Minnesota acquired 1990 first round pick (#20-Gerald Glass); 1991 second round pick (#44-Alvaro Teheran); 1992 conditional second round pick (#36-Duane Cooper) while sending out Rick Mahorn in the 1989-10-27 transaction with 76ers.
Minnesota selected Rick Mahorn in the 1989 expansion draft and traded him to Philadelphia before the Timberwolves played their first regular-season game. The 76ers were buying an established, physical frontcourt veteran rather than a developmental piece. Mahorn stepped directly into Philadelphia’s rotation and gave the team the exact defensive toughness it was targeting.
The Timberwolves received a 1990 first-round pick, a 1991 second and a conditional 1992 second. The first became No. 20 Gerald Glass, while the later picks became Alvaro Teheran and Duane Cooper. That gave a new franchise three separate opportunities to turn one expansion-draft selection into younger roster pieces instead of tying value to a single veteran. The picks became identifiable selections in three consecutive drafts, not one undifferentiated future compensation promise. Minnesota's 1990 first was No. 20 Gerald Glass, the 1991 second was No. 44 Alvaro Teheran, and the conditional 1992 second ultimately yielded No. 36 Duane Cooper. Glass was the most useful direct playing return of the group, but the two later selections still provided separate opportunities for an expansion franchise to develop its roster. Mahorn was already an established NBA defender and contributed for Philadelphia immediately. The trade is therefore best compared as one short-horizon veteran against three particular draft outcomes, without pretending each of the picks became a star.
Mahorn was useful for the 76ers and the trade made sense for a team trying to win immediately, but his Philadelphia tenure was relatively short. Minnesota’s return created several player branches and longer roster control, with Glass providing the most substantial direct value of the three selections. The trade therefore favors the expansion team in hindsight without treating Philadelphia’s veteran acquisition as a failure.
Wolves Win — Minnesota B+, Philadelphia C+. Philadelphia got a useful veteran in Rick Mahorn and improved its frontcourt immediately. Minnesota still wins because one expansion selection became a first-round pick plus two seconds, producing Gerald Glass, Alvaro Teheran and Duane Cooper. The Timberwolves received the deeper and more durable asset package, while the 76ers received the better short-term player.