The Lakers Replaced Michael Cooper's Bench Scoring with Teagle
On September 25, 1990, Los Angeles acquired veteran swingman Terry Teagle from Golden State and surrendered its 1991 first-round draft selection. Contemporary Los Angeles reporting described Jerry West's search for a reserve scorer after Michael Cooper left for professional basketball in Italy. Teagle had been a productive Warriors wing in previous seasons, averaging 16.1 points in 1989-90, but those earlier points belonged to Golden State rather than the Lakers' acquired return. Los Angeles chose a proven immediate contributor over retaining a late first-round draft opportunity, while the Warriors gained a chance to add a younger player to a roster under reconstruction.
Teagle Played All 164 Lakers Regular-Season Games in Two Years
Teagle appeared in every Lakers regular-season contest in both 1990-91 and 1991-92. He scored 815 points in the first season and 880 in the second, combining for 1,695 points across 164 appearances without a regular-season start. His bench scoring supported a team that reached the 1991 NBA Finals before losing to Chicago. He also contributed in postseason games, although he was a reserve rather than the team's principal offensive option. His consistency in availability mattered more than his reputation as a former Golden State scorer. The Lakers used the exact type of player they had hoped to acquire.
Golden State's Pick Became Shaun Vandiver, Who Never Played NBA
The first-rounder from Los Angeles became the No. 25 overall choice in the 1991 draft. Golden State used it on Shaun Vandiver from Colorado. Vandiver pursued professional basketball outside the NBA and never appeared in a regular-season NBA game for the Warriors. The selection therefore produced no traceable on-court contribution for Golden State even though a first-round pick was initially an attractive asset. The Warriors had several selections in that draft, including Chris Gatling and Victor Alexander, but neither of those players came from the Lakers' specific No. 25 pick. Their subsequent NBA production cannot rescue this particular asset exchange.
The Results Favor the Lakers Beyond the Draft's Name Value
A future first-round pick can be a legitimate purchase price for an established reserve when it might become a rotation player of its own. In this case, however, the actual comparison was stark: Teagle became a two-year regular in Los Angeles, and Vandiver did not produce an NBA game for Golden State. That makes the result stronger for the Lakers than it looked from counting draft assets at the time of the trade. Neither team acquired an All-Star centerpiece, and Teagle should not be credited with the Lakers' entire Finals achievement, but his availability and scoring were meaningful direct returns from the September 1990 deal.
Final Verdict
Lakers Win. Los Angeles earns B+ because Terry Teagle played 164 regular-season games and scored 1,695 points across two seasons, including its 1991 Finals campaign. Golden State gets D after using the acquired No. 25 pick on Shaun Vandiver, who never appeared in the NBA. The Lakers received substantial reserve production while the draft asset produced no league minutes.