The Exchange
Basketball-Reference's Houston, Buffalo and league transaction ledgers agree on the February 1, 1974 four-player trade: the Braves sent Kevin Kunnert and Dave Wohl to the Rockets for Matt Guokas and Jack Marin. Ray Patterson's Houston executive record and Eddie Donovan's Buffalo record preserve the same structure. No draft choice or cash was part of the original exchange. That makes the source-backed comparison straightforward: Houston received a young center and point guard, while Buffalo received two older perimeter players who were later moved again.
Kunnert Becomes the Core Return
Kunnert was only 22 when Houston acquired him and immediately played 25 games for the Rockets in 1973-74, averaging 4.9 points and 4.4 rebounds in 14.4 minutes. His role expanded sharply over the next four seasons. He appeared in 75 games in 1974-75, 80 in 1975-76, 81 in 1976-77 and 80 in 1977-78. Across those five post-trade seasons, Houston received 341 regular-season games. His best scoring year came in 1975-76 at 12.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, and he remained a heavy-minutes center through 1977-78.
Houston Also Gets Four Years of Wohl
Wohl added another durable return. He played 26 Houston games immediately after the trade, then 75 in 1974-75 and 50 in 1975-76 before a 14-game final stint in 1976-77. That totals 165 Rockets appearances. His best Houston season was 1974-75, when he averaged 6.5 points and 4.5 assists in 23.0 minutes. On January 8, 1977, Houston traded Wohl to the New York Nets for a 1978 fourth-round pick that became Jackie Robinson. Robinson did not become a meaningful NBA player, but the trade still shows that Wohl retained asset value after four seasons of direct production.
Kunnert Adds Compensation When He Leaves
Kunnert's Houston tenure also ended with compensation rather than a simple waiver. On June 28, 1978, Boston signed him as a veteran free agent and sent Houston a 1981 second-round pick that later became Ed Turner. Turner did not create notable NBA value, so the compensation is a modest downstream branch rather than a second major return. The important part is that Houston had already received 341 games and several seasons of starting-caliber center play before converting Kunnert's departure into another draft asset.
Buffalo's Direct Player Return
Buffalo got far less immediate play from the two players it received. Guokas appeared in 27 Braves games after the trade in 1973-74, averaging 4.9 points and 2.6 assists in 20.3 minutes. Marin played six games that season, seven in 1974-75 and 12 more in 1975-76, for 25 total Buffalo appearances. The combined direct return was therefore 52 games, compared with 506 from Kunnert and Wohl for Houston. That raw gap is the central reason the trade leans heavily toward the Rockets.
Buffalo Does Recover Some Downstream Value
The Braves did not simply lose both assets. On September 4, 1974, Buffalo traded Guokas plus a 1977 second-round pick and another future second-rounder to Chicago for Bob Weiss. Weiss then played 142 regular-season games for Buffalo across 1974-75 and 1975-76. On November 27, 1975, Buffalo traded Marin to Chicago for a 1977 first-round pick. That pick moved through Milwaukee and back to Buffalo before the Braves sent it to Chicago on draft day for a second-round pick and cash. The branch retained value, but it required additional outgoing assets and multiple transactions, so the archive does not credit all of Weiss or the later draft chain solely to Guokas or Marin.
Final Verdict
Rockets Win, A/B-. Houston receives an A because Kunnert and Wohl combined for 506 post-trade regular-season games, Kunnert became a multi-year starting center, Wohl supplied four seasons of guard depth, and both later generated draft compensation. Buffalo receives a B- because Guokas and Marin produced only 52 direct games, but each was later converted into additional assets and Marin's branch eventually helped create a first-round pick. The gap in direct player value remains too large for the downstream branches to erase. Confidence is high on the trade mechanics, player-game totals and subsequent transaction paths. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.