Kansas City traded linebacker Keith Best to Minnesota on…
Kansas City traded linebacker Keith Best to Minnesota on August 29, 1973 for a draft choice. The player was Keith Best, while the exact round and selection remain unestablished. Best had appeared for Kansas City in 1972, but the available career history does not show a significant regular-season Minnesota return, keeping the verdict modest.
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- pick draft choice (exact round and selection not identified)
Minnesota Vikings Received
- player Keith Best
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Kansas City sent linebacker Keith Best to Minnesota on August 29, 1973 for a draft choice. Contemporary transaction reporting supports the player movement and draft compensation. The player was Keith Best; Ken Best was not part of this transaction. The exact round and later selection are not established, so the package should stop at one draft choice.
Minnesota Vikings Return
Minnesota acquired a linebacker who had already appeared for Kansas City in 1972. That made Best a plausible late-summer depth addition for a Vikings team headed toward the Super Bowl. The surviving career material, however, does not establish a meaningful regular-season Minnesota contribution. His value to the Vikings therefore rests primarily in roster competition and short-term depth rather than a documented run of production.
Kansas City Chiefs Return
Kansas City received future draft capital, but the specific choice and downstream player are not identified. That prevents a strong hindsight claim for the Chiefs. A draft choice is still real consideration, especially for a player who was not central to the club's long-term plans, but no supported later outcome separates Kansas City's return from Minnesota's modest player acquisition.
Value in Hindsight
The trade's historical importance is limited, and the verdict should reflect that. Correctly identifying Keith Best and the existence of a draft choice solves the transaction without pretending the missing selection is known. Neither side obtained a documented star or durable multi-year return from the available evidence, so a neutral evaluation is more credible than forcing a winner.
Final Verdict
Both clubs receive C grades and an Even Trade verdict. Minnesota obtained an experienced linebacker for camp and depth, while Kansas City received a future draft choice. The player did not generate a clearly significant Vikings regular-season return, and the Chiefs' exact pick outcome is not established. Those modest, uncertain results balance each other.