Houston acquired Wally Walker from Seattle on October 5, 1982 for a 1984 second-round pick that became No. 28 Cory Blackwell. Walker played 140 regular-season games for the Rockets across two seasons, starting 77, and scored 1,041 points before being waived in 1984. Seattle used the pick on Blackwell, who played 60 regular-season games as a rookie, made no starts and scored 202 points in what became his only NBA season. The SuperSonics received a real rotation look from the pick, but Houston received more than twice as many games, 77 starts and substantially more production, giving the Rockets the stronger realized return.
Basketball-Reference's Houston transaction ledger records the October 5, 1982 exchange: the Rockets acquired Wally Walker from Seattle for a 1984 second-round pick. Walker immediately became a regular part of Houston's lineup during a rebuilding season.
Walker appeared in all 82 regular-season games for Houston in 1982-83 and started 59. He played 2,251 minutes and scored 797 points, which works out to 9.7 points per game. He also supplied 376 rebounds and 153 assists. The Rockets were not a winning team, but Walker gave them dependable wing minutes throughout the season. Walker returned for 58 games in 1983-84 and started 18. His role declined to 10.6 minutes and 4.2 points per game, but he still added 244 points before his Houston tenure ended. Across the two seasons, Walker played 140 regular-season games and started 77.
The second-round pick conveyed at No. 28 in the 1984 NBA Draft. Seattle selected Wisconsin forward Cory Blackwell. Blackwell played 60 regular-season games for the SuperSonics in 1984-85, all off the bench. He logged 551 minutes and averaged 3.4 points and 1.6 rebounds. Those 60 games were the entirety of his NBA career. He did not return to the league after his rookie season.
Seattle did get an NBA player from the pick, so the return was not empty. Blackwell gave the SuperSonics 60 reserve appearances and a full rookie-season look. Houston received more than twice as many regular-season games from Walker, plus 77 starts and two years of usable rotation minutes. Walker also scored 1,041 points for the Rockets compared with Blackwell's 202 for Seattle. The transaction was not franchise-changing for either side, but the realized production gap is clear.
Rockets Win, B+/C-. Houston receives a B+ because Walker supplied 140 games, 77 starts and two seasons of rotation value for the cost of a second-round pick. Seattle receives a C- because Blackwell reached the NBA and played 60 games, but he never started and his NBA career ended after that one season.