Golden State traded Ron Brewer to San Antonio on January 20, 1984 for a 1985 second-round pick. Brewer gave the Spurs 49 games across parts of two seasons, including 40 games, five starts and 782 minutes in 1983-84. Golden State later packaged the incoming pick with another second-rounder to Washington for Greg Ballard. Ballard then played 157 games over two Warriors seasons, logging 3,371 minutes, 1,241 points and 757 rebounds. Because the San Antonio pick was only one of two selections in the Ballard package, Golden State cannot claim all of his value, but its downstream return still narrowly exceeds Brewer's brief Spurs tenure.
Basketball-Reference records the January 20, 1984 deal as Ron Brewer from Golden State to San Antonio for a 1985 second-round pick. Brewer had been a productive NBA scorer earlier in his career, but by 1983-84 his role had diminished. San Antonio still got useful immediate minutes. Golden State chose the longer asset path.
Brewer appeared in 40 games for San Antonio after the trade and started five. He logged 782 minutes, scored 348 points and shot 44.1 percent from the field. He averaged 8.7 points in 19.6 minutes, giving the Spurs a legitimate reserve scorer for the second half of the season. Brewer returned in 1984-85 but his role collapsed. He appeared in nine San Antonio games, all off the bench, totaling 81 minutes and 33 points before moving on to New Jersey. Across the two seasons, San Antonio received 49 regular-season games, five starts, 863 minutes and 381 points.
The incoming pick ultimately became the No. 31 selection in the 1985 draft, where Washington selected Manute Bol. Golden State had already traded the pick away before draft night. On June 17, 1985, the Warriors sent this 1985 second-rounder plus a 1987 second-round pick to Washington for veteran forward Greg Ballard. That distinction matters. Bol's Washington career cannot be credited to Golden State. The Warriors' legitimate downstream return is Ballard, acquired with this pick and one additional second-round selection.
Ballard played 75 games for the Warriors in 1985-86, starting 14. He logged 1,792 minutes, scored 662 points and grabbed 417 rebounds. He returned in 1986-87 for all 82 games with seven starts, adding 1,579 minutes, 579 points and 340 rebounds. Golden State reached the playoffs that season. Across the two years, Ballard gave the Warriors 157 games, 21 starts, 3,371 minutes, 1,241 points and 757 rebounds. Because Golden State also surrendered a 1987 second-round pick in the Ballard trade, only part of that return should be assigned to the San Antonio pick.
San Antonio received real value from Brewer, but it was concentrated in 40 useful games after the trade and nine low-minute games the next season. Golden State's pick became one of two assets used to acquire two full seasons from Ballard. Even discounting the return to account for the second pick, the Warriors extracted a longer and more substantial franchise benefit.
Slight Warriors Edge, B/B-. Golden State earns a B for converting the pick into meaningful trade currency that helped acquire 157 games from Ballard. San Antonio receives a B- for getting 49 games and one useful partial season from Brewer. Confidence is high on the transaction chain and team-specific production, with the grade deliberately limiting how much Ballard value is assigned to one of two outgoing picks.