A February 1994 Center Rental for a Conditional Draft Choice
Los Angeles acquired veteran center Danny Schayes from Milwaukee on February 24, 1994. The NBA's historical deadline list describes the compensation as a conditional 1995 second-round pick, while the Bucks' transaction register describes selling the player's rights. The Lakers' own historical media guide confirms the acquisition date. Schayes had already played 23 games for Milwaukee during the season and carried years of NBA experience, but Los Angeles was seeking a temporary reserve rather than a new starting centerpiece. The future selection was conditional, which meant the Bucks' eventual draft return was uncertain from the outset.
Schayes Supplied a Small Amount of Actual Lakers Production
Schayes appeared in 13 regular-season games for Los Angeles after the trade, averaging 10.2 minutes, 2.8 points and 2.6 rebounds without a start. It was a brief reserve role on a team going through an uneven transition after its championship years. His 23 games with Milwaukee earlier in 1993-94 count as the Bucks' pretrade history, not as value Los Angeles acquired. Schayes subsequently moved to Phoenix, so the Lakers also can't claim his later contributions elsewhere. The tangible return is a few weeks of NBA center availability, useful in a narrow sense but not a long-term solution.
Milwaukee's Future Compensation Did Not Become a Draft Selection
The archived agreement promised Milwaukee a second-round pick in 1995 only if its condition was fulfilled. The inherited transaction record says the condition was not exercised; the available team and NBA transaction descriptions do not identify a 1995 selection acquired by the Bucks through this deal. A retrospective therefore cannot assign them the eventual NBA career of a hypothetical player. Milwaukee gave up the services of an aging reserve and received no verifiable draft conversion. It may have freed a roster place or reduced obligations, but those potential benefits aren't an identifiable basketball asset that can be tracked into later game totals.
The Documented Return Favors Los Angeles Only Slightly
Both sides' returns were limited. The Lakers got a veteran who could play ten minutes a night when required, while the Bucks' conditional compensation produced no identifiable draft selection. That yields a narrow Los Angeles advantage on playing value. It doesn't justify the original pair of B grades, because neither team obtained sustained production or a future contributor. The distinction is between a little recorded NBA action and a conditional promise that apparently expired. Keeping the evaluation proportionate prevents a fringe February trade from being exaggerated into a major historical turning point.
Final Verdict
Slight Lakers Edge. Los Angeles earns C+ for Danny Schayes's 13 regular-season appearances and modest frontcourt minutes after the February 1994 transaction. Milwaukee receives D+ because the conditional 1995 second-round compensation never became a documented Bucks draft selection. Neither franchise gained lasting value, but the Lakers secured the deal's only traceable playing contribution.