Detroit Paid a Second-Rounder for Erwin Mueller
Detroit acquired Erwin Mueller from Seattle on November 1, 1969 for a 1970 second-round pick that became Jake Ford at No.
NBA Trade Verdict
Pistons Win
Detroit acquired Erwin Mueller from Seattle on November 1, 1969 for a 1970 second-round pick that became Jake Ford at No. 20. Mueller immediately joined the Pistons' rotation, playing 74 games after the trade and totaling 759 points, 469 rebounds and 199 assists. He remained in Detroit through the early part of 1972-73, giving the Pistons 189 post-trade regular-season games. Ford reached Seattle a year later but played only 31 NBA games across two seasons. The draft pick produced a real player, yet Mueller's longer tenure and much larger role give Detroit the clear realized-value advantage.
November 1, 1969 Detroit Pistons / Oklahoma City Thunder Record confidence: High
Detroit Pistons Received
- Player Erwin Mueller
Oklahoma City Thunder Received
- Draft Pick 1970 second-round pick (#20 - Jake Ford )
Trade Analysis
Mueller Became a Multi-Year Pistons Rotation Piece
20.
Seattle Used the Pick on Jake Ford
Mueller immediately joined the Pistons' rotation, playing 74 games after the trade and totaling 759 points, 469 rebounds and 199 assists.
The Completed Value Favors Detroit
He remained in Detroit through the early part of 1972-73, giving the Pistons 189 post-trade regular-season games. Ford reached Seattle a year later but played only 31 NBA games across two seasons. The draft pick produced a real player, yet Mueller's longer tenure and much larger role give Detroit the clear realized-value advantage.
Final Verdict
Pistons Win — Detroit B+, Seattle C. The draft pick produced a real player, yet Mueller's longer tenure and much larger role give Detroit the clear realized-value advantage. The canonical hindsight comparison is limited to the documented assets in this record — Erwin Mueller, 1970 second-round pick (#20 - Jake Ford) — and does not add speculative value beyond those completed outcomes. For Detroit and Seattle, the verdict stays tied to realized, source-supported franchise value.