The Date Differs Across Major Sources
this review preserves a documented source-date conflict instead of forcing false precision. RealGM lists Armond Hill as acquired by San Diego on February 12, 1982, matching the canonical record. Basketball-Reference's San Diego, Seattle and league transaction ledgers place the full Hill-for-Phil Smith trade on February 16.
Because the team and league ledgers agree on February 16 while RealGM supports February 12, this review retains the canonical February 12 date but lowers confidence to medium and records the four-day discrepancy explicitly.
San Diego Got a Short Starting Look at Armond Hill
Hill played 19 regular-season games for the Clippers after the trade and started 14. He averaged 25.3 minutes, 4.7 points and 4.3 assists.
He did not return to San Diego the following season. RealGM's roster turnover lists Hill becoming a free agent on July 1, 1982 before later joining Milwaukee.
That makes Hill a useful but short-lived direct return.
The Second-Round Pick Retained Trade Utility
Seattle's 1982 second-round pick was the choice that ultimately became No. 42 Jeff Taylor, but San Diego did not use it on Taylor. On June 28, the Clippers packaged that pick with Joe Bryant and sent both to Houston for the 1982 No. 32 pick that became Richard Anderson.
This review does not credit the full Anderson return to this one pick because Bryant was also required in the package. The correct value is narrower: the acquired second-rounder retained enough transaction utility to help San Diego move up ten spots in the draft.
The canonical source package also includes cash to San Diego. The reviewed public primary ledgers do not specify the amount, so this review preserves the cash component without assigning a speculative dollar value.
Phil Smith Gave Seattle Two Useful Seasons
Smith played 26 regular-season games for Seattle after the trade in 1981-82, started two and averaged 8.2 points. He also appeared in all eight of Seattle's playoff games that spring.
He returned for 79 games in 1982-83, starting 17 and averaging 5.7 points and 2.7 assists.
Across the two seasons, Smith gave the SuperSonics 105 regular-season games and 19 starts. That is substantially more direct team production than Hill's 19 games for San Diego.
Why Seattle Gets the Edge
San Diego did not come away empty. Hill started 14 games, the pick remained useful in a later draft-day trade and the canonical package includes cash.
Seattle still received the stronger direct realized basketball value. Smith stayed for parts of two seasons, played 105 games and remained a usable rotation guard after Hill had already left San Diego.
Final Verdict
SuperSonics Win, B+/B. Seattle receives a B+ for 105 games and 19 starts from Smith across parts of two seasons. San Diego receives a B because Hill started 14 games and the pick retained downstream transaction value, with cash providing additional but unquantified consideration. Confidence is medium because authoritative sources disagree on the exact trade date and the public primary ledgers do not quantify the cash component.