Moses Malone Trade

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Lore & Background

Malone began his NBA career with the Buffalo Braves, who had acquired him in the 1976 ABA Dispersal Draft. After appearing in only two games for Buffalo, the Braves traded him to the Houston Rockets for first-round draft picks in 1977 and 1978. The Rockets immediately inserted Malone into the lineup alongside forward Rudy Tomjanovich. In his first season with Houston, Malone appeared in 82 games overall (including his two with Buffalo) and averaged 13.2 points per game with 13.1 rebounds per game, ranking third in the league in rebounding. He also set a then-NBA record with 437 offensive rebounds in a season, a mark he would surpass two years later. Malone helped lead the Rockets to the Eastern Conference Finals in his first season, where they lost 4–2 to the Philadelphia 76ers. Malone's time in Houston saw him develop into one of the league's premier centers. He won his first NBA Most Valuable Player Award during the 1978–79 season, averaging 24.8 points with a career-best .540 shooting percentage and a league-leading 17.6 rebounds per game. He set an all-time single-season record with 587 offensive rebounds that year. In the 1980–81 season, Malone led the Rockets to the NBA Finals, averaging 22.3 points, 15.7 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game in the six-game loss to the Boston Celtics. The following season, Malone won his second MVP award after averaging 31.1 points with 14.7 rebounds, leading the league in rebounding and offensive rebounds (558) while also leading in minutes played (3,398, 42.0 per game).

In Their Own Story

The trade that sent Moses Malone to Houston was a calculated gamble by the Rockets' front office. Buffalo had acquired Malone from the Portland Trail Blazers, who had selected him fifth overall in the 1976 ABA Dispersal Draft. Portland, already stocked with a frontline of Maurice Lucas, Bill Walton, and Lloyd Neal, chose Malone for trading purposes. They sent him to Buffalo for a first-round draft choice in the 1978 NBA draft and $232,000. After just two games, the Braves—unable to meet Malone's demands for playing time—dealt him to Houston for first-round picks in 1977 and 1978. The Rockets got a player who would go on to become a five-time All-Star in six seasons with the team, leading them to the NBA Finals in 1981 and winning two MVP awards before being traded to Philadelphia in 1982.

Reader's Guide

When the Rockets acquired Moses Malone in 1976, they were getting a player who had already proven himself in the ABA. After being selected in the third round of the 1974 ABA Draft by the Utah Stars, Malone became the first player in modern professional basketball to enter directly from high school. He was named an ABA All-Star as a rookie and averaged 17.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game over two ABA seasons. In his first NBA season with Houston, Malone set a then-NBA record with 437 offensive rebounds. He would go on to lead the NBA in rebounding six times, including a then-record five straight seasons from 1981 to 1985. His 587 offensive rebounds in the 1978–79 season remains an all-time single-season record. Malone's relentless work on the boards earned him the nickname "Chairman of the Boards."

Did You Know?

• Malone was traded to the Houston Rockets after playing only two games for the Buffalo Braves.
• In his first season with Houston, Malone set a then-NBA record with 437 offensive rebounds.
• Malone won his first NBA MVP award in the 1978–79 season while with the Rockets.
• He set an all-time single-season record with 587 offensive rebounds in the 1978–79 season.
• Malone led the Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1981, averaging 22.3 points and 15.7 rebounds in the series.