Buffalo traded its 1977 first-round pick to Golden State on January 18, 1977 for center George Johnson. The pick landed at No. 18 and became Wesley Cox, who played 74 games across two Warriors seasons while averaging 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds. Johnson immediately started all 39 of his games for Buffalo after the trade and averaged 7.6 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. The Braves then used Johnson as one component of the September 1977 package that acquired Tiny Archibald from the Nets, along with 1978 and 1979 first-round picks. Because Johnson supplied stronger direct production and retained meaningful trade utility, Buffalo's franchise received the better realized return. Golden State did convert the pick into an NBA player, which keeps the Warriors' side from being empty, but Cox's two-year role was limited.
Basketball-Reference's Buffalo, Golden State and league transaction ledgers all record the January 18, 1977 deal the same way. The Braves sent their 1977 first-round pick to the Warriors for George Johnson. The pick became No. 18 overall and Golden State used it on Wesley Cox in the 1977 draft.
Johnson had played 39 games for Golden State before the trade, mostly in a reserve role. Buffalo changed his usage immediately. He started all 39 of his Braves games after the deal and averaged 27.1 minutes, 7.6 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. That is meaningful direct value from a midseason acquisition, especially because his rebounding and rim protection were substantially larger contributions than his scoring average suggests.
Buffalo did not keep Johnson into the next season. On September 1, 1977, the Braves traded him with their 1978 and 1979 first-round picks to the New Jersey Nets for Tiny Archibald. Johnson therefore remained a useful transaction asset after his 39-game Buffalo stint. This review does not credit Buffalo with Archibald's entire value because Johnson was only one of three outgoing assets, but his inclusion in that package is legitimate downstream evidence that the Braves had not exhausted his value.
Golden State selected Cox at No. 18 in 1977. He played 43 games as a rookie and 31 more in 1978-79, giving the Warriors 74 regular-season games in total. Cox averaged 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds for his career while playing roughly 11 minutes per game. He was a real NBA return from the pick, but he never became a major rotation piece and his NBA career ended after those two Warriors seasons.
The Braves received only half a season of Johnson before moving him again, but those 39 games included starting-center production at 10.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per night. Golden State received more total games from Cox, yet in a much smaller role. The later Archibald package adds modest extra value to Buffalo's side because Johnson was still useful enough to be included in a major trade.
Braves Edge, B/C+. Buffalo receives a B because Johnson provided strong starting-center production immediately and retained downstream trade utility. Golden State receives a C+ because the first-round pick became Cox, who supplied 74 games but only limited reserve production over two seasons. The outcome is a clear Buffalo edge rather than a franchise-altering result, and the grading avoids assigning Archibald's full later value to Johnson alone. Confidence is high on the package, pick identity and direct player outcomes.