NBA Trade Verdict

Even Trade

On October 22, 1970, Portland acquired 1971 second round pick (#27-Rick Fisher) from Washington Wizards in exchange for Dorie Murrey.

October 22, 1970 Portland Trail Blazers / Washington Wizards Record confidence: Medium

Portland Trail Blazers Received

  • Draft Pick 1971 second round pick (#27-Rick Fisher)

Trade Analysis

What Changed Hands—and What Lasted

On October 22, 1970, Portland acquired 1971 second round pick (#27-Rick Fisher) from Washington Wizards in exchange for Dorie Murrey. The exchange is more useful in hindsight when its components are separated instead of treated as one undifferentiated package. The durable basketball pieces included 1971 second round pick (#27-Rick Fisher) and Dorie Murrey. That matters because an even trade does not mean the teams received identical assets; it means the completed value never created enough separation to justify naming a winner. The C/C pairing captures that balance for Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards.

Why the Margin Stays Flat

The central comparison is the 1971 second-round pick used on Rick Fisher for Portland against Dorie Murrey for Washington Wizards. The principal assets produced comparable practical value, and the secondary consideration did not separate the teams. An even grade is therefore the most defensible result. The important distinction is between activity and advantage. A transaction can involve players, rights, picks, cash, or swap mechanics and still finish level if neither franchise turns those pieces into a clearly superior result. Here, the strongest evidence points to modest or limited realized value on both sides. That is why the verdict remains Even Trade rather than forcing a winner from a narrow difference in role, timing, or secondary asset value.

The Portland Trail Blazers Franchise's Return

For Portland Trail Blazers, the incoming side centered on 1971 second round pick (#27-Rick Fisher). The central comparison is the 1971 second-round pick used on Rick Fisher for Portland against Dorie Murrey for Washington Wizards. The principal assets produced comparable practical value, and the secondary consideration did not separate the teams. An even grade is therefore the most defensible result. That perspective gives the C grade a concrete foundation: the return is judged by what it actually produced for the franchise, not by the number of items listed in the transaction. Where the value was useful, it earns credit; where it stopped short of becoming a lasting advantage, the grade stops with it. That restraint is essential in an even result.

The Washington Wizards' Return

For Baltimore Bullets, the incoming side centered on Dorie Murrey. Dorie Murrey and 1971 second-round pick used on Rick Fisher produced an essentially even exchange. Dorie Murrey and the second-round pick used on Rick Fisher provided similarly limited short-term value. The asset outcomes offset each other closely enough to preserve balance. The C grade therefore represents the same completed-value standard from the other direction. The counterpart did not need to mirror Portland Trail Blazers' return asset for asset; it only needed to land in the same broad value band. With neither side establishing durable separation, matching grades are more informative than inventing a winner from marginal differences.

Final Verdict

Even Trade. Portland Trail Blazers receive C, and Washington Wizards receive C. The transaction produced different paths but comparable completed value. The case rests on the actual return—1971 second round pick (#27-Rick Fisher) and Dorie Murrey—and on the way each franchise's side played out after the exchange. Neither team generated enough extra production, downstream asset value, or strategic advantage to move the result out of the even tier. The matching grades are not a shortcut; they are the conclusion that best fits the realized outcomes.

For Hardcore NBA Heads

Deep Dive: Why Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards Finish Even

The 1970-10-22 exchange between Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards is a useful example of why an even verdict needs more explanation than a simple tie. Different assets can create different kinds of value and still finish in the same retrospective tier. The deeper question is whether either side converted its package into a lasting advantage. With grades of C for Portland Trail Blazers and C for Washington Wizards, the answer here is no.

What Each Team Actually Received

The list of assets keeps the analysis anchored to the transaction itself. The identifiable pieces were 1971 second round pick (#27-Rick Fisher) and Dorie Murrey. Some of those pieces may have carried more immediate utility than others, but the proper comparison is the value each side ultimately realized from what it received. That prevents cash, rights, or unused mechanics from being treated as equal to durable on-court production unless they actually changed the franchise's outcome.

What Portland Trail Blazers Realized

On October 22, 1970, Portland acquired 1971 second round pick (#27-Rick Fisher) from Washington Wizards in exchange for Dorie Murrey. The completed-value case for Portland Trail Blazers is therefore straightforward: The central comparison is the 1971 second-round pick used on Rick Fisher for Portland against Dorie Murrey for Washington Wizards. The principal assets produced comparable practical value, and the secondary consideration did not separate the teams. An even grade is therefore the most defensible result. This supports a C rather than a directional win. The return deserves the value it produced, but the evidence does not show enough separation from the other side to elevate Portland Trail Blazers above an even verdict.

What Baltimore Bullets Realized

On October 22, 1970, Baltimore Bullets acquired Dorie Murrey from Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for 1971 second round pick (#27-Rick Fisher). From Baltimore Bullets' side, Dorie Murrey and 1971 second-round pick used on Rick Fisher produced an essentially even exchange. Dorie Murrey and the second-round pick used on Rick Fisher provided similarly limited short-term value. The asset outcomes offset each other closely enough to preserve balance. That produces the same broad conclusion from the opposite perspective. A balanced trade does not require symmetrical careers or identical transaction mechanics; it requires the total realized value to remain close enough that one franchise cannot credibly claim a durable edge.

What the C/C Grade Pairing Really Means

The 1970-10-22 grade pairing also says something about the quality of this particular tie between Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards. A C/C even trade is not interchangeable with every other even trade: matching A-range grades can describe a mutually productive exchange, while matching C- or D-range grades can describe limited value on both sides. Here, the letters preserve the distinction around 1971 second round pick (#27-Rick Fisher) and Dorie Murrey. They describe how well each team did, while the Even Trade verdict describes the absence of a meaningful gap between them.

Deep-Dive Verdict

The deeper verdict remains Even Trade: Portland Trail Blazers C, Washington Wizards C. The transaction's value is best understood through the combination of the original exchange, the realized outcomes, and the separate analyses. Portland Trail Blazers can point to 1971 second round pick (#27-Rick Fisher); Washington Wizards can point to Dorie Murrey. Neither package ultimately created enough durable separation to justify a winner. That makes the matching grades and even verdict mutually reinforcing rather than redundant: the grades measure the quality of each return, while the verdict measures the distance between them.

Research sources (4)