A Straight Swap of Two Reserve Centers at the 1990 Deadline
Golden State sent Uwe Blab to San Antonio for Chris Welp on February 22, 1990. The league trade-deadline archive and both clubs’ historical transaction lists agree on the timing and the two players. No draft choice or cash was included in the documented exchange. Each team was moving a little-used big man to try a different fit late in the season. Welp had appeared only sparingly for the Spurs, while Blab had logged much more court time for Golden State before the trade. Those earlier minutes, however, belonged to the team that traded him away and cannot be credited as San Antonio’s return.
Welp Played 14 Games for the Warriors
Welp gave Golden State a measurable if limited boost across the last part of 1989-90. He appeared in 14 games with two starts, totaling 142 minutes, 50 points and 36 rebounds in a Warriors uniform. His 10.1 minutes per appearance represented a modest reserve role rather than a permanent frontcourt solution. Those numbers were better than the playing time he had accumulated with San Antonio, but that improvement does not turn Welp into a major historical acquisition. It simply gives the Warriors a concrete roster contribution to show for the exchange.
Blab’s San Antonio Return Was Seven Games
Blab played seven games for the Spurs after the trade, with no starts. He totaled 50 regular-season minutes, 15 points and nine rebounds for San Antonio. The 40 games and 481 minutes he had logged for Golden State earlier in the 1989-90 season are real NBA production, but they are not production the Spurs obtained. San Antonio waived Blab before the following season, so the February transaction did not yield a continuing rotation piece. The incoming player did contribute in a small role, which prevents the return from being treated as absolutely nothing.
Why This Is a Small Warriors Edge
Both clubs exchanged reserves, and neither acquired a starter who became important over multiple seasons. Golden State nevertheless got more from the player it received: twice the game appearances and nearly three times the minutes, with 50 points against San Antonio’s 15. Welp’s 36 Warriors rebounds also exceeded the nine Blab supplied for the Spurs. The historical source verdict had favored San Antonio despite the opposite pattern in the receiving-team splits. The revised judgment credits only the actual post-trade club totals, not full careers, earlier stops or hypothetical alternative roster roles.
Final Verdict
Slight Warriors Edge. Golden State receives C+ for 14 games, 142 minutes and 50 points from Chris Welp. San Antonio earns C for seven games, 50 minutes and 15 points from Uwe Blab. Neither player became a long-term fixture, but the Warriors got the stronger immediate reserve-center return.