Milwaukee acquired Timberwolves' agreement to select Mark Davis (Giles) in the 1989 NBA expansion draft while sending out 1989 second round pick (#34-Gary Leonard) in the 1989-06-15 transaction with Timberwolves.
Ahead of the 1989 expansion draft, Milwaukee sent Minnesota a second-round pick in exchange for the Timberwolves agreeing to select Mark Davis from the Bucks’ unprotected list. The deal was not a conventional player acquisition. Milwaukee paid to control which roster spot it would lose rather than leave the expansion choice entirely to Minnesota.
The second-round pick landed at No. 34 in the 1989 draft, where Minnesota selected Gary Leonard. Leonard reached the NBA and gave the new franchise a direct player return from the agreement. The outcome was modest, but the Timberwolves converted the compensation into more tangible basketball value than many expansion side payments ever produce. This compensation wasn't a payment for Davis' NBA production after he moved; it was an agreement about an expansion-draft decision. The Bucks could determine in advance which player Minnesota would take from their available list, while the Timberwolves gained an additional second-round choice. The latter was a distinct 1989 college draft asset, eventually used at No. 34 on Gary Leonard. Keeping those two drafts separate prevents the deal from being described as a direct trade of Davis for Leonard. Minnesota turned negotiation leverage into a player selection, and Milwaukee received roster certainty. The narrow B+ against B comparison follows those different benefits rather than asserting both franchises acquired equivalent new players.
Milwaukee’s benefit came from roster management. By steering Minnesota toward Davis, the Bucks protected the rest of their exposed group and removed a player on terms they had chosen in advance. That is legitimate team value, but it is harder to sustain over time than an incoming draft asset. Minnesota therefore holds the narrow hindsight edge without turning the trade into a major win.
Slight Wolves Edge — Minnesota B+, Milwaukee B. The Timberwolves received the No. 34 pick and used it on Gary Leonard, creating a direct player return. Milwaukee successfully controlled its expansion-draft loss by directing Minnesota toward Mark Davis, which gave the Bucks meaningful roster flexibility. Minnesota gets the higher grade because its asset became an NBA player, but the margin stays small because Milwaukee achieved the exact protection objective it paid for.