The Verified November 27 Package
Basketball-Reference's Lakers, Suns and NBA league transaction ledgers agree on the November 27, 1974 exchange. Los Angeles received Corky Calhoun, while Phoenix received the Lakers' 1976 second-round pick and 1977 third-round pick. Jerry Colangelo's executive transaction record independently preserves the same package. The two draft assets followed very different paths, which is important for hindsight grading: Phoenix traded the 1976 selection before draft night but kept and used the 1977 pick itself.
Calhoun Gave Los Angeles Two Useful Seasons
Calhoun immediately entered the Lakers' rotation after playing only 13 games for Phoenix that season. He appeared in 57 Los Angeles games in 1974-75, averaging 22.3 minutes, 5.0 points and 4.1 rebounds. In 1975-76 he played 76 games and averaged 23.9 minutes, 5.4 points and 4.5 rebounds. That is 133 regular-season games of dependable wing and forward depth across two seasons. The production was modest, but Calhoun was a real rotation player rather than a fringe acquisition.
The Lakers' Asset Chain Ends With a Waiver
Los Angeles did not turn Calhoun into a later player or draft return. The 1976-77 league transaction ledger records the Lakers waiving him in October 1976. Portland then became the beneficiary of his next productive seasons, but those games cannot be credited to Los Angeles because the Lakers received no compensation when he left. The original trade therefore produced exactly the two Lakers seasons Calhoun played and no documented downstream asset beyond them.
Phoenix Converted the 1976 Pick Before the Draft
The first Lakers pick did not become Jacky Dorsey for Phoenix. On June 9, 1975, the Suns sent the 1976 second-round selection to Portland for Phil Lumpkin. Portland later moved the pick to New Orleans, which ultimately used No. 26 on Dorsey. For Phoenix's side of this trade, Lumpkin is the relevant realized return. He played 34 regular-season games for the 1975-76 Suns and appeared in all 17 playoff games as Phoenix reached the NBA Finals. His regular-season role was small, but the pick clearly became usable roster value on a Finals team.
Mike Bratz Made the Third-Round Pick the Difference
Phoenix kept the Lakers' 1977 third-rounder and selected Mike Bratz at No. 66. Bratz then played 80 regular-season games as a rookie, 77 in 1978-79 and all 82 in 1979-80. His scoring rose from 4.7 points per game to 8.1 and then 8.5, and he appeared in 25 playoff games across those three seasons. In total, the third-round pick produced 239 Phoenix regular-season games before Bratz was lost to Dallas in the 1980 expansion draft. That sustained rotation value is the largest single return in the original transaction.
Final Verdict
Suns Win, A+/B+. Phoenix receives an A+ because the two picks became two separate useful assets: the 1976 second-rounder was converted into Lumpkin for the 1976 Finals run, while the 1977 third-rounder became Bratz for 239 regular-season games and 25 playoff appearances. Los Angeles receives a B+ because Calhoun supplied 133 useful games over two seasons, but the Lakers waived him without a downstream return. The trade was not a failure for Los Angeles; Phoenix simply extracted more total and postseason value from the two draft assets. Confidence is high on the package, Calhoun tenure, pick routing and Bratz outcome. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.