The Exchange
Basketball-Reference's Cincinnati transaction ledger records the deal on December 27, 1971, with the Royals sending a 1973 third-round pick to Phoenix for Fred Taylor. The legacy source record uses December 24, and RealGM preserves the same late-December transaction. The exact date discrepancy is noted rather than silently normalized because the canonical archive currently carries December 24. What is not disputed is the asset structure: Cincinnati received Taylor and Phoenix received the future third-round selection that became Joe Reaves at No. 42 in the 1973 NBA Draft.
Cincinnati Return
Taylor played 21 games for the Royals after the trade, totaling 214 minutes, 71 points, 37 rebounds and 11 assists. He averaged 10.2 minutes and 3.4 points while shooting 33.3 percent from the field. That was the final NBA stop of his career; Basketball-Reference lists only two NBA seasons overall. The contribution was modest and did not create a long-term Cincinnati asset chain, but it was still a real rotation return at a time when the Royals were cycling through several backcourt and wing options.
Phoenix Return
Phoenix held the pick until the 1973 draft and used it at No. 42 on Joe Reaves. Reaves made the Suns roster but appeared in only seven NBA games, totaling 38 minutes, 16 points and eight rebounds. He then continued the same season in the ABA with Memphis, where his later production did not accrue to Phoenix. The Suns therefore converted the pick into a player who reached the NBA but generated less direct franchise value than Taylor gave Cincinnati after the trade.
Hindsight Comparison
Neither side found a lasting piece. Cincinnati received 21 games and 214 minutes from Taylor; Phoenix received seven games and 38 minutes from Reaves. That is enough to create a small realized-value advantage for the Royals, but not enough for a strong grade gap because both players were near the end or fringe of NBA rotation value. The third-round pick also carried future optionality at the time, so Phoenix's process was reasonable even though the eventual selection produced little.
Final Verdict
Slight Royals Edge, C+/C. Cincinnati receives a C+ for turning a future third-round pick into 21 games of immediate reserve production. Phoenix receives a C because Reaves reached the NBA but played only seven games and 38 minutes for the Suns. Confidence is high on the pick outcome and player production, with a medium-level date caveat because Basketball-Reference lists December 27 while the earlier Cincinnati-source record uses December 24. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.