# 1975 NBA draft

The 1975 NBA draft was the 29th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 29, 1975, before the 1975–76 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, who obtained the New Orleans Jazz first-round pick in a trade, won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Los Angeles Lakers were awarded the second pick. Prior to the draft, the Kansas City-Omaha Kings were renamed the Kansas City Kings. Before the draft, 18 college underclassmen and 2 high school players were declared eligible for selection under the "hardship" rule. 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.
This was the most recent NBA draft to be held in a month other than June until 2020, but the off-season was earlier at the time. The league also hosted a supplementary draft for American Basketball Association (ABA) players who never were never drafted by the NBA teams on December 30, 1975. 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.

## Draft selections and draftee career notes

David Thompson from North Carolina State University was selected first overall by the Atlanta Hawks. He was also drafted first overall in the 1975 ABA Draft by the Virginia Squires, before the Squires traded his draft rights to the Denver Nuggets. He opted to join the ABA with the Nuggets before moving to the NBA in 1976 after both leagues merged. During his first and only season in the ABA, he won the ABA All-Star Game MVP and ABA Rookie of the Year, as well as selected to the ABA All-Star Game and All-ABA Team. His NBA achievements include two All-NBA Team selections and four NBA All-Star Game selections. For his achievements, he has been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Marvin Webster, the 3rd pick, also opted to join the ABA with the Nuggets before moving to the NBA in 1976. Thompson and Webster were the only first-round picks from the draft who declined to play in the NBA and opted to play in the ABA. Coincidentally, Webster was also drafted by the Hawks, which means that both the Hawks' first-round picks did not play with them. Instead, both signed to play for the Nuggets in the ABA.
Gus Williams, the 20th pick, joined the Seattle SuperSonics after two seasons with the Golden State Warriors. He then won the NBA championship with the Sonics in 1979. He was also selected to two All-NBA Team and two All-Star Games. World B. Free (then known as Lloyd Free), the 23rd pick, played for five teams in his 13-year career and was selected to one All-NBA Team and one All-Star Game. Dan Roundfield, the 28th pick, was also drafted in the 1975 ABA Draft. He opted to join the ABA with the Indiana Pacers before moving to the NBA in 1976. His achievements include one All-NBA Team selection, three NBA All-Star Game selections, three NBA All-Star Game selections and four NBA All-Defensive Team selections. Alvan Adams from the University of Oklahoma, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was selected 4th by the Phoenix Suns. Adams and 6th pick Lionel Hollins are the only other players from this draft who was selected to an All-Star Game. After retiring as a player, Hollins went on to have a coaching career. He was twice named as the interim head coach for the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies in 1999 and 2004 before becoming a permanent head coach in 2009.
Darryl Dawkins, the 5th pick, and Bill Willoughby, the 19th pick, became the first two high school players to directly enter the NBA after their high school graduation. They also became the second and third players to go directly from high school basketball to professional league, after Moses Malone in the 1974 ABA Draft. They also became the second and third high school players ever drafted in the NBA, after Reggie Harding in the 1962 draft. However, because the rules prevented Harding from playing in the league until one year after his high school class graduated, he had to wait a year before entering the league in 1963. Dawkins played 14 seasons in the NBA with four different NBA teams, while Willoughby played 8 seasons with six teams.
In the tenth round, the New Orleans Jazz selected a Soviet basketball player Alexander Belov with the 161st pick. Belov, who was playing with Spartak Leningrad before the draft, stayed with the club until the end of his career. He had a successful career, winning two European Cup Winners' Cup and one Soviet Union championship, as well as four gold medals with the Soviet Union national team. For his achievements, he has been inducted by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to the FIBA Hall of Fame.

## 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

| Round | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Team | School/club team |
| 1 | 1 | David Thompson^ | G/F | United States | Atlanta Hawks (from New Orleans) | North Carolina State (Sr.) |
| 1 | 2 | David Meyers | F/C | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | UCLA (Sr.) |
| 1 | 3 | Marvin Webster | C | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Morgan State (Sr.) |
| 1 | 4 | Alvan Adams$^+$ | F/C | United States | Phoenix Suns | Oklahoma (Jr.) |
| 1 | 5 | Darryl Dawkins | C | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Maynard Evans HS (Florida) (HS Sr.) |
| 1 | 6 | Lionel Hollins$^+$ | G | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Arizona State (Sr.) |
| 1 | 7 | Rich Kelley | F/C | United States | New Orleans Jazz (from Milwaukee) | Stanford (Sr.) |
| 1 | 8 | Junior Bridgeman | G/F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers (from Cleveland) | Louisville (Sr.) |
| 1 | 9 | Gene Short | F | United States | New York Knicks | Jackson State (Jr.) |
| 1 | 10 | Bill Robinzine | F | United States | Kansas City Kings (from Detroit via New York and New Orleans) | DePaul (Sr.) |
| 1 | 11 | Joe Meriweather | F/C | United States | Houston Rockets | Southern Illinois (Sr.) |
| 1 | 12 | Frank Oleynick | G | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Seattle (Jr.) |
| 1 | 13 | Bob Bigelow | G/F | United States | Kansas City Kings | Pennsylvania (Sr.) |
| 1 | 14 | Joe Bryant | F/C | United States | Golden State Warriors (from Chicago) | La Salle (Jr.) |
| 1 | 15 | John Lambert | F/C | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers (from Golden State) | USC (Sr.) |
| 1 | 16 | Ricky Sobers | G | United States | Phoenix Suns (from Buffalo) | UNLV (Sr.) |
| 1 | 17 | Tom Boswell | F/C | United States | Boston Celtics | South Carolina (Sr.) |
| 1 | 18 | Kevin Grevey | G/F | United States | Washington Bullets | Kentucky (Sr.) |
| 2 | 19 | Bill Willoughby | F/C | United States | Atlanta Hawks (from New Orleans) | Dwight Morrow HS (New Jersey) (HS Sr.) |
| 2 | 20 | Gus Williams* | G | United States | Golden State Warriors (from Los Angeles) | USC (Sr.) |
| 2 | 21 | Bruce Seals | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics (from Atlanta) | Utah Stars (ABA) |
| 2 | 22 | Clyde Mayes | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks (from Phoenix via New Orleans) | Furman (Sr.) |
| 2 | 23 | Lloyd Free* | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Guilford (Jr.) |
| 2 | 24 | Cornelius Cash | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Bowling Green (Sr.) |
| 2 | 25 | Bob Gross | G/F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Long Beach State (Sr.) |
| 2 | 26 | Luther Burden | G | United States | New York Knicks | Utah (Jr.) |
| 2 | 27 | Walter Luckett$^#$ | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Ohio (Jr.) |
| 2 | 28 | Dan Roundfield* | F/C | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Central Michigan (Sr.) |
| 2 | 29 | Jim Blanks$^#$ | G/F | United States | Houston Rockets | Gardner–Webb (Sr.) |
| 2 | 30 | Steve Green | F | United States | Chicago Bulls (from Seattle) | Indiana (Sr.) |
| 2 | 31 | Glenn Hansen | G | United States | Kansas City Kings | LSU (Sr.) |
| 2 | 32 | John Laskowski | G | United States | Chicago Bulls | Indiana (Sr.) |
| 2 | 33 | Mel Utley$^#$ | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers (from Golden State) | St. John's (Sr.) |
| 2 | 34 | Larry Fogle | G | United States | New York Knicks (from Buffalo via Chicago) | Canisius (Jr.) |
| 2 | 35 | Allen Murphy | G | United States | Phoenix Suns (from Washington) | Louisville (Sr.) |
| 2 | 36 | Jimmy Dan Conner$^#$ | G | United States | Phoenix Suns (from Boston) | Kentucky (Sr.) |
| 3 | 37 | Rudy Hackett | F | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Syracuse (Sr.) |
| 3 | 38 | Jim McElroy | G | United States | New Orleans Jazz (from Los Angeles) | Central Michigan (Sr.) |
| 3 | 39 | Jimmie Baker$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Hawaii (Sr.) |
| 3 | 40 | Otis Johnson$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Stetson (Sr.) |
| 3 | 41 | Charles Cleveland$^#$ | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Alabama (Sr.) |
| 3 | 42 | Tom Roy$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Maryland (Sr.) |
| 3 | 43 | Brian Hammel$^#$ | G | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Bentley (Sr.) |
| 3 | 44 | Pete Trgovich$^#$ | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | UCLA (Sr.) |
| 3 | 45 | Ted Hathaway$^#$ | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Cleveland State (Sr.) |
| 3 | 46 | John Ramsay$^#$ | F | United States | New York Knicks | Seton Hall (Sr.) |
| 3 | 47 | Rudy White | G | United States | Houston Rockets | Arizona State (Sr.) |
| 3 | 48 | Tom Kropp | G | United States | Washington Bullets (from Seattle) | Kearney State (Sr.) |
| 3 | 49 | Bob Guyette$^#$ | F | United States | Kansas City Kings | Kentucky (Sr.) |
| 3 | 50 | Gus Gerard | G/F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers (from Chicago) | Spirits of St. Louis (ABA) |
| 3 | 51 | Robert Hawkins | G | United States | Golden State Warriors | Illinois State (Jr.) |
| 3 | 52 | George Bucci$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | Manhattan (Sr.) |
| 3 | 53 | Jerome Anderson | G | United States | Boston Celtics | West Virginia (Sr.) |
| 3 | 54 | Bayard Forrest | C | United States | Phoenix Suns (from Washington) | Grand Canyon (Jr.) |
| 4 | 55 | Mack Coleman$^#$ | F | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Houston Baptist (Sr.) |
| 4 | 56 | C. J. Kupec | F/C | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Michigan (Sr.) |
| 4 | 57 | Monte Towe | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks | NC State (Sr.) |
| 4 | 58 | Sam McCants$^#$ | G | United States | Phoenix Suns | Oral Roberts (Sr.) |
| 4 | 59 | Louis Dunbar$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Houston (Sr.) |
| 4 | 60 | Bill Campion$^#$ | C | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Manhattan (Sr.) |
| 4 | 61 | Phil Hicks | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Tulane (Sr.) |
| 4 | 62 | Eric Fernsten | F/C | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | San Francisco (Sr.) |
| 4 | 63 | David Vaughn Jr.$^#$ | C | United States | New York Knicks | Virginia Squires (ABA) |
| 4 | 64 | Lindsay Hairston | F/C | United States | Detroit Pistons | Michigan State (Sr.) |
| 4 | 65 | Ken Smith$^#$ | F | United States | Houston Rockets | Tulsa (Sr.) |
| 4 | 66 | Jimmy Moore$^#$ | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Utah State (Sr.) |
| 4 | 67 | Kevin Cluess$^#$ | G | United States | Kansas City Kings | St. John's (Sr.) |
| 4 | 68 | Ron Haigler$^#$ | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Penn (Sr.) |
| 4 | 69 | Billy Taylor$^#$ | G | United States | Golden State Warriors | La Salle (Sr.) |
| 4 | 70 | Bob Fleischer$^#$ | F | United States | Buffalo Braves | Blue (Sr.) |
| 4 | 71 | Fessor Leonard$^#$ | C | United States | Washington Bullets | Furman (Sr.) |
| 4 | 72 | Cyrus Mann$^#$ | C | United States | Boston Celtics | Illinois State (Fr.) |
| 5 | 73 | Andre Hampton$^#$ | C | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Kentucky State (Sr.) |
| 5 | 74 | Charles Russell$^#$ | G | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Alabama (Sr.) |
| 5 | 75 | Wilbur Holland | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks | New Orleans (Sr.) |
| 5 | 76 | Joe Pace | C | United States | Phoenix Suns | Coppin State (Jr.) |
| 5 | 77 | Ken Tyler$^#$ | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Gonzaga (Sr.) |
| 5 | 78 | Maurice Presley$^#$ | C | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Houston (Sr.) |
| 5 | 79 | Jim Lee$^#$ | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Syracuse (Sr.) |
| 5 | 80 | Donald Washington$^#$ | F | United States | New York Knicks | Denver Nuggets (ABA) |
| 5 | 81 | Cliff Pratt$^#$ | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Shaw College (Sr.) |
| 5 | 82 | Mike Odemns$^#$ | C | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Western Kentucky (Sr.) |
| 5 | 83 | Rick Whitlow$^#$ | G | United States | Houston Rockets | Illinois State (Sr.) |
| 5 | 84 | Dwain Govan$^#$ | G | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Bishop (Sr.) |
| 5 | 85 | Ed Stahl$^#$ | F | United States | Kansas City Kings | North Carolina (Sr.) |
| 5 | 86 | Bob Iverson$^#$ | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | North Texas (Sr.) |
| 5 | 87 | Larry Pounds$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Washington (Sr.) |
| 5 | 88 | Sam Berry$^#$ | F | United States | Buffalo Braves | Armstrong Atlantic State (Sr.) |
| 5 | 89 | Darryl Brown$^#$ | C | United States | Boston Celtics | Fordham (Sr.) |
| 5 | 90 | Rich Jones$^#$ | G | United States | Washington Bullets | VCU (Sr.) |
| 6 | 91 | Rick Schmidt$^#$ | F | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Illinois (Sr.) |
| 6 | 92 | Don Ford | F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | UC Santa Barbara (Sr.) |
| 6 | 93 | Danny Williams$^#$ | F | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Mississippi College (Sr.) |
| 6 | 94 | Biff Burrell$^#$ | G | United States | Phoenix Suns | USC (Sr.) |
| 6 | 95 | Ken Alston$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Valdosta State (Sr.) |
| 6 | 96 | Oliver Purnell$^#$ | G | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Old Dominion (Sr.) |
| 6 | 97 | Gerald Willett$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Oregon (Sr.) |
| 6 | 98 | Allen Spruill$^#$ | F | United States | Detroit Pistons | North Carolina A&T (Sr.) |
| 6 | 99 | Henry Ward | G/F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jackson State (Sr.) |
| 6 | 100 | Hank Williams$^#$ | F | United States | New York Knicks | Utah Stars (ABA) |
| 6 | 101 | William Johnson$^#$ | F | United States | Houston Rockets | Texas Tech (Sr.) |
| 6 | 102 | Larry Smith$^#$ | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | North Carolina A&T (Jr.) |
| 6 | 103 | Clint Chapman$^#$ | F | United States | Kansas City Kings | USC (Sr.) |
| 6 | 104 | Bill Andreas$^#$ | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Ohio State (Sr.) |
| 6 | 105 | Tony Styles$^#$ | G | United States | Golden State Warriors | San Francisco (Sr.) |
| 6 | 106 | George Jackson$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | Charlotte (Sr.) |
| 6 | 107 | John Garrett$^#$ | C | United States | Washington Bullets | Purdue (Sr.) |
| 6 | 108 | Rick Coleman$^#$ | G | United States | Boston Celtics | Jacksonville (Sr.) |
| 7 | 109 | Bill Higgins$^#$ | G | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Virginia Squires (ABA) |
| 7 | 110 | Rick Suttle$^#$ | F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Kansas (Sr.) |
| 7 | 111 | Gus Johnson$^#$ | F | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Winona State (Sr.) |
| 7 | 112 | Dave Edmonds$^#$ | G | United States | Phoenix Suns | West Georgia (Sr.) |
| 7 | 113 | Mike Flynn | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Kentucky (Sr.) |
| 7 | 114 | Steve Fields$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Miami (Ohio) (Sr.) |
| 7 | 115 | Wilbur Thomas$^#$ | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | American (Sr.) |
| 7 | 116 | Shawn Leftwich$^#$ | F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jacksonville (Sr.) |
| 7 | 117 | Pete Davis$^#$ | G | United States | New York Knicks | Michigan State (Sr.) |
| 7 | 118 | Ike Williams$^#$ | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Armstrong Atlantic State (Sr.) |
| 7 | 119 | Nate Barnett$^#$ | G | United States | Houston Rockets | Akron (Sr.) |
| 7 | 120 | Hollis Miller$^#$ | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Drury (Sr.) |
| 7 | 121 | Wayne Croft$^#$ | F | United States | Kansas City Kings | Clemson (Sr.) |
| 7 | 122 | John Grochowalski$^#$ | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Assumption (Sr.) |
| 7 | 123 | Stan Boyer$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Wyoming (Sr.) |
| 7 | 124 | Mike Franklin$^#$ | F | United States | Buffalo Braves | Cincinnati (Sr.) |
| 7 | 125 | Al Boswell$^#$ | G | United States | Boston Celtics | Oral Roberts (Sr.) |
| 7 | 126 | Fletcher Johnson$^#$ | F | United States | Washington Bullets | Randolph–Macon (Sr.) |
| 8 | 127 | Harvey Carmichael$^#$ | G | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Kentucky State (Sr.) |
| 8 | 128 | Mike Cashman$^#$ | F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Willamette (Sr.) |
| 8 | 129 | Oscar Jackson$^#$ | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Duquesne (Sr.) |
| 8 | 130 | Jack Schrader$^#$ | F | United States | Phoenix Suns | Arizona State (Sr.) |
| 8 | 131 | Freeman Blade$^#$ | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Eastern Montana (Jr.) |
| 8 | 132 | Bob McCurdy$^#$ | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Richmond (Sr.) |
| 8 | 133 | Charlie Neal$^#$ | G | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Oregon State (Sr.) |
| 8 | 134 | Jerry Homan$^#$ | F | United States | New York Knicks | Marquette (Sr.) |
| 8 | 135 | John Kelley$^#$ | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Dillard (Sr.) |
| 8 | 136 | Andre McCarter | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | UCLA (Jr.) |
| 8 | 137 | Leon Johnson$^#$ | F | United States | Houston Rockets | Centenary (Sr.) |
| 8 | 138 | Ken McKenzie$^#$ | C | Canada | Seattle SuperSonics | Montana (Sr.) |
| 8 | 139 | Jim Bostic | F | United States | Kansas City Kings | New Mexico State (Sr.) |
| 8 | 140 | John Murphy$^#$ | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | UMass (Sr.) |
| 8 | 141 | Mike Rozenski$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Saint Mary's (California) (Sr.) |
| 8 | 142 | Allan Jones$^#$ | F | United States | Buffalo Braves | San Diego (Sr.) |
| 8 | 143 | Bruce Hamming$^#$ | C | United States | Washington Bullets | Augustana College (Illinois) (Sr.) |
| 8 | 144 | Roger Morningstar$^#$ | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Kansas (Sr.) |
| 9 | 145 | Fred Stokes$^#$ | G | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Barber–Scotia (Sr.) |
| 9 | 146 | Dave Schlesser$^#$ | C | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Morningside (Sr.) |
| 9 | 147 | Owen Brown$^#$ | F | United States | Phoenix Suns | Maryland (Sr.) |
| 9 | 148 | Larry Haralson$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Drake (Sr.) |
| 9 | 149 | Quentin Braxton$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Portland (Sr.) |
| 9 | 150 | Eric Hayes$^#$ | G | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Montana (Sr.) |
| 9 | 151 | Terry Thomas | F | United States | Detroit Pistons | Detroit (Sr.) |
| 9 | 152 | Skip Howard$^#$ | F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Bowling Green (Sr.) |
| 9 | 153 | Tim van Blommesteyn$^#$ | G | United States | New York Knicks | Princeton (Sr.) |
| 9 | 154 | Steve Strother$^#$ | G | United States | Houston Rockets | Providence (Sr.) |
| 9 | 155 | Rich Haws$^#$ | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Utah State (Sr.) |
| 9 | 156 | Gary Tomaszewski$^#$ | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | St. Mary's (Texas) (Sr.) |
| 9 | 157 | Scott Trobbe$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Stanford (Sr.) |
| 9 | 158 | George Rautins$^#$ | G | Canada | Buffalo Braves | Niagara (Sr.) |
| 9 | 159 | Robert Rhodes$^#$ | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Albany State (Sr.) |
| 9 | 160 | Doug Brookins$^#$ | F | United States | Washington Bullets | Creighton (Sr.) |
| 10 | Chicago Bulls (forfeited due to selection of ineligible player) | Chicago Bulls (forfeited due to selection of ineligible player) | Chicago Bulls (forfeited due to selection of ineligible player) | Chicago Bulls (forfeited due to selection of ineligible player) | Chicago Bulls (forfeited due to selection of ineligible player) | Chicago Bulls (forfeited due to selection of ineligible player) |
| 10 | 161 | Alexander Belov$^#$ | F | Soviet Union | New Orleans Jazz | Spartak Leningrad (Soviet Union) |
| 10 | 162 | Vic Kelly$^#$ | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Hawaii (Sr.) |
| 10 | 163 | Mike Moon$^#$ | G | United States | Phoenix Suns | Arizona State (Sr.) |
| 10 | 164 | Ric Reed$^#$ | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Azusa Pacific (Sr.) |
| 10 | 165 | Romie Thomas$^#$ | G | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Wisconsin–Eau Claire (Sr.) |
| 10 | 166 | Tyree Foster$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Portland State (Sr.) |
| 10 | 167 | Eric Anderson$^#$ | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Macalester (Sr.) |
| 10 | 168 | Moe Rivers$^#$ | G | United States | New York Knicks | NC State (Sr.) |
| 10 | 169 | Mickey Fox$^#$ | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Saint Mary's (Halifax) (Sr.) |
| 10 | 170 | Jerry Bellotti$^#$ | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Santa Clara (Sr.) |
| 10 | 171 | Maurice Harper$^#$ | G | United States | Golden State Warriors | Saint Mary's (California) (Sr.) |
| 10 | 172 | Art Allen$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | Pepperdine (Jr.) |
| 10 | 173 | Mike Fahey$^#$ | G | United States | Washington Bullets | Brandeis (Sr.) |
| 10 | 174 | Bill Endicott$^#$ | G | United States | Boston Celtics | UMass (Sr.) |

## Notable undrafted players

These players were not selected in the 1975 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.
| Player | Pos. | Nationality | School/club team |
| Robin Jones | F | United States | Saint Louis (Sr.) |
| Irv Kiffin | F | United States | Oklahoma Baptist (Sr.) |

## Trades

* $^{a1}$ $^2$ On May 20, 1974, the Atlanta Hawks acquired Bob Kauffman, Dean Meminger, 1974 and 1975 first-round picks, 1975 and 1976 second-round picks, and a 1980 third-round pick from the New Orleans Jazz in exchange for Pete Maravich. The Hawks used the picks to draft David Thompson and Bill Willoughby.
* $^{b1}$ $^2$ On October 8, 1974, the New Orleans Jazz acquired Russ Lee and a first-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Steve Kuberski and a second-round pick. Previously, the Jazz acquired Neal Walk and the pick on September 16, 1974, from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Dennis Awtrey, Nate Hawthorne, Curtis Perry and a 1976 first-round pick. The Jazz used the pick to draft Rich Kelley. The Bucks used the pick to draft Clyde Mayes.
* $^c$ On May 17, 1974, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired a first-round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Jim Chones. The Lakers used the pick to draft Junior Bridgeman.
* $^d$ On May 28, 1975, the Kansas City Kings acquired the tenth pick from the New Orleans Jazz in exchange for Ron Behagen and a 1976 second-round pick. Previously the Jazz acquired Henry Bibby and a first-round pick on February 1, 1975, from the New York Knicks in exchange for Jim Barnett and Neal Walk. Previously the Knicks acquired the pick on December 26, 1974, from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Howard Porter. The Kings used the pick to draft Bill Robinzine.
* $^e$ On September 3, 1974, the Golden State Warriors acquired Clifford Ray and a first-round pick from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Nate Thurmond. The Warriors used the pick to draft Joe Bryant.
* $^{f1}$ $^2$ On the draft-day, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Butch Beard, a first-round pick and a second-round pick from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Dwight Davis. The Cavaliers used the picks to draft John Lambert and Mel Utley.
* $^g$ On the draft-day, the Phoenix Suns acquired a first-round pick from the Buffalo Braves in exchange for a 1976 first-round pick. The Suns used the pick to draft Ricky Sobers.
* $^h$ On September 24, 1974, the Golden State Warriors acquired a second-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Zelmo Beaty. The Warriors used the pick to draft Gus Williams.
* $^i$ On January 7, 1974, the Chicago Bulls acquired a second-round pick from the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for John Hummer. The Bulls used the pick to draft Steve Green.
* $^j$ On May 28, 1974, the New York Knicks acquired Howard Porter and a second-round pick from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for a 1974 first-round pick. Previously the Bulls acquired John Hummer, the pick and a 1974 second-round pick on September 10, 1973, from the Buffalo Braves in exchange for Gar Heard and Kevin Kunnert. The Knicks used the pick to draft Larry Fogle.
* $^k$ On September 6, 1974, the Phoenix Suns acquired Dave Stallworth and a second-round pick from the Washington Bullets in exchange for Clem Haskins. The Suns used the pick to draft Allen Murphy.
* $^l$ 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 Jimmy Dan Conner.
* $^m$ On December 6, 1974, the New Orleans Jazz acquired a third-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Stu Lantz. The Jazz used the pick to draft Jim McElroy.
* $^n$ On August 20, 1974, the Washington Bullets acquired Dick Gibbs and a third-round pick from the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for Archie Clark. The Bullets used the pick to draft Tom Kropp.
* $^o$ On September 18, 1974, the Portland Trail Blazers acquired a third-round pick from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Mickey Johnson. The Blazers used the pick to draft Gus Gerard.
* $^p$ On October 9, 1973, the Phoenix Suns acquired 1974 and 1975 third-round picks from the Washington Bullets (as the Capital Bullets) in exchange for Walt Wesley. The Suns used the pick to draft Bayard Forrest.

## Early entrants
### College underclassmen

For the fifth straight year in a row, the NBA would utilize the hardship exception for young underclassmen to enter the NBA draft. For the second straight year in a row, twenty underclassmen initially declared entry for this year's draft, but three of these players in the University of Notre Dame's Adrian Dantley, Morris Brown College's Harry Davis, and Tunxis Community College's Glenn Matthews would later decline entry into this year's draft. The following college basketball players successfully applied for an NBA hardship.
* Alvan Adams – C/F, Oklahoma (junior)
* Joe Bryant – F, La Salle (junior)
* Luther Burden – G, Utah (junior)
* Henry Fields – G, Ohio State (freshman)
* Larry Fogle – G, Canisius (junior)
* Bayard Forrest – C, Grand Canyon (junior)
* Lloyd Free – G, Guilford (junior)
* Robert Hawkins – G, Illinois State (junior)
* Walter Luckett – G, Ohio (junior)
* Cyrus Mann – C, Illinois State (freshman)
* Glen Matthews – F, Tunxis CC (junior)
* Frank Oleynick – G, Seattle (junior)
* Joe Pace – C, Coppin State (junior)
* Eugene Short – F, Jackson State (junior)
* Larry Smith – F, North Carolina A&T (junior)

### High school players

This year's draft was also the first one in NBA history to officially allow for high school seniors to enter the NBA draft via hardship exceptions. This year saw two high school players qualify for these hardships. It was also the only NBA draft to see high school declare their entry into the NBA directly from high school until 1995. The following high school basketball players successfully applied for an NBA hardship.
* Darryl Dawkins – C, Maynard Evans HS (Orlando, Florida)
* Bill Willoughby – F, Dwight Morrow HS (Englewood, New Jersey)

## Supplementary draft

On December 9, 1975, the NBA planned to host a supplementary draft to settle negotiating rights to five ABA players who had never been eligible for the NBA draft because their college classes had not graduated and they had not apply for hardship. The teams selected in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The team that made a selection must withdraw their equivalent selection in the 1976 draft. The teams were allowed to not exercise their rights on this hardship draft and thus retained their full selection in the 1976 Draft. The draft itself attracted strong opposition from the ABA who accuse the NBA trying to reduce confidence in the stability of their league. Despite the initial postponement of the draft, the draft was finally held on December 30, 1975.
The New Orleans Jazz used the first pick to select Moses Malone, a former high school player who went directly to professional basketball after he was drafted in the 1974 ABA Draft. The Los Angeles Lakers used the second pick to select Mark Olberding, a college freshman who was drafted in the 1974 ABA Draft. Because the Jazz and the Lakers had traded their first-round picks in the 1976 Draft, they had to forfeit their first-round pick in the 1977 draft. The other players selected were Mel Bennett, Skip Wise and Charles Jordan in the second, third and fourth-round respectively. All players, except Wise, were under contract with their ABA team at the time of the draft. They remained with their team until the end of the season. After the Virginia Squires folding before the ABA–NBA merger in June 1976, Bennett joined the team that drafted him, the Philadelphia 76ers. Under the merger agreement, the Jazz and the Lakers had to yield their rights to Malone and Olberding and they regained their 1977 first-round picks. Malone was later drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the ABA Dispersal Draft, while Olberding remained with the Spurs who joined the NBA. Two other draftees, Wise and Jordan never played in the NBA.
| Round | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Team | ABA team |
| 1 | 1 | Moses Malone^ | F/C | United States | New Orleans Jazz | Spirits of St. Louis |
| 1 | 2 | Mark Olberding | F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2 | 3 | Mel Bennett | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Virginia Squires |
| 3 | 4 | Skip Wise$^#$ | G | United States | Golden State Warriors | San Antonio Spurs |
| 4 | 5 | Charles Jordan$^#$ | F | United States | Buffalo Braves | Indiana Pacers |