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August 5, 1976: The ABA Dispersal Draft
1976 ABA Dispersal Draft
The 1976 ABA dispersal draft followed the ABA-NBA merger and involved players from the Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis, the two ABA teams that did not enter the NBA.
| Pick |
NBA Team |
Player |
Former ABA Team |
Price |
| 1 |
Chicago Bulls |
Artis Gilmore |
Kentucky Colonels |
$1,100,000 |
| 2 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Maurice Lucas |
Kentucky Colonels |
$300,000 |
| 3 |
Kansas City Kings |
Ron Boone |
Spirits of St. Louis |
$250,000 |
| 4 |
Denver Nuggets |
Marvin Barnes |
Spirits of St. Louis |
$400,000 |
| 5 |
Buffalo Braves |
Bird Averitt |
Kentucky Colonels |
$125,000 |
| 6 |
Indiana Pacers |
Wil Jones |
Kentucky Colonels |
$50,000 |
| 7 |
New York Nets |
Jan van Breda Kolff |
Kentucky Colonels |
$60,000 |
| 8 |
Philadelphia 76ers |
Caldwell Jones |
Spirits of St. Louis |
$250,000 |
| 9 |
Phoenix Suns |
M.L. Carr |
Spirits of St. Louis |
$200,000 |
| 10 |
Boston Celtics |
Kevin Joyce |
Kentucky Colonels |
$50,000 |
| 11 |
Seattle SuperSonics |
Mike Barr |
Spirits of St. Louis |
$25,000 |
Notable Players Who Were Not Selected
A few recognizable players from the Colonels and Spirits were not taken in the dispersal draft, making them free agents.
- Louie Dampier - Kentucky Colonels - subsequently signed with the San Antonio Spurs
- Ted McClain - Kentucky Colonels
- Jim Eakins - Kentucky Colonels
- Freddie Lewis - Spirits of St. Louis
Why Teams Had to Pay for the Players
This was an unusual dispersal draft because NBA teams didn't simply select the players. They had to purchase their contractual rights, with the proceeds helping cover obligations associated with bringing four ABA franchises into the NBA.
The four ABA teams admitted to the NBA were the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets and San Antonio Spurs.
The Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis were dissolved, which made their players available in the June 1976 dispersal process.
Artis Gilmore was easily the biggest prize. Chicago paid approximately $1.1 million for his rights, while Portland's acquisition of Maurice Lucas proved especially important: Lucas immediately became a central piece of the 1976-77 Trail Blazers championship team.
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