Golden State Acquired Access to Washington
The October 11, 1987 transaction involved a free-agent rights arrangement. Portland waived its rights to Kermit Washington, clearing an avenue for Golden State. In return the Trail Blazers received a 1988 third-round pick. The Warriors' incoming consideration was a rights concession, not a conventional acquired player contract already on Portland's roster. That distinction must remain visible because treating the arrangement as a direct trade of Washington for a drafted player would misdescribe its legal form.
The Third-Round Selection Became Anthony Mason
Portland's incoming pick was recorded as the 1988 No. 53 selection, used on Anthony Mason. Mason's name is notable in NBA history, but his full later career can't automatically be credited to Portland's realized team production. The fairer comparison identifies the rights waiver Golden State received and the specific draft position Portland obtained. Neither side should receive credit for an unrecorded package of cash, additional choices or players not identified in the dated exchange.
A Rights Waiver Against a Tangible Pick
Golden State gained the ability to pursue Washington free of Portland's rights claim. The Blazers gained a discrete third-round asset that became a named prospect. The original review favors Portland, although the career of a selected player across later employers does not itself prove that Portland captured all his professional value. On the other side, a rights concession has a different value from an established contract. Those limits are necessary for a useful judgment of this unusual exchange.
Final Verdict
Blazers Win. Golden State's rights-side return carries F and Portland's 1988 No. 53 selection carries C+. The pick converted into Anthony Mason, but the Blazers aren't credited with his entire later career by implication. This is a favorable pick-for-rights outcome in the existing assessment, not a completed veteran-player swap.