Reconciling the Dates
The source record requires a two-stage interpretation rather than pretending every ledger uses the same date. Sacramento's franchise media guide says the August 9, 1972 agreement sent Don Kojis from Seattle to Cincinnati for Jim Fox and future considerations. Basketball-Reference's Seattle, Kansas City-Omaha and league transaction logs record October 9 as the completed four-player exchange: Fox and Dick Gibbs to Seattle for Kojis and Pete Cross. The timing around Gibbs confirms why 'future considerations' is the safer August description. Kansas City-Omaha did not acquire Gibbs's rights from Houston until November 2, and RealGM records Gibbs finally moving to Seattle on May 14, 1973. The canonical August date is therefore retained as the franchise-reported agreement date, with October 9 and May 14 documented as completion milestones.
Seattle Return: Jim Fox
Fox alone makes the Seattle side strong. In 1972-73 he played 74 games, logged 2,439 minutes and averaged 11.4 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 51.5 percent. He ranked third on the SuperSonics in minutes per game behind Spencer Haywood and Dick Snyder and became the club's primary center. Fox stayed productive in 1973-74 with 78 games, 11.3 points and 9.2 rebounds, then added 75 more games in 1974-75 at 9.0 points and 6.5 rebounds. Across three Seattle seasons he supplied 227 regular-season games and more than six thousand minutes of dependable frontcourt work.
Seattle Return: Dick Gibbs and Pete Cross
Gibbs arrived later as the future-consideration piece. After Kansas City-Omaha acquired him from Houston, Seattle received him on May 14, 1973. He then played 71 games for the SuperSonics in 1973-74, totaling 1,528 minutes and 766 points while averaging roughly 10.8 points. That is meaningful second-wave value on top of Fox's production. Seattle also effectively got Pete Cross back. Cross played only three games and 24 minutes for Kansas City-Omaha before the Kings waived him, and Seattle claimed him on December 6, 1972. He then appeared in 26 more Sonics games that season. Cross's later role was tiny, but the waiver claim sharply reduces the lasting cost of including him.
Kings Return
Kojis was a useful veteran but no longer the All-Star scorer he had been in San Diego. He played 77 games for Kansas City-Omaha in 1972-73, averaging 8.5 points and 2.6 rebounds in 16.1 minutes. That was the final season of his NBA career. Cross, meanwhile, produced no points in three Kings appearances before being waived back to Seattle. The Kings therefore received one season of reserve-forward production and almost nothing from the center component, while surrendering a starting center who remained productive for three seasons and later delivering Gibbs as the future consideration.
Final Verdict
SuperSonics Win, A-/C+. Seattle receives an A- because Fox supplied 227 games over three seasons, Gibbs added a productive 71-game season, and Cross returned on waivers after barely contributing to Kansas City-Omaha. The Kings receive a C+ because Kojis did play 77 games and provided legitimate reserve scoring, but his career ended after that season and Cross contributed almost nothing. Confidence is high on realized player outcomes and on the August franchise-media-guide agreement, with medium-high confidence on the exact completion chronology because Basketball-Reference records the four-player transaction on October 9 while Gibbs did not reach Seattle until May 1973. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.