Detroit acquired rookie forward Wayne Robinson from the Lakers on October 2, 1980 for a 1981 second-round pick. Robinson played 81 games for the Pistons in his only NBA season, averaging 7.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 19.7 minutes while logging 1,592 minutes. Los Angeles used the No. 39 pick on Harvey Knuckles, but Basketball-Reference records no NBA regular-season games for him. The legacy grades had leaned toward the Lakers; the source-backed outcome reverses that conclusion because Detroit received a full season of usable rotation production while the pick produced no NBA games.
Basketball-Reference's Detroit transaction ledger records the October 2, 1980 deal: the Pistons acquired Wayne Robinson from the Lakers for a 1981 second-round pick. The pick ultimately landed at No. 39 and became Harvey Knuckles. That makes the realized-value comparison unusually direct.
Robinson appeared in 81 of 82 games during the 1980-81 season. He averaged 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.7 minutes. His totals were 643 points, 294 rebounds and 112 assists across 1,592 minutes. He was not a star, but he was a real rotation forward on a team that used him almost every night. That was also Robinson's only NBA season. Because there is no later NBA transaction branch to track, Detroit's return is contained entirely in those 81 games.
Los Angeles used the acquired second-round selection at No. 39 on Harvey Knuckles out of Toledo. Basketball-Reference lists Knuckles as the Lakers' 1981 second-round selection but does not record an NBA regular-season appearance for him. There is no documented Lakers playing return or downstream transaction branch from the pick that offsets Robinson's Detroit season.
The original legacy archive entry gave the Lakers a modest edge, but the source-backed evidence points in the opposite direction. Detroit received 81 games and nearly 1,600 minutes from Robinson, while Los Angeles received a draft choice that produced zero NBA games. This is not a franchise-changing win because Robinson's NBA career ended after one season. Even so, one full rotation season is clearly more realized basketball value than a pick with no NBA appearances.
Pistons Win, B+/D. Detroit receives a B+ for Robinson's 81-game rookie season and useful rotation workload. Los Angeles receives a D because the No. 39 selection on Harvey Knuckles produced no NBA regular-season games.