1971 NBA draft
The 1971 NBA draft was the 25th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA), held on March 29 and 30, 1971, in New York City, in which the league's 17 teams selected eligible amateur players over 19 rounds, resulting in 237 total picks.[1] Of these, 54 draftees ultimately appeared in at least one NBA game, with the draft emphasizing college seniors but also marking the introduction of a supplemental "hardship" provision allowing underclassmen to enter early under financial distress criteria, following the U.S. Supreme Court's antitrust ruling in Spencer Haywood's favor.[2][3] This event was pivotal for bolstering the rosters of the NBA's three expansion franchises—the Buffalo Braves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Portland Trail Blazers—all of which had joined the league ahead of the 1970–71 season and participated in a prior expansion draft but required additional young talent to compete.[4] The draft's top selection process highlighted the expansion teams' stakes, as the Cleveland Cavaliers won a coin flip against the Portland Trail Blazers for the first overall pick after both finished with the league's worst records in their inaugural season.[5] Cleveland selected Austin Carr, a prolific scoring guard from Notre Dame who had led the nation in scoring during his senior year at 38.0 points per game, adding immediate offensive firepower to the franchise.[1] Portland followed by drafting Sidney Wicks, a versatile forward from UCLA and a two-time All-American, who quickly emerged as a star and earned the NBA Rookie of the Year honors in the 1971–72 season with averages of 24.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.[1][6] Other standout first-round selections included Elmore Smith, a 7-foot center from Kentucky State taken third overall by Buffalo, who anchored the Braves' frontcourt as a defensive force during his rookie season; Clifford Ray, a defensive-minded center from Oklahoma selected fourth by San Francisco, who later became a key contributor on championship-caliber teams; and Curtis Rowe, a forward from UCLA picked 11th by Detroit, contributing 17.4 points per game as a rookie.[1] Later rounds yielded additional impact players, such as Spencer Haywood, the ABA's reigning star who was selected 30th overall by Buffalo after his legal battle paved the way for early professional entry, though he remained with the ABA's Seattle SuperSonics initially.[1] The draft also featured Fred Brown, a sharpshooting guard taken 22nd by Seattle, who went on to become a franchise icon with the SuperSonics over a 13-year career. Overall, the 1971 draft class produced several long-term contributors amid the NBA-ABA rivalry era, with three first-rounders earning All-Star nods in their careers and the group collectively amassing over 100,000 regular-season points.[1] While not regarded as one of the league's deepest classes, it provided foundational pieces for expansion squads and exemplified the evolving rules on player eligibility that would shape future drafts.[3]Background
Eligibility and Selection Process
The primary eligibility criterion for the 1971 NBA Draft stipulated that players must be four years removed from their high school graduating class to declare for the draft, a rule established since the league's inception in 1946 that typically required completion of four years of college eligibility. This standard aimed to ensure players had sufficient development time post-high school before entering professional basketball. Exceptions under a newly implemented hardship provision allowed certain undergraduates to apply for early entry by demonstrating financial need, though such cases were handled separately and are detailed in subsequent sections on supplemental drafts. The draft selection process allocated picks to the league's 17 teams in reverse order of their win-loss records from the 1970-71 season, prioritizing expansion franchises like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Buffalo Braves, and Portland Trail Blazers, which had no prior standings and were placed at the top alongside the worst-performing teams. For teams tied in records, the order was determined by a coin flip; a coin flip on March 15, 1971, between the worst teams in each conference—the Cleveland Cavaliers (Eastern Conference, 15–67) and Portland Trail Blazers (Western Conference, 29–53)—resulted in Cleveland winning the No. 1 overall selection. Territorial picks, which had permitted teams to claim local college stars in lieu of their first-round choice, were no longer in use after the 1965 draft and thus did not apply to the 1971 proceedings. The draft spanned 19 rounds, held over two days on March 29-30, 1971, at the New York Hilton in New York City, allowing each team up to 19 selections in total. The rival American Basketball Association's growing presence had begun to siphon elite prospects from the college ranks, subtly influencing the NBA's available talent pool.Team Draft Order Determination
The 1971 NBA draft order was established by arranging the league's 17 teams in reverse order of their regular-season winning percentages from the 1970–71 season, a standard procedure that awarded the earliest selections to the poorest-performing teams to aid competitive balance.[7] Ties in winning percentage were resolved through coin flips conducted by NBA Commissioner Walter Kennedy.[1] This system applied uniformly, with no picks forfeited due to penalties or other league actions.[1] As newcomers to the league for the 1970–71 season, the expansion franchises—Buffalo Braves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Portland Trail Blazers—posted the three worst records (22–60, 15–67, and 29–53, respectively), thereby claiming the top three selections and significantly shaping the early draft structure by prioritizing roster-building for these teams.[7] To determine the very first pick, the NBA employed a coin-flip tiebreaker between the worst team in each conference: Cleveland (Eastern Conference) and Portland (Western Conference). Cleveland won the flip, securing the No. 1 overall selection, while Portland received No. 2; Buffalo, as the next-worst team league-wide, was assigned No. 3.[5] The rest of the order proceeded in reverse winning percentage, with one additional coin flip between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns (both 48–34) placing the Lakers at No. 13 and Phoenix at No. 14.[1] Prior trades from previous seasons did not alter the baseline first-round order, as all teams retained their assigned positions entering the draft; any subsequent pick swaps occurred on draft day or later.[1]| Pick | Team | 1970–71 Record | Winning % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 15–67 | .183 |
| 2 | Portland Trail Blazers | 29–53 | .354 |
| 3 | Buffalo Braves | 22–60 | .268 |
| 4 | Cincinnati Royals | 33–49 | .402 |
| 5 | Atlanta Hawks | 36–46 | .439 |
| 6 | Seattle SuperSonics | 38–44 | .463 |
| 7 | San Diego Rockets | 40–42 | .488 |
| 8 | San Francisco Warriors | 41–41 | .500 |
| 9 | Baltimore Bullets | 42–40 | .512 |
| 10 | Boston Celtics | 44–38 | .537 |
| 11 | Detroit Pistons | 45–37 | .549 |
| 12 | Philadelphia 76ers | 47–35 | .573 |
| 13 | Los Angeles Lakers | 48–34 | .585 |
| 14 | Phoenix Suns | 48–34 | .585 |
| 15 | Chicago Bulls | 51–31 | .622 |
| 16 | New York Knicks | 52–30 | .634 |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | 66–16 | .805 |
Main Draft
Overall Structure and Key Dates
The 1971 NBA draft was held over two days in New York City, with the first ten rounds conducted on March 29 and the remaining rounds on March 30.[8] The event took place at a time when the league consisted of 17 teams, and the draft followed the standard territorial pick rules alongside reverse order of previous season's standings for determining selection order.[1] Comprising 19 rounds in total, the draft resulted in 237 selections, though not all picks were uniformly distributed due to occasional forfeitures or trades.[9] Ultimately, 54 of these draftees appeared in at least one NBA game, highlighting the era's expansive draft format that often extended deep into later rounds for potential talent.[1] The Cleveland Cavaliers held the first overall pick and selected guard Austin Carr from Notre Dame, who went on to average 21.0 points per game over his first three seasons despite injury challenges.[1] This draft class is notable for producing seven players who earned at least one NBA All-Star selection, including Austin Carr (1), Fred Brown (1), Artis Gilmore (6), Spencer Haywood (4), Curtis Rowe (1), Randy Smith (3), and Sidney Wicks (4).[10] Two inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame emerged from the class: Haywood, selected 30th overall by the Buffalo Braves, and Gilmore, taken 117th overall by the Chicago Bulls.[10] Wicks, picked second overall by the Portland Trail Blazers, was honored as the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 1971-72 season after averaging 24.5 points and 11.5 rebounds.[11]Round-by-Round Highlights
The first round of the 1971 NBA draft consisted of 17 picks, with teams selecting a mix of players expected to fill roles as scorers, rebounders, and defenders based on their college performances. The selections showed a clear emphasis on forwards and guards, who comprised the majority of the round, over centers, reflecting teams' needs for versatile perimeter and frontcourt talent amid the league's evolving style of play.[1][9] The complete first-round picks were as follows:| Pick | Team | Player | College | Position/Expected Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Austin Carr | Notre Dame | Guard; sharpshooting scorer from a standout senior season averaging 34.8 points per game.[1] |
| 2 | Portland Trail Blazers | Sidney Wicks | UCLA | Forward; athletic forward with strong rebounding, coming off a Final Four appearance.[1] |
| 3 | Buffalo Braves | Elmore Smith | Kentucky State | Center; dominant big man known for shot-blocking and rebounding in a smaller college program.[1] |
| 4 | Cincinnati Royals | Ken Durrett | La Salle | Forward; versatile scorer and rebounder from an NIT semifinalist team.[1] |
| 5 | Atlanta Hawks | George Trapp | Long Beach State | Forward/Center; physical interior player expected to provide rebounding depth.[1] |
| 6 | Seattle SuperSonics | Fred Brown | Iowa | Guard; quick playmaker with defensive skills from a solid Big Ten campaign.[1] |
| 7 | Houston Rockets | Cliff Meely | Colorado | Forward; high-scoring forward averaging over 20 points in college.[1] |
| 8 | Golden State Warriors | Darnell Hillman | San Jose State | Forward; rebounding specialist with strong post presence.[1] |
| 9 | Baltimore Bullets | Stan Love | Oregon | Forward (1949–2025); athletic forward noted for dunking ability and fast-break contributions. Father of NBA champion Kevin Love and brother of Beach Boys co-founder Mike Love; passed away in April 2025 after battling illness.[12][1] |
| 10 | Boston Celtics | Clarence Glover | Western Kentucky | Forward; tough defender and rebounder from a mid-major program.[1] |
| 11 | Detroit Pistons | Curtis Rowe | UCLA | Forward; rebounding forward from a national championship team.[1] |
| 12 | Philadelphia 76ers | Dana Lewis | Tulsa | Forward; scoring forward with size for the position.[1] |
| 13 | Los Angeles Lakers | Jim Cleamons | Ohio State | Guard; steady ball-handler expected to back up point guard duties.[1] |
| 14 | Phoenix Suns | John Roche | South Carolina | Guard; prolific college scorer averaging 25.7 points as a senior.[1] |
| 15 | Chicago Bulls | Kenny McIntosh | Eastern Michigan | Guard; defensive-minded guard from a smaller conference.[1] |
| 16 | New York Knicks | Dean Meminger | Marquette | Guard; quick defender and perimeter shooter from a strong NIT team.[1] |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | Collis Jones | Notre Dame | Forward; multi-positional forward with rebounding prowess.[1] |