: it is traceable, directly sourced and generated by the acquired player rather than by an unrelated later transaction.
Final Verdict
Suns Win, B+/C-. Phoenix receives a B+ for getting a full season of useful center play from Moore and then turning him into the No. 4 pick that produced two substantial Phoenix seasons from Calhoun. Detroit receives a C- because the first-round pick itself was valuable, but Nash produced only a small amount of Pistons court time after being selected ninth overall. Confidence is high because the trade, first-round pick identity, Nash outcome, Moore production and Calhoun downstream chain are all documented in Basketball-Reference transaction and player records. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.