# 1976 NBA draft

The 1976 NBA draft was the 30th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 8, 1976, before the 1976–77 season. In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each conference, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Atlanta Hawks won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Chicago Bulls were awarded the second pick. The Hawks then traded the first pick to the Houston Rockets before the draft. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The New York Knicks forfeited their first-round draft pick due to their illegal signing of George McGinnis whose rights were held by the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers, the Golden State Warriors and the Buffalo Braves also forfeited their second, third and fourth-round picks respectively due to their participation in 1975 supplementary draft American Basketball Association (ABA) players who had never been drafted in the NBA. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. Before the draft, 26 college underclassmen were declared eligible for selection under the "hardship" rule. 13 of them withdrew before the draft, leaving only 13 early entry candidates eligible for selection. These players had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted them the right to start earning their living by starting their professional careers earlier. The draft consisted of 10 rounds comprising the selection of 173 players. On August 8, 1976, the league also hosted a Dispersal draft for ABA players from the Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis, who were not included in the ABA–NBA merger.

## Draft selections and draftee career notes

John Lucas from the University of Maryland was selected first overall by the Houston Rockets. Adrian Dantley from the University of Notre Dame, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was selected 6th by the Buffalo Braves. Four players from this draft, Dantley, 8th pick Robert Parish, 23rd pick Alex English and 29th pick Dennis Johnson, have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Parish was also named to the list of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996. Dantley was selected to two All-NBA Teams and six All-Star Games. Parish won three NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in the 1980s. Later in his career, he added another championship in 1997 with the Chicago Bulls. His other achievements include two All-NBA Team selections and nine All-Star Game selections. English's achievements include three All-NBA Team selections and eight All-Star Game selections. Johnson won the NBA championships, along with the Finals Most Valuable Player Award, with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979. He then won two other championships with the Celtics in the 1980s. He was selected to two All-NBA Teams, five All-Star Games and nine All-Defensive Teams.
Lonnie Shelton, the 25th pick, is the only other player from this draft who was selected to an All-Star Game. Lucas, 22nd pick Johnny Davis and 99th pick Mike Dunleavy all became head coaches after ending their playing career. Lucas has coached three teams in six seasons while Davis has coached three teams in four seasons. Dunleavy won the Coach of the Year Award in 1999 with the Portland Trail Blazers. He coached four teams in 17 seasons. Two other players drafted also went on to have coaching careers in the NBA: Dennis Johnson and seventh pick Quinn Buckner.

## Key

| Pos. | G | F | C |
| Position | Guard | Forward | Center |
| ^ | Denotes player who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| * | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game and All-NBA Team |
| $^+$ | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game |
| $^#$ | Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game |

## Draft

| Rnd. | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Team | School / club team |
| 1 | 1 | John Lucas | G | United States | Houston Rockets (from Atlanta) | Maryland (Sr.) |
| 1 | 2 | Scott May | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Indiana (Sr.) |
| 1 | 3 | Richard Washington | F/C | United States | Kansas City Kings | UCLA (Jr.) |
| 1 | 4 | Leon Douglas | F/C | United States | Detroit Pistons | Alabama (Sr.) |
| 1 | 5 | Wally Walker | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Virginia (Sr.) |
| 1 | New York Knicks (forfeited due to player signing violation) | New York Knicks (forfeited due to player signing violation) | New York Knicks (forfeited due to player signing violation) | New York Knicks (forfeited due to player signing violation) | New York Knicks (forfeited due to player signing violation) | New York Knicks (forfeited due to player signing violation) |
| 1 | 6 | Adrian Dantley^ | G/F | United States | Buffalo Braves (from New Orleans via Phoenix) | Notre Dame (Jr.) |
| 1 | 7 | Quinn Buckner | G | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Indiana (Sr.) |
| 1 | 8 | Robert Parish^ | C | United States | Golden State Warriors (from Los Angeles) | Centenary (Sr.) |
| 1 | 9 | Armond Hill | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks (from Houston) | Princeton (Sr.) |
| 1 | 10 | Ron Lee | G | United States | Phoenix Suns | Oregon (Sr.) |
| 1 | 11 | Bob Wilkerson | G/F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Indiana (Sr.) |
| 1 | 12 | Terry Furlow | G/F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Michigan State (Sr.) |
| 1 | 13 | Mitch Kupchak | F/C | United States | Washington Bullets (from Buffalo) | North Carolina (Sr.) |
| 1 | 14 | Larry Wright | G | United States | Washington Bullets | Grambling State (Jr.) |
| 1 | 15 | Chuckie Williams | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Kansas State (Sr.) |
| 1 | 16 | Norm Cook | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Kansas (Jr.) |
| 1 | 17 | Sonny Parker | G/F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Texas A&M (Sr.) |
| 2 | 18 | Willie Smith | G | United States | Chicago Bulls | Missouri (Sr.) |
| 2 | 19 | Bayard Forrest | C | United States | Seattle SuperSonics (from Atlanta via Milwaukee) | Grand Canyon (Sr.) |
| 2 | 20 | Major Jones | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers (from Kansas City via New Orleans) | Albany State (Sr.) |
| 2 | 21 | Earl Tatum | G/F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers (from Detroit via Phoenix) | Marquette (Sr.) |
| 2 | 22 | Johnny Davis | G | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Dayton (Jr.) |
| 2 | 23 | Alex English^ | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks (from New Orleans via Atlanta) | South Carolina (Sr.) |
| 2 | 24 | Scott Lloyd | F/C | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Arizona State (Sr.) |
| 2 | 25 | Lonnie Shelton$^+$ | F/C | United States | New York Knicks | Oregon State (Jr.) |
| 2 | 26 | Jacky Dorsey | F | United States | New Orleans Jazz (from Los Angeles via Phoenix and Portland) | Georgia (So.) |
| 2 | 27 | Phil Hicks | F | United States | Houston Rockets | Tulane (Sr.) |
| 2 | 28 | Bob Carrington | G/F | United States | Atlanta Hawks (from Phoenix) | Boston College (Sr.) |
| 2 | 29 | Dennis Johnson^ | G | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Pepperdine (Sr.) |
| 2 | Philadelphia 76ers (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Philadelphia 76ers (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Philadelphia 76ers (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Philadelphia 76ers (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Philadelphia 76ers (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Philadelphia 76ers (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) |
| 2 | 30 | Al Fleming | F | United States | Phoenix Suns (from Buffalo) | Arizona (Sr.) |
| 2 | 31 | Joe Pace | C | United States | Washington Bullets | Coppin State (Sr.) |
| 2 | 32 | Mo Howard | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Maryland (Sr.) |
| 2 | 33 | Butch Feher | G | United States | Phoenix Suns (from Boston) | Vanderbilt (Sr.) |
| 2 | 34 | Marshall Rogers | G | United States | Golden State Warriors | Pan American (Sr.) |
| 3 | 35 | Dallas Smith$^#$ | C | United States | Chicago Bulls | West Texas A&M (Sr.) |
| 3 | 36 | Mike Dabney$^#$ | G | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Rutgers (Sr.) |
| 3 | 37 | Lars Hansen | C | Canada | Chicago Bulls (from Kansas City) | Washington (Sr.) |
| 3 | 38 | Phil Sellers | G/F | United States | Detroit Pistons | Rutgers (Sr.) |
| 3 | 39 | Jeff Tyson$^#$ | G | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Western Michigan (Sr.) |
| 3 | 40 | Lloyd Walton | G | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Marquette (Sr.) |
| 3 | 41 | John McGill$^#$ | F | United States | New York Knicks | Alcorn State (Sr.) |
| 3 | 42 | Steve Copp$^#$ | F | United States | New Orleans Jazz | San Diego State (Sr.) |
| 3 | 43 | Tom Abernethy | F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Indiana (Sr.) |
| 3 | 44 | Barnes Hauptfuhrer$^#$ | F | United States | Houston Rockets | Princeton (Sr.) |
| 3 | 45 | Ira Terrell | F/C | United States | Phoenix Suns | SMU (Sr.) |
| 3 | 46 | Larry Cooke$^#$ | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Virginia Tech (Sr.) |
| 3 | 47 | Ron Norwood$^#$ | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | DePaul (Jr.) |
| 3 | 48 | Gary Brewster$^#$ | F | United States | Buffalo Braves | UTEP (Sr.) |
| 3 | 49 | Bill Cook$^#$ | G | United States | Washington Bullets | Memphis (Sr.) |
| 3 | 50 | Gary Cole | F/C | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Wisconsin–Parkside (Sr.) |
| 3 | 51 | Jerry Fort$^#$ | G | United States | Boston Celtics | Nebraska (Sr.) |
| 3 | Golden State Warriors (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Golden State Warriors (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Golden State Warriors (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Golden State Warriors (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Golden State Warriors (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Golden State Warriors (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) |
| 4 | 52 | Keith Starr | G/F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Pittsburgh (Sr.) |
| 4 | 53 | Tom Barker | F/C | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Hawaii (Sr.) |
| 4 | 54 | Clarence Ramsey$^#$ | G | United States | Kansas City Kings | Washington (Sr.) |
| 4 | 55 | Scott Thompson$^#$ | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Iowa (Sr.) |
| 4 | 56 | David Everett$^#$ | G | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Grand Canyon (Sr.) |
| 4 | 57 | Rick Bullock$^#$ | F | United States | New York Knicks | Texas Tech (Sr.) |
| 4 | 58 | John Service$^#$ | F | United States | New Orleans Jazz | UC Santa Barbara (Sr.) |
| 4 | 59 | Dan Frost$^#$ | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Iowa (Sr.) |
| 4 | 60 | Wayman Britt | G | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Michigan (Sr.) |
| 4 | 61 | Hercle Ivy$^#$ | G | United States | Houston Rockets | Iowa State (Sr.) |
| 4 | 62 | Paul Miller$^#$ | F | United States | Phoenix Suns | Oregon State (Sr.) |
| 4 | 63 | Willie Parr$^#$ | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | LeMoyne–Owen (Sr.) |
| 4 | 64 | Freeman Blade$^#$ | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Montana State Billings (Sr.) |
| 4 | Buffalo Braves (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Buffalo Braves (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Buffalo Braves (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Buffalo Braves (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Buffalo Braves (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) | Buffalo Braves (forfeited due to participation in 1975 supplementary draft) |
| 4 | 65 | Marion Hillard$^#$ | F | United States | Washington Bullets | Memphis (Sr.) |
| 4 | 66 | John Engles$^#$ | F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Penn (Sr.) |
| 4 | 67 | Lewis Linder$^#$ | G | United States | Boston Celtics | Kentucky State (Sr.) |
| 4 | 68 | Jeff Fosnes$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Vanderbilt (Sr.) |
| 5 | 69 | Nate Williams$^#$ | G | United States | Chicago Bulls | Illinois (Sr.) |
| 5 | 70 | Ron Davis | G/F | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Washington State (Sr.) |
| 5 | 71 | Willie Hodge$^#$ | F | United States | Kansas City Kings | Duke (Sr.) |
| 5 | 72 | Jim Hearns$^#$ | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Marymount (Sr.) |
| 5 | 73 | Gary Redding$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Auburn (Sr.) |
| 5 | 74 | Paul Griffin | F/C | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Western Michigan (Sr.) |
| 5 | 75 | Tom Lockhart$^#$ | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Manhattan (Sr.) |
| 5 | 76 | Beaver Smith$^#$ | G | United States | New York Knicks | St. John's (Sr.) |
| 5 | 77 | James Rappis$^#$ | G | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Arizona (Sr.) |
| 5 | 78 | Dave Marrs$^#$ | F | United States | Houston Rockets | Houston (Sr.) |
| 5 | 79 | Ralph Walker$^#$ | G | United States | Phoenix Suns | Saint Mary's (Sr.) |
| 5 | 80 | Robert Gray$^#$ | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Wichita State (Sr.) |
| 5 | 81 | Jeff Brown$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Missouri Western (Sr.) |
| 5 | 82 | Connie White$^#$ | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks | California (Sr.) |
| 5 | 83 | L. C. Mason$^#$ | C | United States | Washington Bullets | Alabama State (Sr.) |
| 5 | 84 | Edmund Lawrence | C | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | McNeese State (Sr.) |
| 5 | 85 | Lewis McKinney$^#$ | G | United States | Boston Celtics | Saint Louis (Sr.) |
| 5 | 86 | Carl Bird$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | California (Sr.) |
| 6 | 87 | Tom Paulin$^#$ | G | United States | Chicago Bulls | Winston-Salem State (Sr.) |
| 6 | 88 | Pete Padgett$^#$ | F | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Nevada (Sr.) |
| 6 | 89 | Andre McCarter | G | United States | Kansas City Kings | UCLA (Sr.) |
| 6 | 90 | Russell Davis$^#$ | F | United States | Detroit Pistons | Virginia Tech (Sr.) |
| 6 | 91 | Dwayne Barnett$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Samford (Sr.) |
| 6 | 92 | Phil Spence$^#$ | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | NC State (Sr.) |
| 6 | 93 | Joe Jones$^#$ | G | United States | New York Knicks | Grambling State (Sr.) |
| 6 | 94 | Bernard Tomlin$^#$ | G | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Hofstra (Sr.) |
| 6 | 95 | Ed Schweitzer$^#$ | F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Stanford (Sr.) |
| 6 | 96 | Robert Paige$^#$ | C | United States | Houston Rockets | Houston Baptist (Sr.) |
| 6 | 97 | Carl Brown$^#$ | G | United States | Phoenix Suns | Eastern Kentucky (Sr.) |
| 6 | 98 | Daryl Peterson$^#$ | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Wake Forest (Sr.) |
| 6 | 99 | Mike Dunleavy | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | South Carolina (Sr.) |
| 6 | 100 | Danny Odums$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | Fairfield (Sr.) |
| 6 | 101 | Pat Tallent$^#$ | G | United States | Washington Bullets | George Washington (Sr.) |
| 6 | 102 | Harry Davis$^#$ | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Morris Brown (Sr.) |
| 6 | 103 | Art Collins | G | United States | Boston Celtics | Biscayne (Sr.) |
| 6 | 104 | Gene Cunningham$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Norfolk State (Sr.) |
| 7 | 105 | Barry McLeod$^#$ | G | United States | Chicago Bulls | Centenary (Sr.) |
| 7 | 106 | Carl Gerlach$^#$ | F | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Kansas State (Sr.) |
| 7 | 107 | Craig Prosser$^#$ | F | United States | Kansas City Kings | Canisius (Sr.) |
| 7 | 108 | Curt Peterson$^#$ | C | United States | Detroit Pistons | Puget Sound (Sr.) |
| 7 | 109 | Al DeWitt$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Weber State (Sr.) |
| 7 | 110 | Boyd Batts$^#$ | F | United States | New York Knicks | UNLV (Sr.) |
| 7 | 111 | Andy Walker | G | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Niagara (Sr.) |
| 7 | 112 | Ron Barrow$^#$ | G | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Southern (Sr.) |
| 7 | 113 | Tommie Lipsey$^#$ | F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Cal State Los Angeles (Sr.) |
| 7 | 114 | Barry Davis$^#$ | F | United States | Houston Rockets | Texas A&M (Sr.) |
| 7 | 115 | Brad Warble$^#$ | F | United States | Phoenix Suns | Eastern Illinois (Sr.) |
| 7 | 116 | Mark Klein$^#$ | G | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Malone (Sr.) |
| 7 | 117 | Phil Walker | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Millersville (Jr.) |
| 7 | 118 | Frank Jones$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | Tennessee Tech (Sr.) |
| 7 | 119 | Ralph Vallot$^#$ | G | United States | Washington Bullets | Loyola Chicago (Sr.) |
| 7 | 120 | Johnny Britt$^#$ | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Western Kentucky (Sr.) |
| 7 | 121 | Ralph Drollinger | C | United States | Boston Celtics | UCLA (Sr.) |
| 7 | 122 | Jesse Campbell$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Mercyhurst (Sr.) |
| 8 | 123 | Dale Koehler$^#$ | F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Wisconsin (Sr.) |
| 8 | 124 | Doug Terry$^#$ | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Utah (Sr.) |
| 8 | 125 | Mike Davis$^#$ | F | United States | Kansas City Kings | Bradley (Sr.) |
| 8 | 126 | Randy Henry$^#$ | F | United States | Detroit Pistons | Illinois State (Sr.) |
| 8 | 127 | Brant Gibler$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Puget Sound (Sr.) |
| 8 | 128 | Richard Bryant$^#$ | F | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Texas State (Sr.) |
| 8 | 129 | Bob Warner$^#$ | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Maine (Sr.) |
| 8 | 130 | Rick McCutcheon$^#$ | G | United States | New York Knicks | Arizona State (Sr.) |
| 8 | 131 | Ed Gregg$^#$ | C | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Utah State (Sr.) |
| 8 | 132 | Dan Krueger$^#$ | G | United States | Houston Rockets | Texas (Sr.) |
| 8 | 133 | Tom DeBerry$^#$ | F | United States | Phoenix Suns | Northern Arizona (Sr.) |
| 8 | 134 | Norton Barnhill | G | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Washington State (Sr.) |
| 8 | 135 | Lee Dixon$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Hardin–Simmons (Sr.) |
| 8 | 136 | Mark McAndrew$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | Providence (Sr.) |
| 8 | 137 | Merlin Wilson$^#$ | C | United States | Washington Bullets | Georgetown (Sr.) |
| 8 | 138 | Tim Sisneros$^#$ | C | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Middle Tennessee (Sr.) |
| 8 | 139 | John Clark$^#$ | G | United States | Boston Celtics | Northeastern (Sr.) |
| 8 | 140 | Stan Boskovich$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | West Virginia (Sr.) |
| 9 | 141 | John Thomas$^#$ | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | UConn (Sr.) |
| 9 | 142 | Bob Kovach$^#$ | F | United States | Atlanta Hawks | San Diego State (Sr.) |
| 9 | 143 | Dave Logan$^#$ | G | United States | Kansas City Kings | Colorado (Sr.) |
| 9 | 144 | Bill Martin$^#$ | F | United States | Detroit Pistons | Hartwick (Sr.) |
| 9 | 145 | Rob Torresdal$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Linfield (Sr.) |
| 9 | 146 | Bennie Shaw$^#$ | G | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | UCF (Sr.) |
| 9 | 147 | Archie Talley$^#$ | G | United States | New York Knicks | Salem (Sr.) |
| 9 | 148 | Calvin Robinson$^#$ | F | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Mississippi Valley State (Sr.) |
| 9 | 149 | David Pickett$^#$ | F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Louisiana–Monroe (Sr.) |
| 9 | 150 | John Irving$^#$ | F | United States | Phoenix Suns | Hofstra (Jr.) |
| 9 | 151 | Ron Johnson$^#$ | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | North Carolina A&T (Sr.) |
| 9 | 152 | Fly Williams$^#$ | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Allentown Jets (EBA) |
| 9 | 153 | Bob Rozyczko$^#$ | F | United States | Buffalo Braves | St. Bonaventure (Sr.) |
| 9 | 154 | Clyde Agnew$^#$ | F | United States | Washington Bullets | Newberry (Sr.) |
| 9 | 155 | Bruce Parkinson$^#$ | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Purdue (Jr.) |
| 9 | 156 | Bill Collins$^#$ | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Boston College (Sr.) |
| 9 | 157 | Howard Smith$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | San Francisco (Sr.) |
| 10 | 158 | John Hudson$^#$ | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Concord (Sr.) |
| 10 | 159 | Mike Dickerson$^#$ | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks | South Florida (Sr.) |
| 10 | 160 | Terry Bailey$^#$ | F | United States | Kansas City Kings | North Texas (Sr.) |
| 10 | 161 | Bob Johnson$^#$ | F | United States | Detroit Pistons | Wisconsin (Sr.) |
| 10 | 162 | Marcos Leite$^#$ | C | Brazil | Portland Trail Blazers | Pepperdine (Sr.) |
| 10 | 163 | Gene Shy$^#$ | F | United States | New York Knicks | Florida (Sr.) |
| 10 | 164 | Art Johnson$^#$ | F | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Iowa State (Sr.) |
| 10 | 165 | Hugo Cabrera$^#$ | F | Dominican Republic | Milwaukee Bucks | East Texas State (Sr.) |
| 10 | 166 | Gary Jackson$^#$ | F | United States | Phoenix Suns | Arizona State (Sr.) |
| 10 | 167 | Ricky Lewis$^#$ | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Alcorn State (Sr.) |
| 10 | 168 | Ed Stefanski$^#$ | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Penn (Sr.) |
| 10 | 169 | Tim Stokes$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | Canisius (Sr.) |
| 10 | 170 | Mike Buescher$^#$ | F | United States | Washington Bullets | Seton Hall (Sr.) |
| 10 | 171 | Elisha McSweeney$^#$ | F | Bahamas | Philadelphia 76ers | Minnesota State (Sr.) |
| 10 | 172 | Otho Tucker$^#$ | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Illinois (Sr.) |
| 10 | 173 | Ken Smith$^#$ | G | United States | Golden State Warriors | San Diego (Sr.) |

## Trades

* $^{a1}$ $^2$ On June 7, 1976, the Houston Rockets acquired Dwight Jones and the first pick from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Gus Bailey, Joe Meriweather and the ninth pick. The Rockets used the pick to draft John Lucas. The Hawks used the pick to draft Armond Hill.
* $^b$ On May 29, 1975, the Buffalo Braves acquired a first-round pick from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a 1975 first-round pick. Previously, the Suns acquired Dennis Awtrey, Nate Hawthorne, Curtis Perry and the pick on September 16, 1974, from the New Orleans Jazz in exchange for Neal Walk and a 1975 second-round pick. The Braves used the pick to draft Adrian Dantley.
* $^c$ On September 6, 1974, the Golden State Warriors acquired a first-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers as compensation for the signing of Cazzie Russell as a free agent. The Warriors used the pick to draft Robert Parish.
* $^d$ On July 30, 1975, the Washington Bullets acquired a first-round pick from the Buffalo Braves in exchange for Dick Gibbs. The Bullets used the pick to draft Mitch Kupchak.
* $^{e1}$ $^2$ On October 22, 1975, the Seattle SuperSonics acquired a second-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Jim Fox. Previously, the Bucks acquired two 1976 second-round picks on June 5, 1975, from the Atlanta Hawks as a compensation when the Hawks illegally signed Julius Erving. Previously the Hawks acquired Bob Kauffman, Dean Meminger, 1974 and 1975 first-round picks, 1975 and 1976 second-round picks, and a 1980 third-round pick on May 20, 1974, from the New Orleans Jazz in exchange for Pete Maravich. The Sonics used the pick to draft Bayard Forrest. The Bucks used the pick to draft Alex English.
* $^f$ On September 16, 1974, the Portland Trail Blazers acquired Barry Clemens and future consideration (the Blazers acquired a second-round pick on May 25, 1976) from the New Orleans Jazz in exchange for Rick Roberson. Previously, the Jazz acquired Ron Behagen and the pick on May 28, 1975, from the Kansas City Kings in exchange for a 1975 first-round pick. The Blazers used the pick to draft Major Jones.
* $^g$ On November 3, 1975, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired John Roche and a second-round pick from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Pat Riley. Previously, the Suns acquired the pick on September 30, 1975, from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Earl Williams. The Lakers used the pick to draft Earl Tatum.
* $^h$ On June 3, 1976, the New Orleans Jazz acquired a 1976 second-round pick from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for a 1977 second-round pick. Previously, the Blazers acquired the pick on June 9, 1975, from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Phil Lumpkin. Previously, the Suns acquired the pick and a 1977 third-round pick on November 27, 1974, from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Corky Calhoun. The Jazz used the pick to draft Jacky Dorsey.
* $^i$ On October 8, 1973, the Atlanta Hawks acquired a 1976 second-round pick and a 1977 third-round pick from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Bob Christian. The Hawks used the pick to draft Bob Carrington.
* $^j$ On February 1, 1976, the Phoenix Suns acquired Gar Heard and a second-round pick from the Buffalo Braves in exchange for John Shumate. The Suns used the pick to draft Al Fleming.
* $^k$ On May 23, 1975, the Phoenix Suns acquired Paul Westphal, 1975 and 1976 second-round picks from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Charlie Scott. The Suns used the pick to draft Butch Feher.
* $^l$ On December 8, 1975, the Chicago Bulls acquired a 1977 second-round pick and a 1976 third-round pick from the Kansas City Kings in exchange for Matt Guokas. The Bulls used the pick to draft Lars Hansen.

## Early entrants
### College underclassmen

After five years of allowing players into the NBA draft by what was considered to be a "Hardship Draft" at the time, the NBA decided to remove the hardship factor starting with this year's draft and allow for a greater influx of younger talents to enter the draft naturally. This year saw ten college underclassmen that previously entered the 1976 NBA draft in Texas Southern's Alonzo Bradley, Oral Roberts' Arnold Dugger, Marquette's Bo Ellis, UCLA's Marques Johnson, Tennessee's Bernard King, Oral Roberts' Anthony Roberts, Clemson's Wayne Rollins, Illinois Valley Community College's Hollis Vickery, Old Dominion's Wilson Washington, and Minnesota's Ray Williams all later decline their official entry into this year's draft, with fourteen players officially entering this year's draft. The following college basketball players successfully applied for early draft entrance.
* Norm Cook – F, Kansas (junior)
* Charles Daniels – G, Rice (junior)
* Adrian Dantley – F, Notre Dame (junior)
* Johnny Davis – G, Dayton (junior)
* Jacky Dorsey – F, Georgia (sophomore)
* Edward Douglas – F, Rutgers–Newark (sophomore)
* Daryl Gainey – F, Fairmont State (junior)
* Reggie Glasgow – G, UC Irvine (junior)
* Loy Hudson – F, Albany State (junior)
* Robert Kelley – G, Guilford (junior)
* Warnel Lamb – F, Lehigh County CC (sophomore)
* Lonnie Shelton – F, Oregon State (junior)
* Richard Washington – F, UCLA (junior)
* Larry Wright – G, Grambling State (junior)

## ABA dispersal draft

On August 5, 1976, the NBA hosted a dispersal draft to select players from the Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis, the American Basketball Association (ABA) franchises that were not included in the ABA–NBA merger. (A third ABA team that had survived that league's final season, the Virginia Squires, folded operations a month before those merger talks officially began due to a failed payment to the ABA, meaning their players weren't considered eligible to be included in the dispersal draft.) The eighteen NBA teams and the four ABA teams that joined the NBA, the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets and San Antonio Spurs, were allowed to participate in the draft. The teams selected in reverse order of their win–loss percentage in the previous NBA and ABA seasons. The team that made a selection must pay a certain price for the signing rights to the player, which are set by the league's committee. The money from the draft was used to help the four ABA teams that merged with the NBA to pay off some of their obligations to the two folded ABA franchises, the Colonels and the Spirits. The team that made a selection must assume the player's ABA contract. Players who were not selected would become free agents.
Twenty players from the Colonels and the Spirits were available for the draft. Eleven were selected in the first round and the twelfth player was selected in the second round. Eight players were not selected and thus became a free agent. The Chicago Bulls used the first pick to select five-time ABA All-Star Artis Gilmore with a signing price of $1,100,000. The Portland Trail Blazers, who acquired the Atlanta Hawks' second pick, selected Maurice Lucas and Moses Malone with signing price of $300,000 and $350,000 respectively. Marvin Barnes, who was selected fourth by the Detroit Pistons was the second most expensive player in the draft with a signing price of $500,000. Several teams elected to pass their first-round picks and only the Kansas City Kings used the second-round pick. The draft continued until the third round, but no other players were selected.
| Round | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Team | ABA team | Signing price |
| 1 | 1 | Artis Gilmore^ | C | United States | Chicago Bulls | Kentucky Colonels | $1,100,000 |
| 1 | 2 | Maurice Lucas* | F/C | United States | Portland Trail Blazers (from Atlanta) | Kentucky Colonels | $300,000 |
| 1 | 3 | Ron Boone | G/F | United States | Kansas City Kings | Spirits of St. Louis | $250,000 |
| 1 | 4 | Marvin Barnes | F/C | United States | Detroit Pistons | Spirits of St. Louis | $500,000 |
| 1 | 5 | Moses Malone^ | F/C | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Spirits of St. Louis | $350,000 |
| 1 | 6 | Randy Denton | C | United States | New York Knicks | Spirits of St. Louis | $50,000 |
| 1 | 7 | Bird Averitt | G | United States | Buffalo Braves (from Milwaukee) | Kentucky Colonels | $125,000 |
| 1 | 8 | Wil Jones | F | United States | Indiana Pacers | Kentucky Colonels | $50,000 |
| 1 | 9 | Ron Thomas$^#$ | G/F | United States | Houston Rockets | Kentucky Colonels | $15,000 |
| 1 | 10 | Louie Dampier^ | G | United States | San Antonio Spurs | Kentucky Colonels | $20,000 |
| 1 | 11 | Jan van Breda Kolff | G/F | United States | New York Nets | Kentucky Colonels | $60,000 |
| 2 | 12 | Mike Barr | G | United States | Kansas City Kings | Spirits of St. Louis | $15,000 |

### Trades

* $^m$ On the draft-day, the Portland Trail Blazers acquired the second pick from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Geoff Petrie and Steve Hawes. The Blazers used the pick to draft Maurice Lucas.
* $^n$ On the draft-day, the Buffalo Braves acquired the seventh pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for a 1977 second-round pick. The Braves used the pick to draft Bird Averitt.