Los Angeles traded Lucius Allen to Kansas City on June 1, 1977 for Ollie Johnson plus the Kings' 1978 first- and second-round picks. The Lakers never used the first-rounder on Purvis Short themselves: six weeks later they sent that pick and cash to Golden State as veteran-free-agent compensation for Jamaal Wilkes. Wilkes became a core Lakers scorer on the 1980 and 1982 championship teams. Johnson also became a downstream asset before playing for Los Angeles, going to Atlanta for Lou Hudson, who gave the Lakers 160 games and 1,891 points across two seasons. The second-round pick became No. 26 Ron Carter, who played 46 Lakers games. Kansas City received useful immediate production from Allen, who played 108 games across two seasons and averaged 11.9 points and 4.7 assists in 1977-78, but his NBA career ended after 1978-79. The Lakers' three-branch return produced far more lasting value.
Basketball-Reference's Los Angeles, Kansas City and league transaction ledgers all record the June 1, 1977 exchange the same way. The Lakers sent Lucius Allen to the Kings for Ollie Johnson, Kansas City's 1978 first-round pick and Kansas City's 1978 second-round pick. The draft slots later became No. 5 Purvis Short and No. 26 Ron Carter, but the first-round branch requires an important correction: Los Angeles did not draft Short.
On July 11, 1977, the Lakers signed Jamaal Wilkes as a veteran free agent from Golden State. Los Angeles sent cash and the 1978 first-round pick acquired in this trade to the Warriors as compensation. Golden State later used that pick on Short. This review therefore does not credit Short's Warriors career to the Lakers. It credits the pick as one component of the compensation package that brought Wilkes to Los Angeles. That downstream use was enormously valuable. Wilkes immediately played 51 games for the Lakers in 1977-78 and earned All-Defensive Second Team recognition. He then played all 82 games in 1978-79, 1979-80 and 1981-82, with 81 games in 1980-81. In the 1980 championship run he averaged 21.3 points in the six-game NBA Finals against Philadelphia. Two years later he averaged 19.7 points in another six-game Finals win over Philadelphia. Because cash was also part of the free-agent compensation, this review treats Wilkes as a major shared downstream return rather than assigning every ounce of his Lakers value to the pick alone.
Ollie Johnson never played a regular-season game for Los Angeles after the trade. On September 30, 1977, the Lakers sent him to Atlanta for Lou Hudson. Hudson then appeared in all 82 games in 1977-78, averaging 13.7 points, and played 78 more games in 1978-79 at 9.8 points. Across two Lakers seasons he totaled 160 regular-season games and 1,891 points. The Johnson branch therefore produced a meaningful veteran return even though Johnson himself never suited up for the Lakers.
Los Angeles kept the 1978 second-round pick and selected Ron Carter at No. 26. Carter played 46 regular-season games for the Lakers in 1978-79 and appeared twice in the playoffs. His role was modest, but the pick produced actual roster value rather than expiring unused.
Allen started the trade's other side with a useful 1977-78 season. He played 77 games for Kansas City, averaging 11.9 points and 4.7 assists in 27.9 minutes. He returned for 31 games in 1978-79 at 5.1 points and 1.4 assists, then his NBA career ended. Basketball-Reference lists no later Allen transaction producing another Kansas City player or draft asset, so this review stops the branch there.
Lakers Win, A+/B-. Los Angeles receives an A+ because all three incoming branches created realized value: the first-round pick helped secure Wilkes, Johnson became two productive Hudson seasons, and the second-rounder became Carter. Kansas City receives a B- because Allen supplied 108 games and a useful first season, but there was no comparable downstream asset after his short tenure. The gap is large without pretending the Lakers directly drafted Short or that the Wilkes compensation consisted of the pick alone. Confidence is high.