1980 NBA Expansion Draft
Encyclopedia
The 1980 NBA Expansion Draft was the seventh expansion draft
of the National Basketball Association
(NBA). The draft was held on May 28, 1980, so that the newly founded Dallas Mavericks
could acquire players for the upcoming 1980–81 season. Dallas had been awarded the expansion team
on February 3, 1980. In an NBA expansion draft, new NBA teams are allowed to acquire players from the previously established teams in the league. Not all players on a given team are available during an expansion draft, since each team can protect a certain number of players from being selected. In this draft, each of the twenty-two other NBA teams had protected eight players from their roster and the Mavericks selected twenty-two unprotected players, one from each team.
The Mavericks were formed and owned by a group headed by Don Carter and Norm Sonju. Former Chicago Bulls
head coach and Coach of the Year
Dick Motta
was hired as the franchise's first head coach. The Mavericks' went with young players in the expansion draft and avoided selecting experienced players with large contracts or injury problems. Eighteen of the twenty-two players chosen had less than three years of NBA experience. The Mavericks' selections included former first overall pick Austin Carr
, one-time All-Defensive Team
Jim Cleamons
and eleven-year veteran Bingo Smith
. However, Cleamons and Smith never played for the Mavericks and Carr only played briefly before he was sold to the Washington Bullets
. Eleven of the selections were former first-round draft picks
. Eleven players from the expansion draft joined the Mavericks for their inaugural season, but only two played more than one season for the team. Tom LaGarde
played two seasons and Jim Spanarkel
played four seasons for the Mavericks.
Expansion draft
An expansion draft, in professional sports, occurs when a sports league decides to create one or more new expansion teams or franchises. This occurs mainly in North American sports. One of the ways of stocking the new team or teams is an expansion draft...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). The draft was held on May 28, 1980, so that the newly founded Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
could acquire players for the upcoming 1980–81 season. Dallas had been awarded the expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
on February 3, 1980. In an NBA expansion draft, new NBA teams are allowed to acquire players from the previously established teams in the league. Not all players on a given team are available during an expansion draft, since each team can protect a certain number of players from being selected. In this draft, each of the twenty-two other NBA teams had protected eight players from their roster and the Mavericks selected twenty-two unprotected players, one from each team.
The Mavericks were formed and owned by a group headed by Don Carter and Norm Sonju. Former Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
head coach and Coach of the Year
NBA Coach of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966...
Dick Motta
Dick Motta
John Richard "Dick" Motta is a former basketball coach whose career in the National Basketball Association spanned 25 years, and he continues to rank among the NBA's all-time top 10 in coaching victories....
was hired as the franchise's first head coach. The Mavericks' went with young players in the expansion draft and avoided selecting experienced players with large contracts or injury problems. Eighteen of the twenty-two players chosen had less than three years of NBA experience. The Mavericks' selections included former first overall pick Austin Carr
Austin Carr
Austin George Carr is a retired American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association. He is known by Cleveland basketball fans as "Mr. Cavalier".-Early years and high school career:...
, one-time All-Defensive Team
NBA All-Defensive Team
The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; the coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own team...
Jim Cleamons
Jim Cleamons
James Mitchell "Jim" Cleamons is a retired American professional basketball player and current coach. He played collegiately at The Ohio State University, and was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 13th pick of the 1971 NBA Draft...
and eleven-year veteran Bingo Smith
Bingo Smith
Robert "Bingo" Smith was a Forward/Guard for the San Diego Rockets , Cleveland Cavaliers and San Diego Clippers . He helped the Cavaliers win the 1975-76 NBA Central Division....
. However, Cleamons and Smith never played for the Mavericks and Carr only played briefly before he was sold to the Washington Bullets
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. Eleven of the selections were former first-round draft picks
NBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
. Eleven players from the expansion draft joined the Mavericks for their inaugural season, but only two played more than one season for the team. Tom LaGarde
Tom LaGarde
Thomas Joseph LaGarde is a retired American basketball player who played in the NBA from 1977 to 1985. After playing collegiately at the University of North Carolina, LaGarde was selected 9th overall in the first round of the 1977 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets.At 6'10" and 220 lb, LaGarde...
played two seasons and Jim Spanarkel
Jim Spanarkel
James Gerard Spanarkel is an American television analyst for the National Basketball Association. Spanarkel, who himself was a professional basketball player, was selected 16th overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 1980...
played four seasons for the Mavericks.
Key
| Pos. | G | F | C |
| Position Basketball position The three basketball positions normally employed by organized basketball teams are guard, forward, and center. More specifically, they can be classified into the five positions: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. The rules of basketball do not mandate them, and... |
Guard | Forward | Center |
Selections
| Player | Pos. | Nationality | Previous team | Years of NBA experience | Career with the franchise | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center... |
2 | — | |||
| G/F | New Jersey Nets New Jersey Nets The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
2 | ||||
| F | Houston Rockets Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being... |
3 | — | |||
| G | Phoenix Suns Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US... |
3 | — | |||
| F | Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
2 | ||||
| + | G | Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team... |
9 | |||
| G | Washington Bullets Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:... |
9 | — | |||
| G | Detroit Pistons Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where... |
1 | ||||
| G/F | Atlanta Hawks Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:... |
2 | — | |||
| G | Indiana Pacers Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association... |
3 | ||||
| G | New York Knicks New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
1 | ||||
| F/C | Portland Trail Blazers Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the... |
1 | ||||
| G/F | Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... |
2 | — | |||
| C | Denver Nuggets Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams... |
1 | — | |||
| F/C | Seattle SuperSonics Seattle SuperSonics The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as... |
3 | – | |||
| G | Kansas City Kings Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association... |
2 | — | |||
| G | San Antonio Spurs San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association .... |
1 | — | |||
| G/F | San Diego Clippers Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association... |
11 | — | |||
| G/F | Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA... |
1 | – | |||
| G | Golden State Warriors Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
2 | — | |||
| F/C | Milwaukee Bucks Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center.... |
4 | ||||
| F/C | Utah Jazz Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
2 |