1979 NBA Draft Recap

The 1979 NBA Draft took place in Location Unknown on June 25, 1979

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First Round Selections

Pick Player Team Draft Trades Pos HT WT Age YOS Pre-Draft Team Class Nationality
1 Magic Johnson LAL PG 6-9 255 19 14 Michigan State So * United States
2 David Greenwood CHI F 6-9 222 22 12 UCLA Sr United States
3 Bill Cartwright NYK C 7-1 245 21 16 San Francisco Sr United States
4 Greg Kelser DET F 6-7 190 21 6 Michigan State Sr United States
5 Sidney Moncrief MIL SG 6-3 180 21 11 Arkansas Sr United States
6 James Bailey SEA FC 6-9 220 22 9 Rutgers Sr United States
7 Vinnie Johnson SEA G 6-2 200 22 13 Baylor Sr United States
8 Calvin Natt NJN F 6-6 220 22 11 Louisiana-Monroe Sr United States
9 Larry Demic NYK PF 6-9 225 21 4 Arizona Sr United States
10 Roy Hamilton DET PG 6-2 180 21 2 UCLA Sr United States
11 Cliff Robinson NJN F 6-9 220 19 11 USC So * United States
12 Jim Paxson POR SG 6-6 200 21 11 Dayton Sr United States
13 Dudley Bradley IND GF 6-6 195 22 10 North Carolina Sr United States
14 Brad Holland LAL SG 6-3 180 22 3 UCLA Sr United States
15 Phil Hubbard DET FC 6-8 215 22 10 Michigan Jr United States
16 Jim Spanarkel PHL GF 6-5 190 21 5 Duke Sr United States
17 Lee Johnson HOU PF 6-11 205 22 2 Texas A&M Commerce Sr United States
18 Reggie King KCK F 6-6 225 22 6 Alabama Sr United States
19 Wiley Peck SAN SF 6-7 220 21 1 Mississippi State Sr United States
20 Larry Knight UTH PF 6-8 220 22 2 Loyola (IL) Sr United States
21 Sly Williams NYK F 6-7 210 21 7 Rhode Island Jr * United States
22 Kyle Macy PHX G 6-3 175 22 9 Kentucky Jr United States

Second Round Selections

Pick Player Team Draft Trades Pos HT WT Age YOS Pre-Draft Team Class Nationality
23 Tico Brown UTH SG 6-5 180 21 3 Georgia Tech Sr United States
24 Johnny High PHX G 6-3 185 22 4 Nevada Sr United States
25 Oliver Mack LAL SG 6-3 185 22 3 East Carolina Sr United States
26 Bruce Flowers CLE PF 6-8 225 22 1 Notre Dame Sr United States
27 Reggie Carter NYK SG 6-3 175 21 2 St. John's Jr United States
28 Danny Salisbury GOS SF 6-6 202 22 1 Texas-RGV Sr United States
29 Tony Price DET SG 6-6 190 22 2 Pennsylvania Sr United States
30 Gary Garland DEN PG 6-4 180 21 1 DePaul Sr United States
31 Edgar Jones MIL FC 6-10 225 23 0 Nevada Sr United States
32 Tony Zeno IND SF 6-8 210 21 1 Arizona State Sr United States
33 Lawrence Butler CHI SG 6-3 180 22 1 Idaho State Sr United States
34 Kim Goetz NYK SF 6-7 195 21 0 San Diego State Sr United States
35 James Bradley ATL PF 6-8 202 23 1 Memphis Sr United States
36 Clint Richardson PHL G 6-3 195 22 9 Seattle Sr United States
37 Bernard Toone PHL PF 6-9 210 22 1 Marquette Sr United States
38 Larry Wilson ATL SF 6-5 200 N/A 0 Nicholls State Sr United States
39 Victor King LAL PF 6-9 210 21 0 Louisiana Tech Sr United States
40 Andrew Fields POR PF 6-8 200 N/A 0 Cheyney (PA) Sr United States
41 Mark Young LAL PF 6-10 238 N/A 0 Fairfield Sr United States
42 Paul Mokeski HOU C 7-0 250 22 13 Kansas Sr United States
43 Johnny Moore SEA SEA to SAN G 6-1 175 21 10 Texas Sr United States
44 Joe DeSantis WAS PG 6-2 180 21 0 Fairfield Sr United States

Third Round Selections

Pick Player Team Draft Trades Pos HT WT Age YOS Pre-Draft Team Class Nationality
45 Arvid Kramer UTH C 6-9 220 22 1 Augustana College Sr United States
46 Andrew Parker WAS SG 6-5 205 22 0 Iowa State Sr United States
47 Calvin Garrett CHI CHI to HOU PF 6-7 190 22 4 Oral Roberts Sr United States
48 Terry Duerod DET SG 6-2 180 22 4 Detroit-Mercy Sr United States
49 Cedrick Hordges CHI CHI to DEN PF 6-8 220 22 2 South Carolina Sr United States
50 Geoff Huston NYK G 6-2 175 21 9 Texas Tech Sr United States
51 John Gerdy NJN SG 6-4 185 N/A 0 Davidson Sr United States
52 Larry Gibson MIL PF 6-9 205 N/A 0 Maryland Sr United States
53 Wayne Kreklow BOS SG 6-4 190 22 2 Drake Sr United States
54 Cheese Johnson GOS SF 6-6 195 21 1 Wichita State Sr United States
55 Tom Channel SDC SG 6-3 200 N/A 0 Boston University Sr United States
56 Mickey Fox POR G 6-2 185 26 0 Saint Mary's-Halifax RS-Jr United States
57 Don March ATL PG 6-0 160 23 0 Franklin & Marshall Sr United States
58 Earl Cureton PHL PF 6-9 210 21 12 Detroit-Mercy Jr United States
59 Ricardo Brown HOU PG 6-0 190 22 0 Pepperdine Jr United States
60 Walter Daniels LAL SG 6-2 180 N/A 2 Georgia Sr United States
61 Ernesto Malcolm BOS SG 6-4 200 22 0 Briar Cliff Sr Panama
62 Terry Crosby KCK SG 6-4 195 22 1 Tennessee Sr United States
63 Sylvester Norris SAN C 6-11 220 22 1 Jackson State Sr United States
64 Al Green PHX PG 6-2 185 N/A 1 LSU Sr United States
65 Bill Laimbeer CLE C 6-11 245 22 14 Notre Dame Sr United States
66 Charles Floyd WAS F 6-7 215 N/A 0 High Point Sr United States

Fourth Round Selections

Pick Player Team Draft Trades Pos HT WT Age YOS Pre-Draft Team Class Nationality
67 Greg Deane UTH SG 6-4 190 21 1 Utah Sr United States
68 Nick Galis BOS SG 6-2 180 21 0 Seton Hall Sr United States
69 Eugene Robinson MIL PF 6-8 220 N/A 0 Louisiana-Monroe Sr United States
70 Rick Swing CLE SG 6-4 190 22 0 The Citadel Sr United States
71 Larry Rogers NYK F 6-6 210 22 0 Houston Sr United States
72 George Maynor CHI PG 6-3 - N/A 0 East Carolina Sr United States
73 James Donaldson SEA C 7-2 275 21 15 Washington State Sr England
74 Don Newman IND PG 6-2 185 21 0 Idaho Jr United States
75 Ron Ripley GOS C 6-10 215 N/A 0 Green Bay Sr United States
76 Sammy Drummer HOU SG 6-5 208 23 0 Georgia Tech Sr United States
77 Lionel Garrett SDC PF 6-9 210 N/A 0 Southern Sr United States
78 Daryll Robinson POR SG 6-4 195 N/A 0 Appalachian State Sr United States
79 Ray White LAL SG 6-5 200 N/A 0 Mississippi State Sr United States
80 Lionel Green HOU PF 6-8 205 N/A 0 LSU Sr United States
81 Ricky Reed LAL PG 6-1 170 N/A 0 Temple Sr United States
82 Jerry Sichting GOS G 6-1 168 22 11 Purdue Sr United States
83 Mike Niles PHL SF 6-6 225 24 2 Cal State Fullerton Sr United States
84 Al Daniel SAN SG 6-4 190 N/A 1 Furman Sr United States
85 John McCullough KCK SG 6-4 190 22 3 Oklahoma Sr United States
86 Malcolm Cesare PHX PF 6-8 220 23 0 Florida Sr United States
87 Richie Allen SEA SF 6-7 200 N/A 0 Cal State Dominguez Hills Sr United States
88 Lamont Reid WAS SG 6-4 190 N/A 0 Oral Roberts Sr United States

Fifth Round Selections

Pick Player Team Draft Trades Pos HT WT Age YOS Pre-Draft Team Class Nationality
89 Perry Wolfe UTH G 6-2 - 22 1 Stanford Sr United States
90 Jimmy Allen BOS - - N/A 0 New Haven Sr United States
91 Matt Simpkins CLE - - N/A 0 Georgia Southern Sr United States
92 Flintie Ray Williams DET - - N/A 0 UNLV Sr United States
93 Larry Washington CHI - - N/A 0 Drury University Sr United States
94 Johnny Green NYK - - N/A 0 UC Riverside Sr United States
95 Jim Abromaitis NJN F - - N/A 1 UConn RS-Jr United States
96 George Lett GOS - - N/A 0 Centenary Sr United States
97 Jim Tillman MIL F - - N/A 0 Eastern Kentucky Jr United States
98 Billy Reid IND SG 6-5 190 21 1 San Francisco Jr United States
99 Greg Joyner SDC - - N/A 0 Middle Tennessee State Sr United States
100 Matt White POR C 6-11 - 21 0 Pennsylvania Sr United States
101 Tiny Pinder ATL PF 6-8 210 23 0 NC State Sr Bahamas
102 Larry Williams DEN PF 6-9 - N/A 0 Louisville Sr United States
103 Carl McPipe PHL C 6-8 225 N/A 0 Nebraska Sr United States
104 Allen Leavell HOU G 6-1 170 22 10 Oklahoma City Sr United States
105 Curtis Watkins KCK - - N/A 0 DePaul Sr United States
106 Steve Schall SAN C 6-10 - N/A 0 Arkansas Jr United States
107 Mark Eaton PHX C 7-4 275 22 12 UCLA Fr United States
108 Marshall Ashford WAS - - N/A 0 Virginia Tech Sr United States

Sixth Round Selections

Pick Player Team Draft Trades Pos HT WT Age YOS Pre-Draft Team Class Nationality
109 Ernie Cobb UTH PG 5-11 180 N/A 1 Boston University Sr United States
110 Marvin Delph BOS - - N/A 0 Arkansas Sr United States
111 Truman Clayton DET G 6-1 180 22 0 Kentucky Sr United States
112 Joe Manning CLE - - N/A 0 North Texas Sr United States
113 Phil Abney NYK F 6-5 - N/A 0 New Mexico Sr United States
114 Steve Smith CHI - - N/A 0 USC Sr United States
115 Tony Smith NJN SG - - N/A 1 UNLV Jr United States
116 Derrick Mayes MIL - - N/A 1 Illinois State Sr United States
117 Greg Guye IND - - N/A 0 Stetson Jr United States
118 Jim Mitchem GOS - - N/A 0 DePaul Sr United States
119 Bob Bender SDC PG 6-2 - 22 0 Duke Jr United States
120 Ray Ellis POR - - N/A 0 Pepperdine Sr United States
121 Dwight Williams ATL - - N/A 0 Gardner-Webb Sr United States
122 Odell Ball DEN PF 6-9 205 N/A 0 Marquette Sr United States
123 Dan Hartshorne PHL - - N/A 0 Oregon Sr United States
124 Collie Davis HOU - - N/A 0 Southern Sr United States
125 Terry Knight SAN - - N/A 1 Pittsburgh Sr United States
126 Bob Roma KCK - - N/A 1 Princeton Sr United States
127 Dale Shackelford PHX GF 6-6 200 23 0 Syracuse Sr United States
128 Garcia Hopkins WAS - - N/A 1 Morgan State Sr * United States

Seventh Round Selections

Pick Player Team Draft Trades Pos HT WT Age YOS Pre-Draft Team Class Nationality
129 Paul Poe UTH F 6-8 - N/A 0 Louisiana Christian Sr United States
130 Steve Castellan BOS PF 6-8 205 N/A 0 Virginia Sr United States
131 Steve Skaggs CLE - - N/A 0 Ohio Sr United States
132 Ken Jones DET - - N/A 1 Saint Mary's Sr United States
133 Mike Eversley CHI - - N/A 0 Chicago State Sr United States
134 Marc Coleman NYK F 6-5 - N/A 0 Seton Hall Sr United States
135 Jim Strickland NJN - - N/A 0 South Carolina Jr United States
136 Dirk Ewing IND - - N/A 0 Stetson Sr United States
137 Ren Watson GOS - - N/A 0 VCU Sr United States
138 Stan Ray MIL C - - N/A 0 Cal State Fullerton Sr United States
139 Jene Grey SDC - - N/A 0 Le Moyne Sr United States
140 Jeff Tropf POR - - N/A 0 Central Michigan Sr United States
141 Tim Waterman ATL - - N/A 0 St. Bonaventure Sr United States
142 Bobby Willis PHL - - N/A 1 Pennsylvania Sr United States
143 Rich Valavicius HOU F 6-5 220 N/A 0 Auburn Sr United States
144 John Johnson DEN - - N/A 0 Creighton Sr United States
145 Nick Daniels KCK G - - N/A 0 Xavier Sr United States
146 Tyrone Branyan SAN - - N/A 0 Texas Sr United States
147 Ollie Matson PHX - - N/A 0 Pepperdine Jr United States

Eighth Round Selections

Pick Player Team Draft Trades Pos HT WT Age YOS Pre-Draft Team Class Nationality
148 Keith McDonald UTH G - - N/A 0 Utah State Sr United States
149 Glenn Sudhop BOS C 7-2 224 N/A 0 NC State Sr United States
150 Rodney Lee DET - - N/A 0 Memphis Sr United States
151 Mark Haymore CLE FC 6-8 230 N/A 0 Massachusetts Jr United States
152 Billy Tucker NYK - - N/A 0 Tennessee State Sr United States
153 Tony Warren CHI - - N/A 0 NC State Sr United States
154 Henry Hollingsworth NJN PG 5-11 - N/A 0 Hofstra Sr United States
155 Mario Butler GOS C 6-8 275 22 0 Briar Cliff Sr Panama
156 Larry Spicer MIL - - N/A 0 UAB Jr United States
157 Brian Magid IND G 6-2 - N/A 0 George Washington Sr United States
158 Renaldo Lawrence SDC - - N/A 0 Appalachian State Sr United States
159 Willie Pounds POR - - N/A 0 Chaminade Sr United States
160 John Goedeke ATL - - N/A 0 UMBC Sr United States
161 Delbert Watson HOU - - N/A 0 East Tennessee State Sr United States
162 Matt Teahan DEN - - N/A 0 Denver Sr United States
163 Rick Raivio PHL - - N/A 0 Portland Jr United States
164 Tony Vann KCK - - N/A 0 Alabama-Huntsville Sr United States
165 Charles A. Jones PHX FC 6-9 215 22 17 Albany State (GA) Sr United States
166 Jo Jo Walters WAS - - N/A 0 Manhattan Sr United States

Ninth Round Selections

Pick Player Team Draft Trades Pos HT WT Age YOS Pre-Draft Team Class Nationality
167 Milt Huggins UTH G - - N/A 0 Southern Illinois Sr United States
168 Kevin Sinnett BOS - - N/A 0 Navy Sr United States
169 Tim Joyce CLE - - N/A 0 Ohio Sr United States
170 Val Bracey DET - - N/A 0 Central Michigan Sr United States
171 James Jackson CHI - - N/A 0 Minnesota Sr United States
172 Brett Wyatt NYK - - N/A 0 New Jersey City Sr United States
173 Ricky Free NJN - - N/A 0 Columbia Sr United States
174 Roger Lapham MIL F 6-5 - N/A 0 Maine Sr United States
175 Gene Ransom GOS PG 5-8 - N/A 0 California Sr United States
176 Mike Dodd SDC - - N/A 0 San Diego State Sr United States
177 Stan Eckwood POR - - N/A 1 Harding Sr N/A
178 Cedric Oliver ATL G 6-4 - N/A 0 Hamilton College Sr United States
179 Emmett Lewis DEN G - - N/A 0 Colorado Sr United States
180 Coby Leavitt PHL - - N/A 0 Utah Jr United States
181 Gary Wilson KCK F - - N/A 0 Southern Illinois Sr United States
182 Eddie McLeod SAN - - N/A 0 UNLV Sr United States
183 Hosea Champine PHX - - N/A 0 Robert Morris Sr United States
184 Ray Hooker WAS GF 6-5 175 N/A 0 Murray State Trans United States

Tenth Round Selections

Pick Player Team Draft Trades Pos HT WT Age YOS Pre-Draft Team Class Nationality
185 Paul Dawkins UTH SF 6-5 190 22 2 Northern Illinois Sr United States
186 Alton Byrd BOS PG 5-8 - N/A 0 Columbia Sr United States
187 Willie Polk DET G 6-5 - N/A 0 Grand Canyon Sr United States
188 Terry Peavy CLE - - N/A 0 Point Park University Sr United States
189 Gordon Thomas NYK - - N/A 0 St. John's Sr United States
190 Marvin Thomas CHI F - - N/A 0 UCLA Sr United States
191 Eric Fleisher NJN - - N/A 0 Tulane Sr United States
192 Kevin Heenan GOS - - N/A 0 Cal State Fullerton Sr United States
193 Chris Fahrbach MIL - - N/A 0 North Dakota Sr United States
194 Greg Hunter SDC - - N/A 0 Loyola Marymount Sr United States
195 Kelvin Small POR - - N/A 0 Oregon Sr United States
196 Chad Nelson ATL C 6-11 - N/A 0 Drake Jr United States
197 Cortez Collins CHI - - N/A 0 Southern Indiana Sr United States
198 Keith McCord PHL F - - 22 1 UAB Sr United States
199 Glen Fine SAN G - - N/A 0 Harvard Sr United States
200 Russell Saunders KCK G - - N/A 0 New Mexico Sr United States
201 Korky Nelson PHX - - N/A 0 Santa Clara Sr United States
202 Steve Martin WAS G - - N/A 0 Georgetown Sr United States

Undrafted Players

Player Pos HT WT Age YOS Pre-Draft Team Class Nationality
Alan Hardy SG 6-7 195 22 3 Michigan Sr United States
Norman Black GF 6-5 185 21 1 Saint Joseph's Sr United States
Bill Mayfield SF 6-7 205 21 1 Iowa Sr United States

* Team owns the player's draft rights