The Primary Ledgers Verify Malone for the 1978 First-Round Pick
Basketball-Reference's Buffalo, Portland and NBA transaction ledgers all record the same October 18, 1976 exchange: the Braves sent their 1978 first-round pick to Portland for Moses Malone. The pick later landed at No. 3 and became Rick Robey. Harry Glickman's Portland executive record and Bob MacKinnon's Buffalo record preserve the same structure. Those primary ledgers do not list cash. Pro Sports Transactions reports an additional $232,000 payment from Buffalo, so this review records that amount as secondary-source evidence without treating it as part of the primary-ledger consensus.
Buffalo Held Malone for Only Six Days
Malone's direct Buffalo production was almost nonexistent. Basketball-Reference credits him with two Braves games and six total minutes before the next transaction. That small sample should not be mistaken for the value Buffalo actually captured, because the Braves did not waive him or lose him for nothing. On October 24, they traded Malone to Houston for a 1977 first-round pick and a 1978 first-round pick. The proper hindsight chain therefore follows those two assets rather than grading Buffalo only on Malone's two appearances.
The First Houston Pick Became George Johnson
Buffalo moved the 1977 first-rounder to Golden State in January 1977 for George Johnson. Johnson immediately became a starting center for the Braves, appearing in 39 games with 39 starts and averaging 10.3 rebounds while providing rim protection. Golden State ultimately used the pick on Wesley Cox. For Buffalo, Johnson is the realized return attributable to that branch of the Malone resale rather than Cox's later career.
The Second Houston Pick Stayed Alive in the Tiny Archibald Package
The 1978 first-rounder acquired from Houston was the pick that later became No. 4 Micheal Ray Richardson. Buffalo did not simply use that selection. In September 1977 the Braves sent George Johnson, that 1978 first and their 1979 first-round pick to the Nets for Tiny Archibald. Because the Archibald trade contained three outgoing assets, this review does not credit the entire Archibald return to the Houston pick alone. It does show that the second first-rounder retained substantial trade utility long after Buffalo's six-day ownership of Malone ended.
Portland Turned the No. 3 Pick Into the No. 1 Pick
Portland's incoming 1978 first-rounder became even more valuable before draft night. On June 8, 1978, the Trail Blazers sent Johnny Davis and the No. 3 pick that became Rick Robey to Indiana for the No. 1 pick. Portland used that selection on Mychal Thompson. The original Buffalo pick was therefore not merely a theoretical top-three asset; it was a central component in Portland's move to the first overall selection.
Mychal Thompson Supplied Seven Seasons of Portland Value
Thompson played 551 regular-season games for Portland from 1978-79 through 1985-86, totaling 18,913 minutes, 9,215 points and 4,878 rebounds. He missed 1979-80 with a leg injury but otherwise became a long-term starting-caliber frontcourt piece. Portland later included Thompson with Larry Krystkowiak in the 1986 trade for Steve Johnson. Johnny Davis was also required in the 1978 pick swap, so this review does not pretend the entire Thompson career came from the Malone trade alone. Still, the No. 3 pick was indispensable to reaching No. 1 and generated the strongest durable player outcome in this asset tree.
Final Verdict
Slight Blazers Edge, A+/A. Portland receives an A+ because the first-round pick obtained for Malone became the key draft asset in the move from No. 3 to No. 1, producing 551 Mychal Thompson games and seven seasons of frontcourt value. Buffalo receives an A because acquiring Malone for one future first and reported cash created an immediate asset arbitrage: six days later the Braves turned him into two first-rounders, one of which became George Johnson and the other remained part of the later Tiny Archibald package. Buffalo's handling of Malone after October 18 belongs to the downstream chain rather than erasing the quality of the acquisition. Confidence is high on the pick-for-Malone structure and all traced basketball assets; the reported $232,000 cash remains secondary-source-only.