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1975 NBA draft

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1975 NBA draft
General information
SportBasketball
Date(s)May 29, 1975
LocationNew York City, New York
Overview
174total selections in10rounds
LeagueNBA
First selectionDavid Thompson,Atlanta Hawks
1974
1976

The1975 NBA draftwas the 29th annualdraftof theNational Basketball Association( NBA ). The draft was held on May 29, 1975, before the1975–76 season.In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S.college basketballplayers and othereligible players,including international players. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each conference, with the order determined by acoin flip.[1]TheAtlanta Hawks,who obtained theNew Orleans Jazzfirst-round pick in a trade, won the coin flip and were awarded thefirst overall pick,while theLos Angeles Lakerswere awarded the second pick. Prior to the draft, theKansas City-Omaha Kingswere renamed theKansas City Kings.[2]Before the draft, 18 collegeunderclassmenand 2 high school players were declared eligible for selection under the "hardship" rule.[3]These players had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted them the right to start earning their living by starting their professional careers earlier.[4]

This was the most recent NBA draft to be held in a month other than June until2020,but the off-season was earlier at the time. The league also hosted a supplementary draft forAmerican Basketball Association(ABA) players who never were never drafted by the NBA teams on December 30, 1975. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated.

Draft selections and draftee career notes

[edit]

David ThompsonfromNorth Carolina State Universitywas selected first overall by the Atlanta Hawks. He was also drafted first overall in the 1975 ABA Draft by theVirginia Squires,before the Squires traded his draft rights to theDenver Nuggets.He opted to join the ABA with the Nuggets before moving to the NBA in1976afterboth leagues merged.[5]During his first and only season in the ABA, he won the ABA All-Star Game MVP and ABA Rookie of the Year, as well as selected to the ABA All-Star Game and All-ABA Team. His NBA achievements include twoAll- NBA Teamselections and four NBAAll-Star Game selections.[6]For his achievements, he has been inducted to theBasketball Hall of Fame.[7]Marvin Webster,the 3rd pick, also opted to join the ABA with the Nuggets before moving to the NBA in 1976.[8]Thompson and Webster were the only first-round picks from the draft who declined to play in the NBA and opted to play in the ABA. Coincidentally, Webster was also drafted by the Hawks, which means that both the Hawks' first-round picks did not play with them. Instead, both signed to play for the Nuggets in the ABA.[9]

Gus Williams,the 20th pick, joined theSeattle SuperSonicsafter two seasons with theGolden State Warriors.He then won theNBA championshipwith the Sonics in1979.He was also selected to two All- NBA Team and two All-Star Games.[10]World B. Free(then known as Lloyd Free), the 23rd pick, played for five teams in his 13-year career and was selected to one All- NBA Team and one All-Star Game.[11]Dan Roundfield,the 28th pick, was also drafted in the 1975 ABA Draft. He opted to join the ABA with theIndiana Pacersbefore moving to the NBA in 1976. His achievements include one All- NBA Team selection, three NBA All-Star Game selections, three NBA All-Star Game selections and four NBA All-Defensive Team selections.[12]Alvan Adamsfrom theUniversity of Oklahoma,who went on to win theRookie of the Year Awardin his first season, was selected 4th by thePhoenix Suns.[13]Adams and 6th pickLionel Hollinsare the only other players from this draft who was selected to an All-Star Game.[14][15]After retiring as a player, Hollins went on to have a coaching career. He was twice named as the interim head coach for theVancouver/Memphis Grizzliesin1999and2004before becoming a permanent head coach in2009.[16]

Darryl Dawkins,the 5th pick, andBill Willoughby,the 19th pick, became the first two high school players to directly enter the NBA after their high school graduation.[17]They also became the second and third players to go directly from high school basketball to professional league, afterMoses Malonein the 1974 ABA Draft.[18]They also became the second and thirdhigh school players ever drafted in the NBA,afterReggie Hardingin the1962 draft.However, because the rules prevented Harding from playing in the league until one year after his high school class graduated, he had to wait a year before entering the league in1963.[19][20]Dawkins played 14 seasons in the NBA with four different NBA teams, while Willoughby played 8 seasons with six teams.[21][22]

In the tenth round, the New Orleans Jazz selected aSovietbasketball playerAlexander Belovwith the 161st pick. Belov, who was playing withSpartak Leningradbefore the draft, stayed with the club until the end of his career. He had a successful career, winning twoEuropean Cup Winners' Cupand oneSoviet Union championship,as well as fourgold medalswith theSoviet Union national team.For his achievements, he has been inducted by theInternational Basketball Federation(FIBA) to theFIBA Hall of Fame.[23]

Key

[edit]
Pos. G F C
Position Guard Forward Center
^ Denotesplayer who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
* Denotesplayer who has been selected for at least one All-Star GameandAll- NBA Team
+ Denotesplayer who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game
# Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game

Draft

[edit]
A man, wearing a blue shirt and black cap, is posing for a photo.
Darryl Dawkinswas selected fifth overall by thePhiladelphia 76ers.
Lionel Hollinswas selected 6th overall by thePortland Trail Blazers.
A man, wearing a black suit, white shirt and white tie, is standing in front of a crowd.
Joe Bryantwas selected 14th overall by theGolden State Warriors.
Gus Williamswas selected 20th overall by theGolden State Warriors.
Lloyd Free(later World B. Free) was selected 23rd overall by thePhiladelphia 76ers.
Round Pick Player Pos. Nationality Team School/club team
1 1 David Thompson^ G/F United States Atlanta Hawks(fromNew Orleans)[a] North Carolina State(Sr.)
1 2 David Meyers F/C United States Los Angeles Lakers UCLA(Sr.)
1 3 Marvin Webster C United States Atlanta Hawks Morgan State(Sr.)
1 4 Alvan Adams+ F/C United States Phoenix Suns Oklahoma(Jr.)
1 5 Darryl Dawkins C United States Philadelphia 76ers Maynard Evans HS(Florida)(HSSr.)
1 6 Lionel Hollins+ G United States Portland Trail Blazers Arizona State(Sr.)
1 7 Rich Kelley F/C United States New Orleans Jazz(fromMilwaukee)[b] Stanford(Sr.)
1 8 Junior Bridgeman G/F United States Los Angeles Lakers(fromCleveland)[c] Louisville(Sr.)
1 9 Gene Short F United States New York Knicks Jackson State(Jr.)
1 10 Bill Robinzine F United States Kansas City Kings(fromDetroitviaNew YorkandNew Orleans)[d] DePaul(Sr.)
1 11 Joe Meriweather F/C United States Houston Rockets Southern Illinois(Sr.)
1 12 Frank Oleynick G United States Seattle SuperSonics Seattle(Jr.)
1 13 Bob Bigelow G/F United States Kansas City Kings Pennsylvania(Sr.)
1 14 Joe Bryant F/C United States Golden State Warriors(fromChicago)[e] La Salle(Jr.)
1 15 John Lambert F/C United States Cleveland Cavaliers(fromGolden State)[f] USC(Sr.)
1 16 Ricky Sobers G United States Phoenix Suns(fromBuffalo)[g] UNLV(Sr.)
1 17 Tom Boswell F/C United States Boston Celtics South Carolina(Sr.)
1 18 Kevin Grevey G/F United States Washington Bullets Kentucky(Sr.)
2 19 Bill Willoughby F/C United States Atlanta Hawks(fromNew Orleans)[a] Dwight Morrow HS(New Jersey)(HSSr.)
2 20 Gus Williams* G United States Golden State Warriors(fromLos Angeles)[h] USC(Sr.)
2 21 Bruce Seals F United States Seattle SuperSonics(fromAtlanta) Utah Stars(ABA)[24]
2 22 Clyde Mayes F United States Milwaukee Bucks(fromPhoenixviaNew Orleans)[b] Furman(Sr.)
2 23 Lloyd Free*[1] G United States Philadelphia 76ers Guilford(Jr.)
2 24 Cornelius Cash F United States Milwaukee Bucks Bowling Green(Sr.)
2 25 Bob Gross G/F United States Portland Trail Blazers Long Beach State(Sr.)
2 26 Luther Burden G United States New York Knicks Utah(Jr.)
2 27 Walter Luckett# G United States Detroit Pistons Ohio(Jr.)
2 28 Dan Roundfield* F/C United States Cleveland Cavaliers Central Michigan(Sr.)
2 29 Jim Blanks# G/F United States Houston Rockets Gardner–Webb(Sr.)
2 30 Steve Green F United States Chicago Bulls(fromSeattle)[i] Indiana(Sr.)
2 31 Glenn Hansen G United States Kansas City Kings LSU(Sr.)
2 32 John Laskowski G United States Chicago Bulls Indiana(Sr.)
2 33 Mel Utley# G United States Cleveland Cavaliers(fromGolden State)[f] St. John's(Sr.)
2 34 Larry Fogle G United States New York Knicks(fromBuffaloviaChicago)[j] Canisius(Jr.)
2 35 Allen Murphy G United States Phoenix Suns(fromWashington)[k] Louisville(Sr.)
2 36 Jimmy Dan Conner# G United States Phoenix Suns(fromBoston)[l] Kentucky(Sr.)
3 37 Rudy Hackett F United States New Orleans Jazz Syracuse(Sr.)
3 38 Jim McElroy G United States New Orleans Jazz(fromLos Angeles)[m] Central Michigan(Sr.)
3 39 Jimmie Baker# F United States Philadelphia 76ers Hawaii(Sr.)
3 40 Otis Johnson# F United States Golden State Warriors Stetson(Sr.)
3 41 Charles Cleveland# G United States Philadelphia 76ers Alabama(Sr.)
3 42 Tom Roy# F United States Portland Trail Blazers Maryland(Sr.)
3 43 Brian Hammel# G United States Milwaukee Bucks Bentley(Sr.)
3 44 Pete Trgovich# G United States Detroit Pistons UCLA(Sr.)
3 45 Ted Hathaway# G United States Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland State(Sr.)
3 46 John Ramsay# F United States New York Knicks Seton Hall(Sr.)
3 47 Rudy White G United States Houston Rockets Arizona State(Sr.)
3 48 Tom Kropp G United States Washington Bullets(fromSeattle)[n] Kearney State(Sr.)
3 49 Bob Guyette# F United States Kansas City Kings Kentucky(Sr.)
3 50 Gus Gerard G/F United States Portland Trail Blazers(fromChicago)[o] Spirits of St. Louis(ABA)[25]
3 51 Robert Hawkins G United States Golden State Warriors Illinois State(Jr.)
3 52 George Bucci# G United States Buffalo Braves Manhattan(Sr.)
3 53 Jerome Anderson G United States Boston Celtics West Virginia(Sr.)
3 54 Bayard Forrest C United States Phoenix Suns(fromWashington)[p] Grand Canyon(Jr.)
4 55 Mack Coleman# F United States New Orleans Jazz Houston Baptist(Sr.)
4 56 C. J. Kupec F/C United States Los Angeles Lakers Michigan(Sr.)
4 57 Monte Towe G United States Atlanta Hawks NC State(Sr.)
4 58 Sam McCants# G United States Phoenix Suns Oral Roberts(Sr.)
4 59 Louis Dunbar# F United States Philadelphia 76ers Houston(Sr.)
4 60 Bill Campion# C United States Milwaukee Bucks Manhattan(Sr.)
4 61 Phil Hicks F United States Portland Trail Blazers Tulane(Sr.)
4 62 Eric Fernsten F/C United States Cleveland Cavaliers San Francisco(Sr.)
4 63 David Vaughn Jr.# C United States New York Knicks Virginia Squires(ABA)
4 64 Lindsay Hairston F/C United States Detroit Pistons Michigan State(Sr.)
4 65 Ken Smith# F United States Houston Rockets Tulsa(Sr.)
4 66 Jimmy Moore# F United States Seattle SuperSonics Utah State(Sr.)
4 67 Kevin Cluess# G United States Kansas City Kings St. John's(Sr.)
4 68 Ron Haigler# F United States Chicago Bulls Penn(Sr.)
4 69 Billy Taylor# G United States Golden State Warriors La Salle(Sr.)
4 70 Bob Fleischer# F United States Buffalo Braves Blue(Sr.)
4 71 Fessor Leonard# C United States Washington Bullets Furman(Sr.)
4 72 Cyrus Mann# C United States Boston Celtics Illinois State(Fr.)
5 73 Andre Hampton# C United States New Orleans Jazz Kentucky State(Sr.)
5 74 Charles Russell# G United States Los Angeles Lakers Alabama(Sr.)
5 75 Wilbur Holland G United States Atlanta Hawks New Orleans(Sr.)
5 76 Joe Pace C United States Phoenix Suns Coppin State(Jr.)
5 77 Ken Tyler# G United States Philadelphia 76ers Gonzaga(Sr.)
5 78 Maurice Presley# C United States Portland Trail Blazers Houston(Sr.)
5 79 Jim Lee# G United States Cleveland Cavaliers Syracuse(Sr.)
5 80 Donald Washington# F United States New York Knicks Denver Nuggets(ABA)
5 81 Cliff Pratt# G United States Detroit Pistons Shaw College(Sr.)
5 82 Mike Odemns# C United States Cleveland Cavaliers Western Kentucky(Sr.)
5 83 Rick Whitlow# G United States Houston Rockets Illinois State(Sr.)
5 84 Dwain Govan# G United States Seattle SuperSonics Bishop(Sr.)
5 85 Ed Stahl# F United States Kansas City Kings North Carolina(Sr.)
5 86 Bob Iverson# F United States Chicago Bulls North Texas(Sr.)
5 87 Larry Pounds# F United States Golden State Warriors Washington(Sr.)
5 88 Sam Berry# F United States Buffalo Braves Armstrong Atlantic State(Sr.)
5 89 Darryl Brown# C United States Boston Celtics Fordham(Sr.)
5 90 Rich Jones# G United States Washington Bullets VCU(Sr.)
6 91 Rick Schmidt# F United States New Orleans Jazz Illinois(Sr.)
6 92 Don Ford F United States Los Angeles Lakers UC Santa Barbara(Sr.)
6 93 Danny Williams# F United States Atlanta Hawks Mississippi College(Sr.)
6 94 Biff Burrell# G United States Phoenix Suns USC(Sr.)
6 95 Ken Alston# F United States Philadelphia 76ers Valdosta State(Sr.)
6 96 Oliver Purnell# G United States Milwaukee Bucks Old Dominion(Sr.)
6 97 Gerald Willett# F United States Portland Trail Blazers Oregon(Sr.)
6 98 Allen Spruill# F United States Detroit Pistons North Carolina A&T(Sr.)
6 99 Henry Ward G/F United States Cleveland Cavaliers Jackson State(Sr.)
6 100 Hank Williams# F United States New York Knicks Utah Stars(ABA)
6 101 William Johnson# F United States Houston Rockets Texas Tech(Sr.)
6 102 Larry Smith# F United States Seattle SuperSonics North Carolina A&T(Jr.)
6 103 Clint Chapman# F United States Kansas City Kings USC(Sr.)
6 104 Bill Andreas# F United States Chicago Bulls Ohio State(Sr.)
6 105 Tony Styles# G United States Golden State Warriors San Francisco(Sr.)
6 106 George Jackson# G United States Buffalo Braves Charlotte(Sr.)
6 107 John Garrett# C United States Washington Bullets Purdue(Sr.)
6 108 Rick Coleman# G United States Boston Celtics Jacksonville(Sr.)
7 109 Bill Higgins# G United States New Orleans Jazz Virginia Squires(ABA)
7 110 Rick Suttle# F United States Los Angeles Lakers Kansas(Sr.)
7 111 Gus Johnson# F United States Atlanta Hawks Winona State(Sr.)
7 112 Dave Edmonds# G United States Phoenix Suns West Georgia(Sr.)
7 113 Mike Flynn G United States Philadelphia 76ers Kentucky(Sr.)
7 114 Steve Fields# F United States Portland Trail Blazers Miami (Ohio)(Sr.)
7 115 Wilbur Thomas# F United States Milwaukee Bucks American(Sr.)
7 116 Shawn Leftwich# F United States Cleveland Cavaliers Jacksonville(Sr.)
7 117 Pete Davis# G United States New York Knicks Michigan State(Sr.)
7 118 Ike Williams# G United States Detroit Pistons Armstrong Atlantic State(Sr.)
7 119 Nate Barnett# G United States Houston Rockets Akron(Sr.)
7 120 Hollis Miller# F United States Seattle SuperSonics Drury(Sr.)
7 121 Wayne Croft# F United States Kansas City Kings Clemson(Sr.)
7 122 John Grochowalski# F United States Chicago Bulls Assumption(Sr.)
7 123 Stan Boyer# F United States Golden State Warriors Wyoming(Sr.)
7 124 Mike Franklin# F United States Buffalo Braves Cincinnati(Sr.)
7 125 Al Boswell# G United States Boston Celtics Oral Roberts(Sr.)
7 126 Fletcher Johnson# F United States Washington Bullets Randolph–Macon(Sr.)
8 127 Harvey Carmichael# G United States New Orleans Jazz Kentucky State(Sr.)
8 128 Mike Cashman# F United States Los Angeles Lakers Willamette(Sr.)
8 129 Oscar Jackson# G United States Atlanta Hawks Duquesne(Sr.)
8 130 Jack Schrader# F United States Phoenix Suns Arizona State(Sr.)
8 131 Freeman Blade# G United States Philadelphia 76ers Eastern Montana(Jr.)
8 132 Bob McCurdy# F United States Milwaukee Bucks Richmond(Sr.)
8 133 Charlie Neal# G United States Portland Trail Blazers Oregon State(Sr.)
8 134 Jerry Homan# F United States New York Knicks Marquette(Sr.)
8 135 John Kelley# G United States Detroit Pistons Dillard(Sr.)
8 136 Andre McCarter G United States Cleveland Cavaliers UCLA(Jr.)
8 137 Leon Johnson# F United States Houston Rockets Centenary(Sr.)
8 138 Ken McKenzie# C Canada Seattle SuperSonics Montana(Sr.)
8 139 Jim Bostic F United States Kansas City Kings New Mexico State(Sr.)
8 140 John Murphy# F United States Chicago Bulls UMass(Sr.)
8 141 Mike Rozenski# F United States Golden State Warriors Saint Mary's (California)(Sr.)
8 142 Allan Jones# F United States Buffalo Braves San Diego(Sr.)
8 143 Bruce Hamming# C United States Washington Bullets Augustana College (Illinois)(Sr.)
8 144 Roger Morningstar# F United States Boston Celtics Kansas(Sr.)
9 145 Fred Stokes# G United States New Orleans Jazz Barber–Scotia(Sr.)
9 146 Dave Schlesser# C United States Atlanta Hawks Morningside(Sr.)
9 147 Owen Brown# F United States Phoenix Suns Maryland(Sr.)
9 148 Larry Haralson# F United States Philadelphia 76ers Drake(Sr.)
9 149 Quentin Braxton# F United States Portland Trail Blazers Portland(Sr.)
9 150 Eric Hayes# G United States Milwaukee Bucks Montana(Sr.)
9 151 Terry Thomas F United States Detroit Pistons Detroit(Sr.)
9 152 Skip Howard# F United States Cleveland Cavaliers Bowling Green(Sr.)
9 153 Tim van Blommesteyn# G United States New York Knicks Princeton(Sr.)
9 154 Steve Strother# G United States Houston Rockets Providence(Sr.)
9 155 Rich Haws# F United States Seattle SuperSonics Utah State(Sr.)
9 156 Gary Tomaszewski# F United States Chicago Bulls St. Mary's (Texas)(Sr.)
9 157 Scott Trobbe# F United States Golden State Warriors Stanford(Sr.)
9 158 George Rautins# G Canada Buffalo Braves Niagara(Sr.)
9 159 Robert Rhodes# F United States Boston Celtics Albany State(Sr.)
9 160 Doug Brookins# F United States Washington Bullets Creighton(Sr.)
10 161 Alexander Belov# F Soviet Union New Orleans Jazz Spartak Leningrad(Soviet Union)
10 162 Vic Kelly# G United States Atlanta Hawks Hawaii(Sr.)
10 163 Mike Moon# G United States Phoenix Suns Arizona State(Sr.)
10 164 Ric Reed# G United States Philadelphia 76ers Azusa Pacific(Sr.)
10 165 Romie Thomas# G United States Milwaukee Bucks Wisconsin–Eau Claire(Sr.)
10 166 Tyree Foster# F United States Portland Trail Blazers Portland State(Sr.)
10 167 Eric Anderson# G United States Cleveland Cavaliers Macalester(Sr.)
10 168 Moe Rivers# G United States New York Knicks NC State(Sr.)
10 169 Mickey Fox# G United States Detroit Pistons Saint Mary's (Halifax)(Sr.)
10 170 Jerry Bellotti# F United States Seattle SuperSonics Santa Clara(Sr.)
10 171 Maurice Harper# G United States Golden State Warriors Saint Mary's (California)(Sr.)
10 172 Art Allen# G United States Buffalo Braves Pepperdine(Jr.)
10 173 Mike Fahey# G United States Washington Bullets Brandeis(Sr.)
10 174 Bill Endicott# G United States Boston Celtics UMass(Sr.)

Notable undrafted players

[edit]

These players were not selected in the 1975 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.

Player Pos. Nationality School/club team
Robin Jones F United States Saint Louis(Sr.)
Irv Kiffin F United States Oklahoma Baptist(Sr.)

Trades

[edit]
  • a 12On May 20, 1974, theAtlanta HawksacquiredBob Kauffman,Dean Meminger,1974 and 1975 first-round picks, 1975 and 1976 second-round picks, and a 1980 third-round pick from theNew Orleans Jazzin exchange forPete Maravich.[26]The Hawks used the picks to draft David Thompson and Bill Willoughby.
  • b 12On October 8, 1974, the New Orleans Jazz acquired Russ Lee and a first-round pick from theMilwaukee Bucksin exchange forSteve Kuberskiand a second-round pick.[27]Previously, the Jazz acquiredNeal Walkand the pick on September 16, 1974, from thePhoenix Sunsin exchange forDennis Awtrey,Nate Hawthorne,Curtis Perryand a 1976 first-round pick.[28]The Jazz used the pick to draft Rich Kelley. The Bucks used the pick to draft Clyde Mayes.
  • cOn May 17, 1974, theLos Angeles Lakersacquired a first-round pick from theCleveland Cavaliersin exchange forJim Chones.[29]The Lakers used the pick to draft Junior Bridgeman.
  • dOn May 28, 1975, theKansas City Kingsacquired the tenth pick from the New Orleans Jazz in exchange forRon Behagenand a 1976 second-round pick.[30]Previously the Jazz acquiredHenry Bibbyand a first-round pick on February 1, 1975, from the New York Knicks in exchange forJim Barnettand Neal Walk.[28]Previously the Knicks acquired the pick on December 26, 1974, from theDetroit Pistonsin exchange forHoward Porter.[31]The Kings used the pick to draft Bill Robinzine.
  • eOn September 3, 1974, theGolden State WarriorsacquiredClifford Rayand a first-round pick from theChicago Bullsin exchange forNate Thurmond.[32]The Warriors used the pick to draft Joe Bryant.
  • f 12On the draft-day, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquiredButch Beard,a first-round pick and a second-round pick from the Golden State Warriors in exchange forDwight Davis.[33]The Cavaliers used the picks to draft John Lambert and Mel Utley.
  • gOn the draft-day, the Phoenix Suns acquired a first-round pick from theBuffalo Bravesin exchange for a 1976 first-round pick.[34]The Suns used the pick to draft Ricky Sobers.
  • hOn September 24, 1974, the Golden State Warriors acquired a second-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange forZelmo Beaty.[35]The Warriors used the pick to draft Gus Williams.
  • iOn January 7, 1974, the Chicago Bulls acquired a second-round pick from theSeattle SuperSonicsin exchange forJohn Hummer.[36]The Bulls used the pick to draft Steve Green.
  • jOn May 28, 1974, the New York Knicks acquired Howard Porter and a second-round pick from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for a 1974 first-round pick.[31]Previously the Bulls acquired John Hummer, the pick and a 1974 second-round pick on September 10, 1973, from the Buffalo Braves in exchange forGar HeardandKevin Kunnert.[36]The Knicks used the pick to draft Larry Fogle.
  • kOn September 6, 1974, the Phoenix Suns acquiredDave Stallworthand a second-round pick from theWashington Bulletsin exchange forClem Haskins.[37]The Suns used the pick to draft Allen Murphy.
  • lOn May 23, 1975, the Phoenix Suns acquiredPaul Westphal,1975 and 1976 second-round picks from theBoston Celticsin exchange forCharlie Scott.[38]The Suns used the pick to draft Jimmy Dan Conner.
  • mOn December 6, 1974, the New Orleans Jazz acquired a third-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange forStu Lantz.[39]The Jazz used the pick to draft Jim McElroy.
  • nOn August 20, 1974, the Washington Bullets acquiredDick Gibbsand a third-round pick from the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange forArchie Clark.[40]The Bullets used the pick to draft Tom Kropp.
  • oOn September 18, 1974, thePortland Trail Blazersacquired a third-round pick from the Chicago Bulls in exchange forMickey Johnson.[41]The Blazers used the pick to draft Gus Gerard.
  • pOn October 9, 1973, the Phoenix Suns acquired 1974 and 1975 third-round picks from the Washington Bullets (as the Capital Bullets) in exchange forWalt Wesley.[42]The Suns used the pick to draft Bayard Forrest.

Early entrants

[edit]

College underclassmen

[edit]

For the fifth straight year in a row, the NBA would utilize the hardship exception for young underclassmen to enter the NBA draft. For the second straight year in a row, twenty underclassmen initially declared entry for this year's draft, but three of these players in theUniversity of Notre Dame'sAdrian Dantley,Morris Brown College'sHarry Davis,andTunxis Community College's Glenn Matthews would later decline entry into this year's draft. The followingcollege basketballplayers successfully applied for an NBA hardship.[43]

High school players

[edit]

This year's draft was also the first one in NBA history to officially allow for high school seniors to enter the NBA draft via hardship exceptions. This year saw two high school players qualify for these hardships. It was also the only NBA draft to see high school declare their entry into the NBA directly from high school until1995.The following high school basketball players successfully applied for an NBA hardship.[43]

Supplementary draft

[edit]
A man, wearing a black shirt and blue-red jacket with the logo NBA on it, is sitting on a chair while posing for a photo. He is surrounded by four other men, while a gold trophy is placed on his right.
Moses Malonewas selected by theNew Orleans Jazzwith the first pick.

On December 9, 1975, the NBA planned to host a supplementary draft to settle negotiating rights to five ABA players who had never been eligible for the NBA draft because their college classes had not graduated and they had not apply for hardship. The teams selected in reverse order of their win–loss record in theprevious season.The team that made a selection must withdraw their equivalent selection in the1976 draft.[44]The teams were allowed to not exercise their rights on this hardship draft and thus retained their full selection in the 1976 Draft. The draft itself attracted strong opposition from the ABA who accuse the NBA trying to reduce confidence in the stability of their league. Despite the initial postponement of the draft, the draft was finally held on December 30, 1975.[45]

TheNew Orleans Jazzused the first pick to selectMoses Malone,a former high school player who went directly to professional basketball after he was drafted in the 1974 ABA Draft. TheLos Angeles Lakersused the second pick to selectMark Olberding,a college freshman who was drafted in the 1974 ABA Draft. Because the Jazz and the Lakers had traded their first-round picks in the 1976 Draft, they had to forfeit their first-round pick in the1977 draft.[46]The other players selected wereMel Bennett,Skip WiseandCharles Jordanin the second, third and fourth-round respectively. All players, except Wise, were under contract with their ABA team at the time of the draft.[47]They remained with their team until the end of the season. After theVirginia Squiresfolding before theABA– NBA mergerin June 1976, Bennett joined the team that drafted him, the Philadelphia 76ers.[48]Under the merger agreement, the Jazz and the Lakers had to yield their rights to Malone and Olberding and they regained their 1977 first-round picks.[49]Malone was later drafted by thePortland Trail Blazersin theABA Dispersal Draft,while Olberding remained with the Spurs who joined the NBA.[50][51]Two other draftees, Wise and Jordan never played in the NBA.[52][53]

Round Pick Player Pos. Nationality Team ABA team
1 1 Moses Malone^ F/C United States New Orleans Jazz Spirits of St. Louis
1 2 Mark Olberding F United States Los Angeles Lakers San Antonio Spurs
2 3 Mel Bennett F United States Philadelphia 76ers Virginia Squires
3 4 Skip Wise# G United States Golden State Warriors San Antonio Spurs
4 5 Charles Jordan# F United States Buffalo Braves Indiana Pacers

Notes

[edit]

^1:Lloyd Free changed his first name into World, his nickname, in 1981 and is commonly known as World B. Free.[54]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
General
  • "Complete First Round Results 1970–79".NBA.Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived fromthe originalon July 25, 2010.RetrievedJuly 16,2010.
  • "1975 NBA Draft".basketball-reference.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2010.RetrievedJuly 16,2010.
  • "1972–1976 NBA Drafts".The Association for Professional Basketball Research.RetrievedJuly 16,2010.
Specific
  1. ^"Evolution of the Draft and Lottery".NBA.Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived fromthe originalon July 22, 2010.RetrievedJuly 16,2010.
  2. ^"Kings Drop Omaha From Name".The Milwaukee Journal.Newspaper, Inc. March 18, 1975. Archived fromthe originalon June 29, 2012.RetrievedJuly 16,2010.
  3. ^"Burden, Dantley top list".Lawrence Daily Journal-World.Lawrence, Kansas: The World Company. May 9, 1975.RetrievedJuly 16,2010.
  4. ^"Spencer Haywood Bio".NBA.Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.RetrievedJuly 16,2010.
  5. ^"David Thompson Bio".NBA.Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived fromthe originalon July 16, 2010.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  6. ^"David Thompson Statistics".basketball-reference.Archivedfrom the original on July 21, 2010.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  7. ^"Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees".basketball-reference.Archivedfrom the original on July 10, 2010.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  8. ^"Marvin Webster Statistics".basketball-reference.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  9. ^"Thompson Is Highest Paid Rookie Star".The Victoria Advocate.Victoria, Texas. July 12, 1975.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  10. ^"Gus Williams Statistics".basketball-reference.Archivedfrom the original on July 1, 2010.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  11. ^"World B. Free Statistics".basketball-reference.Archivedfrom the original on July 17, 2010.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  12. ^"Dan Roundfield Statistics".basketball-reference.Archivedfrom the original on June 28, 2010.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  13. ^"Rookie of the Year".NBA.Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived fromthe originalon July 6, 2010.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  14. ^"Alvan Adams Statistics".basketball-reference.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  15. ^"Lionel Hollins Statistics".basketball-reference.Archivedfrom the original on July 31, 2010.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  16. ^"Lionel Hollins Coaching Record".basketball-reference.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  17. ^Broussard, Chris (November 16, 2003)."Why Pros Spent 20 Years Shunning High Schoolers".The New York Times Company.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  18. ^Deford, Frank (February 19, 1979)."Bounding Into Prominence".Sports Illustrated.Time Warner Company. Archived fromthe originalon April 19, 2010.RetrievedJuly 16,2010.
  19. ^"Pistons Can't Use 7-Foot Prep".Lawrence Journal-World.Lawrence, Kansas: The World Company. July 3, 1962.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  20. ^Hilton, Dan (July 14, 2008)."Doesn't the Extra Year Help Teams?".NBA /Suns.Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  21. ^"Darryl Dawkins Statistics".basketball-reference.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2010.RetrievedJuly 26,2010.
  22. ^"Bill Willoughby Statistics".basketball-reference.Archived fromthe originalon April 9, 2014.RetrievedJuly 26,2010.
  23. ^"Aleksander Belov Bio".FIBA. February 24, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon July 11, 2011.RetrievedNovember 29,2010.
  24. ^"Bruce Seals Statistics".basketball-reference.Archivedfrom the original on July 2, 2010.RetrievedJuly 18,2010.
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