Milwaukee Acquired the Best Realized Player
The core exchange sent Charles Davis and a future second-round pick from Milwaukee to San Antonio for Larry Krystkowiak, with archival sources recording cash or future-consideration mechanics differently. The stable basketball comparison is Krystkowiak against Davis plus the pick that became Reggie Turner at No. 47 in 1989. Krystkowiak became the best realized player in that group. He moved into a larger Milwaukee role, started 77 games in 1988-89 and averaged 12.7 points and 7.6 rebounds that season. For a deal built around a young power forward and a second-round sweetener, that is enough direct production to give Milwaukee the advantage.
The Spurs' Pick Did Not Reverse the Player Gap
San Antonio received a future second-round selection that eventually became Reggie Turner. The pick had legitimate value when acquired because second-round choices create another development opportunity, but the completed outcome did not become a major NBA piece. That limits how much the draft asset can offset Krystkowiak's Milwaukee production. Charles Davis also did not create a comparable long-term role for the Spurs. The package was not empty, which is why San Antonio remains at C rather than a failing grade. Still, the Spurs traded away the one player who developed into a regular starter and received no later asset outcome strong enough to overcome that difference.
Krystkowiak's 1988-89 Season Drives the B+
Krystkowiak's first partial season in Milwaukee was solid rather than spectacular, but his second year made the trade look much better. He appeared in 80 games, started 77 and averaged 12.7 points with 7.6 rebounds. That is starter-level frontcourt value from a player acquired without sacrificing a first-round pick or a core veteran. Injuries later interrupted his career, which prevents the transaction from reaching the A range. The Bucks received meaningful production and a useful player for several seasons, but not a franchise cornerstone or a long asset chain. B+ fits a move that clearly worked and produced more than Milwaukee paid, while remaining modest in scale.
Conflicting Cash Notes Should Stay Secondary
Milwaukee's official transaction history describes Krystkowiak arriving for Charles Davis, cash and future considerations, while Basketball-Reference records Davis and the 1989 second for Krystkowiak. The trade details also preserve cash language from archival research. Rather than force those secondary mechanics into a false precision, the grade focuses on the uncontested basketball assets. Krystkowiak went to Milwaukee; Davis and the second-round obligation went to San Antonio. That stable core is enough to judge the transaction. The cash details were too small to reverse the outcome, so they should be acknowledged as archival context rather than used as a lever to move either team's grade.
Final Verdict
Bucks Win. Milwaukee earns B+ because Larry Krystkowiak became the best player in the exchange and developed into a regular starter, including a 1988-89 season of 12.7 points and 7.6 rebounds across 80 games. San Antonio receives C because Charles Davis and the second-round pick that became Reggie Turner gave the Spurs legitimate assets, but neither produced value comparable to Krystkowiak's Milwaukee role. Archival sources differ on the exact cash or future-consideration mechanics, so those details are kept secondary to the stable player-and-pick trade details. The documented Bucks Win verdict is a clear but moderate result: Milwaukee acquired useful starter production at a reasonable price without giving up a premium asset.