San Francisco traded defensive tackle Roland Lakes to the…
San Francisco traded defensive tackle Roland Lakes to the Giants in July 1971 for New York's 1973 second-round selection. The 49ers used No. 41 overall on linebacker Willie Harper, who became a long-term San Francisco contributor. Turning an aging veteran into a second-round player with lasting value made this one of the clearest wins in the group.
New York Giants Received
- player Roland Lakes
San Francisco 49ers Received
- pick 1973 second-round pick (No. 41, Willie Harper)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
San Francisco moved veteran defensive tackle Roland Lakes to New York on July 15, 1971. In return, the 49ers received the Giants' 1973 second-round selection. San Francisco used that pick at No. 41 overall on linebacker Willie Harper. Contemporary 49ers material directly connects Lakes, the acquired second-rounder, and Harper, making the full chain unusually clean for a transaction from this era.
San Francisco 49ers Return
The 49ers turned a veteran player into a high-value draft asset and then converted that asset into Harper. He became a long-term member of San Francisco's defense rather than a brief roster experiment. That durability matters because a second-round selection does not need to produce a Hall of Famer to be valuable; several seasons of meaningful defensive contribution already create substantial surplus.
New York Giants Return
The Giants acquired Lakes for immediate defensive-line experience. He had an established NFL resume, so New York was not buying an unknown player, but the cost was substantial because the second-round choice sat near the top of the draft's second tier. Lakes did not provide enough future Giants value to offset what San Francisco ultimately received from Harper over a much longer span.
Value in Hindsight
The contrast is straightforward. New York purchased short-term veteran help, while San Francisco received a premium selection and found a durable linebacker with it. The gap is not based on an unrelated downstream chain or hypothetical pick value; it comes directly from the player chosen with the exact selection surrendered for Lakes. That makes the hindsight advantage unusually strong and easy to attribute.
Final Verdict
San Francisco 49ers Win. The 49ers keep an A for converting Lakes into the second-round choice that became Willie Harper and then receiving long-term defensive value from Harper. New York keeps a D because the veteran acquisition did not approach the return created by the surrendered pick. The completed terms reinforce, rather than soften, the original lopsided verdict.