Golden State traded its 1981 first-round pick to Portland on June 7, 1978 for the Trail Blazers' 1978 first-round pick. The legacy archive record described the outgoing asset as a 1979-or-1981 first, but the Warriors, Blazers and league transaction ledgers all identify it specifically as a 1981 first. Golden State used the incoming No. 22 pick on Raymond Townsend, who played 140 regular-season games for the Warriors across two seasons and scored 710 points. Portland never used the 1981 pick itself. In February 1980 the Blazers packaged that pick with Maurice Lucas and a 1980 first-round pick for Calvin Natt. The future Golden State pick eventually became No. 10 Albert King after New Jersey acquired it. Because the Blazers had to include Lucas and another first to get Natt, the entire Natt return cannot be credited to this asset alone. Portland still gets the edge because the 1981 first remained premium trade currency, while Townsend's direct Warriors value was modest.
Golden State, Portland and the league transaction ledgers all agree on the June 7, 1978 transaction. The Warriors sent a 1981 first-round pick to the Trail Blazers and received Portland's 1978 first-round pick. The legacy archive entry described Golden State's outgoing asset as a 1979-or-1981 first. This review normalizes that language to the source-supported 1981 first because all three authoritative transaction ledgers use that year.
Portland's 1978 first landed at No. 22, where Golden State selected Raymond Townsend. He played 65 games as a rookie, averaging 4.7 points in 11.9 minutes, then appeared in 75 games in 1979-80. Across two Warriors seasons, Townsend played 140 regular-season games and scored 710 points. He was a real NBA contributor, but he never became a high-impact starter or long-term core player for Golden State. That direct return gives the Warriors more value than a failed draft pick, but it remains limited for a first-round asset.
The Blazers did not wait until 1981 to use the pick. On February 8, 1980, Portland traded the future Golden State first to New Jersey together with Maurice Lucas and a 1980 first-round pick for Calvin Natt. That later transaction is the key downstream branch. The Golden State pick was one of three assets Portland used to acquire a productive young forward. It therefore had substantial market value even before the draft.
Natt joined Portland during his rookie season and averaged 20.4 points in 25 games after the trade. He then played 74 games in 1980-81 at 13.4 points and 75 games in 1981-82 while averaging 18.4 points per 36 minutes. This review does not assign all of Natt's Portland production to the 1981 first because Maurice Lucas and another first-round pick were also part of the package. The correct conclusion is narrower: the Golden State pick remained valuable enough to serve as one of the central pieces in a major trade for a productive forward.
New Jersey retained the Golden State selection until the 1981 draft. The pick landed at No. 10 and became Albert King. King went on to play 410 regular-season games for the Nets across six seasons. That player value belongs to New Jersey, not Portland, because the Blazers had already traded the pick away. The No. 10 outcome is still useful for showing how valuable the asset ultimately became.
A simple Townsend-versus-King comparison makes the Warriors look worse than the actual asset path warrants. Portland did not draft King, and the Blazers had to combine the pick with Maurice Lucas and another first to acquire Natt. Golden State received 140 Townsend games and two seasons of reserve production. Portland received a future first that held stronger trade value and became part of a meaningful acquisition.
Blazers Edge, B+/C+. Portland receives a B+ because the 1981 first became premium trade currency and helped the club acquire Calvin Natt in 1980. Golden State receives a C+ because Townsend gave the Warriors 140 games and 710 points, but the club surrendered a future first that eventually landed at No. 10. The Portland advantage is real without pretending the Blazers directly received Albert King or that the pick alone bought Natt. Confidence is high.