76er Deals Shake Up the Team and the Draft : Moses Malone Sent to Bullets; Cavaliers Pick Daugherty No. 1

NEW YORK —  Brad Daugherty, North Carolina’s 7-foot center, went No. 1, as expected, but to Cleveland instead of Philadelphia in a National Basketball Assn. draft marked by blockbuster trades and surprising choices Tuesday.

The Cavaliers got the 76ers’ No. 1 pick in a last-minute trade Monday night, then Philadelphia sent center Moses Malone, a three-time most valuable player, and forward Terry Catledge to the Washington Bullets for center Jeff Ruland and forward Cliff Robinson.

In an unexpected selection that caused ripples all down the line, the Indiana Pacers bypassed 7-foot center William Bedford of Memphis State for 6-8 forward Chuck Person of Auburn.

The 76ers, who won the top pick in the May 11 draft lottery, traded it to Cleveland just 30 minutes before Monday’s midnight embargo on the trading of draft positions. In exchange, the 76ers received forward Roy Hinson and future considerations.

The Cavaliers were able to work the trade in part because of the acquittal Monday of John (Hot Rod) Williams on sports bribery charges arising from the point-shaving scandal at Tulane University. The signing of Williams, whom the Cavaliers had drafted last year, made Hinson expendable.

Cleveland wanted to move up from the eighth spot in the draft, and Philadelphia apparently wanted to reduce its payroll, one of the biggest in the league.

“We had looked at every team’s situation going into the draft, and it was clear that Philadelphia was over the salary cap,” said Cavalier co-chairman Gordon Gund, who runs the club with his brother.

Said Daugherty: “Philadelphia would have been a good opportunity, but Cleveland’s also going to be a good opportunity. I know they are . . . rebuilding. Hopefully, I can lend a solid talent to the program and help them.”

The late-night deal for the No. 1 pick was not announced until Tuesday morning.

“I found out about it only two hours before the draft,” said Daugherty, who is only 20 years old despite having played four seasons at North Carolina. “I didn’t know where I was going to go and I didn’t worry about it.”

Malone said he would be happy to leave the 76ers because he felt stifled by the coaching staff.

“The coaches have been holding me back from playing my game,” he said in Houston, his hometown, where he was watching the draft at Rocket headquarters. “I know I could play better than I played last year.

“I think the situation will be much better in Washington than in Philadelphia.

“I’ll have another center taller than me,” Malone said of the Bullets’ 7-7 Manute Bol.

Malone averaged 23.8 points and 11.8 rebounds last season. An injured bone near his eye socket suffered near the end of the regular season is still healing, he said. The Cavaliers also got Ron Harper of Miami of Ohio with the eighth pick. He was the first of only seven guards selected in the first round.

Harper had been widely projected as the No. 6 choice by Phoenix, but Indiana’s surprising selection of Person scrambled the early picks.

After the NBA champion Boston Celtics had picked Maryland forward Len Bias No. 2 and Golden State had followed with 6-11 center-forward Chris Washburn of North Carolina State, the Pacers sent several teams scrambling to their telephones by taking Person.

Would the New York Knicks, expected to get Person, go for a twin-towers lineup by taking Bedford to team with Patrick Ewing?

After several minutes, the Knicks chose to stick with their plan to take a forward in the first round and selected Kentucky’s Kenny Walker, a 6-8 forward.

Phoenix, however, couldn’t resist the opportunity for a top big man and chose Bedford over Harper. Dallas then took 6-11 Roy Tarpley of Michigan before Cleveland grabbed Harper.

“I didn’t figure Indiana would draft me fourth,” Person said of the Pacers’ surprising pick. “I figured they would take a big man unless Len Bias was available. I thought I would go high, but not this high.”

Bedford, meanwhile, was disappointed. “I’m very surprised,” he said. “I heard a lot about going in the top three. I thought I would, but my thoughts don’t count.”

One of the biggest shocks of the first round occurred when the Portland Trail Blazers, who with the 14th pick had taken Walter Berry, the college player of the year from St. John’s, took Arvidas Sabonis of the Soviet Union 10 picks later.

Sabonis, a 7-footer, is considered by many to be the best non-American basketball player, but his availability is highly suspect. He was drafted in a late round by Atlanta a year ago and also reportedly is being recruited by Coach Dale Brown of Louisiana State.

Portland owner Larry Weinberg said the Blazers don’t know if there is any hope of ever seeing Sabonis in a Trail Blazer uniform. “If (getting him out of the USSR) were a lock, he would have been first in the draft,” Weinberg said.

Joining Cleveland and Portland with two first-round picks were Washington and Denver.

The Bullets took 6-9 forward John Williams of LSU and Los Angeles Crenshaw High, the youngest player in the draft at 19, with the 12th pick, and took guard Anthony Jones of Nevada Las Vegas with the 21st pick.

Denver, picking 16th and 18th, tried to bolster its backcourt and front line by taking guard Maurice Martin of St. Joseph’s and forward Mark Alarie of Duke.

NBA DRAFT / THE FIRST ROUND

Team Player Pos. School 1. Cleveland Brad Daugherty C North Carolina 2. Boston Len Bias F Maryland 3. Golden State Chris Washburn C N.C. State 4. Indiana Chuck Person F Auburn 5. New York Kenny Walker F Kentucky 6. Phoenix William Bedford C Memphis State 7. Dallas Roy Tarpley C Michigan 8. Cleveland Ron Harper G Miami (O) 9. Chicago Brad Sellers F Ohio State 10. San Antonio Johnny Dawkins G Duke 11. Detroit John Salley C Georgia Tech 12. Washington John Williams F LSU 13. New Jersey D.Washington G Syracuse 14. Portland Walter Berry F St. John’s 15. Utah Dell Curry G Virginia Tech 16. Denver Maurice Martin G St. Joseph’s 17. Sacramento Harold Pressley F Villanova 18. Denver Mark Alarie F Duke 19. Atlanta* Billy Thompson F Louisville 20. Houston Buck Johnson F Alabama 21. Washington Anthony Jones G UNLV 22. Milwaukee Scott Skiles G Michigan St. 23. Lakers* Ken Barlow F Notre Dame 24. Portland Arvidas Sabonis C (Soviet Union)

*Later, Thompson and Barlow were part of a trade between the Lakers and Atlanta.