Bedford Came to Detroit for a Future First
On June 19, 1987, Detroit acquired William Bedford from Phoenix. The Pistons sent a 1988 first-round selection, a meaningful draft asset rather than a nominal second-rounder or cash settlement. The Suns thus exchanged a known player for a position in the following year's first round. Whether that converted into a more valuable player than Bedford is the proper test of the deal, rather than simply treating a first-round label as an automatic victory for Phoenix.
Phoenix Used No. 22 on Randolph Keys
The outgoing Detroit choice ultimately became No. 22 in the 1988 draft, with Phoenix using it on Randolph Keys. That named conversion supplies a measurable endpoint for the draft half of the transaction. Detroit's incoming asset was Bedford, a different kind of immediate roster bet. Neither a hypothetical lottery star nor production by an unrelated drafted player belongs in the return credited to Phoenix. The two outcomes can be examined only as Bedford versus the actual Keys selection.
Different Bets, Similar Realized Ratings
Detroit took the direct player acquisition; Phoenix accepted a year's delay and the opportunity to select a first-round prospect. The preserved historical verdict assigns no durable edge, with the same grade for both teams. That makes sense as a constrained assessment of two specific returns rather than an invented claim that the trade somehow affected all future Pistons and Suns roster moves. Its importance lies in the identifiable draft conversion and the cost of bringing Bedford to Detroit.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. Detroit's William Bedford return and Phoenix's 1988 No. 22 Randolph Keys selection each receive B-. The future first was a real cost to Detroit, while Bedford was a real player return. The same final grade on both sides supports a balanced evaluation rather than a forced winner.