# 1973 NBA draft

The 1973 NBA draft was the 27th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 24 and May 5, 1973, before the 1973–74 season. In this draft, 17 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 Philadelphia 76ers won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Portland Trail Blazers were awarded the second pick. 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. Prior to the draft, the Baltimore Bullets relocated to Landover, Maryland, and became the Capital Bullets. The Philadelphia 76ers were awarded an extra first-round draft pick as compensation when the Seattle SuperSonics signed John Brisker. 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, 11 college underclassmen 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. The draft consisted of 20 rounds comprising the selection of 211 players.
This was the last NBA draft to last until any number of rounds, or until teams run out of prospects; from the next year's draft until the 1984 draft they were fixed to 10 rounds.

## Draft selections and draftee career notes

Doug Collins from Illinois State University was selected first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. Jim Brewer from the University of Minnesota was second, taken by the Cleveland Cavaliers with a pick obtained from the Blazers in a trade. Ernie DiGregorio, from Providence College, was selected third by the Buffalo Braves, and went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award. George McGinnis, selected by the 76ers with the 22nd pick, is the only player from the 1973 draft who was selected to both the All-NBA Team and the All-Star Game. Collins, 5th pick Kermit Washington, and 50th pick Larry Kenon, are the only other players from this draft who were selected to an All-Star Game. Collins's achievements include four All-Star Game selections. After retiring as a player, he went on to coach the Chicago Bulls, the Detroit Pistons, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Washington Wizards. Brewer was a member of the 1982 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. He later played basketball in Europe, earning the 1983 Euroleague championship with the Ford Cantù. McGinnis had already played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) prior to the draft. He left college after his sophomore year in 1971 to play with the Indiana Pacers for four seasons. He later played in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team that drafted him, after the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. He had one ABA Most Valuable Player Award, three ABA All-Star Game selections, three NBA All-Star Game selections, three All-ABA Team selections and two All-NBA Team selections. Kenon initially opted to play in the ABA, spending three seasons there before joining the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs when both leagues merged. He was selected to three ABA All-Star Games and two NBA All-Star Games.
Mike D'Antoni, the 20th pick, only played four seasons in the NBA and ABA before he moved to Italy with the Olimpia Milano. He played there for thirteen seasons and won five Italian league titles and two Euroleague titles. After retiring as a player, he coached Olimpia Milano and Benetton Treviso, leading the latter to two Italian league titles. He then returned to the NBA and coached three NBA teams. He won the Coach of the Year Award in 2005 with the Phoenix Suns and in 2017 with the Houston Rockets. M. L. Carr, the 76th pick, earned two NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in 1981 and 1984 as a player. Carr later became the Celtics' head coach for two seasons in the 1990s. Two other players drafted also went on to have coaching careers in the NBA: 21st pick Allan Bristow and 66th pick George Karl.
In the fifth round, the Los Angeles Lakers selected Krešimir Ćosić from Brigham Young University with the 84th pick. However, he opted to return to Yugoslavia after his college career. Ćosić had a successful career in Europe, winning numerous league and club titles, as well as six gold medals with the Yugoslavian national team. For his achievements, he has been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to the FIBA Hall of Fame. The Atlanta Hawks used the 79th pick to draft Dave Winfield, who starred at both baseball and basketball at the University of Minnesota. He was also drafted in three other major sport leagues; Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL) and the ABA. He chose baseball and played 22 seasons in MLB.

## 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 | Doug Collins$^+$ | G/F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Illinois State (Sr.) |
| 1 | 2 | Jim Brewer | F/C | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers (from Portland) | Minnesota (Sr.) |
| 1 | 3 | Ernie DiGregorio | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | Providence (Sr.) |
| 1 | 4 | Mike Green | C/F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Louisiana Tech (Sr.) |
| 1 | 5 | Kermit Washington$^+$ | F/C | United States | Los Angeles Lakers (from Cleveland) | American (Sr.) |
| 1 | 6 | Ed Ratleff | F/G | United States | Houston Rockets | Long Beach State (Sr.) |
| 1 | 7 | Ron Behagen | F/C | United States | Kansas City-Omaha Kings | Minnesota (Sr.) |
| 1 | 8 | Mike Bantom | F/C | United States | Phoenix Suns | Saint Joseph's (Sr.) |
| 1 | 9 | Dwight Jones | F/C | United States | Atlanta Hawks (from Detroit) | Houston (Jr.) |
| 1 | 10 | John Brown | F | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Missouri (Sr.) |
| 1 | 11 | Kevin Joyce$^#$ | G | United States | Golden State Warriors | South Carolina (Sr.) |
| 1 | 12 | Kevin Kunnert | C/F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Iowa (Sr.) |
| 1 | 13 | Nick Weatherspoon | F | United States | Capital Bullets | Illinois (Sr.) |
| 1 | 14 | Mel Davis | F | United States | New York Knicks | St. John's (Sr.) |
| 1 | 15 | Barry Parkhill$^#$ | G | United States | Portland Trail Blazers (from Los Angeles via Cleveland) | Virginia (Sr.) |
| 1 | 16 | Swen Nater | C | Netherlands | Milwaukee Bucks | UCLA (Sr.) |
| 1 | 17 | Steve Downing | C | United States | Boston Celtics | Indiana (Sr.) |
| 1 | 18 | Raymond Lewis$^#$ | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Cal State L.A. (So.) |
| 2 | 19 | Louie Nelson | G | United States | Capital Bullets (from Philadelphia) | Washington (Sr.) |
| 2 | 20 | Mike D'Antoni | G | Italy | Kansas City-Omaha Kings (from Buffalo via Detroit) | Marshall (Sr.) |
| 2 | 21 | Allan Bristow | F/G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers (from Portland) | Virginia Tech (Sr.) |
| 2 | 22 | George McGinnis^ | F/C | United States | Philadelphia 76ers (from Seattle) | Indiana Pacers (ABA) |
| 2 | 23 | Billy Schaeffer$^#$ | F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers (from Cleveland) | St. John's (Sr.) |
| 2 | 24 | Kevin Stacom | G | United States | Chicago Bulls (from Houston) | Providence (Sr.) |
| 2 | 25 | Larry McNeill | F/G | United States | Kansas City-Omaha Kings | Marquette (Jr.) |
| 2 | 26 | Allan Hornyak$^#$ | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers (from Phoenix) | Ohio State (Sr.) |
| 2 | 27 | Tom Ingelsby | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks (from Detroit) | Villanova (Sr.) |
| 2 | 28 | Patrick McFarland$^#$ | F/G | United States | New York Knicks (from Atlanta) | Saint Joseph's (Sr.) |
| 2 | 29 | Derrek Dickey | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Cincinnati (Sr.) |
| 2 | 30 | Wendell Hudson$^#$ | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Alabama (Sr.) |
| 2 | 31 | Jim Chones | C/F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers (from Capital) | New York Nets (ABA) |
| 2 | 32 | Caldwell Jones | C/F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers (from New York via Chicago) | Albany State (Sr.) |
| 2 | 33 | Gary Melchionni | G | United States | Phoenix Suns (from Milwaukee via Philadelphia) | Duke (Sr.) |
| 2 | 34 | Pete Perry$^#$ | C | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Pan American (Sr.) |
| 2 | 35 | Phil Hankinson | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Pennsylvania (Sr.) |
| 3 | 36 | Ted Manakas | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks (from Philadelphia) | Princeton (Sr.) |
| 3 | 37 | Jim O'Brien$^#$ | F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Maryland (Sr.) |
| 3 | 38 | Ken Charles | G | Trinidad and Tobago | Buffalo Braves | Fordham (Sr.) |
| 3 | 39 | Martin Terry$^#$ | G | United States | Chicago Bulls | Arkansas (Sr.) |
| 3 | 40 | Ozie Edwards$^#$ | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Oklahoma City (Sr.) |
| 3 | 41 | James Lister$^#$ | C | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Sam Houston (Sr.) |
| 3 | 42 | Joe Reaves | F | United States | Phoenix Suns (from Kansas City–Omaha) | Bethel (Tennessee) (Sr.) |
| 3 | 43 | Steve Mitchell$^#$ | F | United States | Phoenix Suns | Kansas State (Sr.) |
| 3 | 44 | Bo Lamar | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Southwestern Louisiana (Sr.) |
| 3 | 45 | Leonard Gray | F | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Long Beach State (Sr.) |
| 3 | 46 | Jim Resteck$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Auburn (Sr.) |
| 3 | 47 | Steve Newsome$^#$ | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Houston (Sr.) |
| 3 | 48 | Tom Kozelko | F | United States | Capital Bullets | Toledo (Sr.) |
| 3 | 49 | Allie McGuire | G | United States | New York Knicks | Marquette (Sr.) |
| 3 | 50 | Larry Kenon$^+$ | F | United States | Detroit Pistons (from Los Angeles) | Memphis State (Jr.) |
| 3 | 51 | E. C. Coleman | F | United States | Houston Rockets (from Milwaukee) | Houston Baptist (Sr.) |
| 3 | 52 | Martinez Denmon$^#$ | G | United States | Boston Celtics | Iowa State (Sr.) |
| 4 | 53 | Darryl Minniefield$^#$ | C | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | New Mexico (Sr.) |
| 4 | 54 | Doug Little$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | Oregon (Sr.) |
| 4 | 55 | Bird Averitt | G | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Pepperdine (Jr.) |
| 4 | 56 | June Harris$^#$ | G | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | North Carolina A&T (Sr.) |
| 4 | 57 | Luke Witte | C | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Ohio State (Sr.) |
| 4 | 58 | Lee Colburn$^#$ | F | United States | Houston Rockets | South Dakota State (Sr.) |
| 4 | 59 | Clyde Turner$^#$ | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Minnesota (Sr.) |
| 4 | 60 | Ronnie Robinson$^#$ | F | United States | Phoenix Suns | Memphis (Sr.) |
| 4 | 61 | Ken Brady$^#$ | C | United States | Detroit Pistons | Michigan (Sr.) |
| 4 | 62 | James Brown$^#$ | F | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Harvard (Sr.) |
| 4 | 63 | Ron King$^#$ | G | United States | Golden State Warriors | Florida State (Sr.) |
| 4 | 64 | Mark Sibley | G | United States | Chicago Bulls | Northwestern (Sr.) |
| 4 | 65 | Aron Stewart$^#$ | G | United States | Capital Bullets | Richmond (Jr.) |
| 4 | 66 | George Karl | G | United States | New York Knicks | North Carolina (Sr.) |
| 4 | 67 | Harry Rogers$^#$ | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Saint Louis (Sr.) |
| 4 | 68 | Larry Finch$^#$ | G | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Memphis (Sr.) |
| 4 | 69 | Rich Fuqua$^#$ | G | United States | Boston Celtics | Oral Roberts (Sr.) |
| 5 | 70 | Reggie Royals$^#$ | C | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Florida State (Sr.) |
| 5 | 71 | Fran Costello$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Providence (Sr.) |
| 5 | 72 | Randy Knoll$^#$ | F | United States | Buffalo Braves | Marshall (Sr.) |
| 5 | 73 | Chuck Iverson$^#$ | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | South Dakota (Sr.) |
| 5 | 74 | John Coughran | F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | California (Sr.) |
| 5 | 75 | Gary Rhoades$^#$ | G | United States | Houston Rockets | Colorado State (Sr.) |
| 5 | 76 | M. L. Carr | F | United States | Kansas City-Omaha Kings | Guilford (Sr.) |
| 5 | 77 | Clinton Harris$^#$ | F | United States | Phoenix Suns | Iowa State (Sr.) |
| 5 | 78 | Henry Wilmore$^#$ | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Michigan (Sr.) |
| 5 | 79 | Dave Winfield$^#$ | F | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Minnesota (Sr.) |
| 5 | 80 | Nate Stephens$^#$ | C | United States | Golden State Warriors | Long Beach State (Sr.) |
| 5 | 81 | Roy Simpson$^#$ | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Furman (Sr.) |
| 5 | 82 | Danny Traylor$^#$ | C | United States | Capital Bullets | South Carolina (Sr.) |
| 5 | 83 | Dennis Bell | F | United States | New York Knicks | Drake (Sr.) |
| 5 | 84 | Krešimir Ćosić$^#$ | C | Yugoslavia | Los Angeles Lakers | BYU (Sr.) |
| 5 | 85 | Larry Jackson$^#$ | G | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Northern Illinois (Sr.) |
| 5 | 86 | Byron Jones$^#$ | F | United States | Boston Celtics | San Francisco (Sr.) |
| 6 | 87 | Sterling Wright$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Lincoln (Pennsylvania) (Sr.) |
| 6 | 88 | Mike Macaluso | F | United States | Buffalo Braves | Canisius (Sr.) |
| 6 | 89 | Neal Jurgensen$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Oregon State (Sr.) |
| 6 | 90 | Bill McCoy$^#$ | G | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Northern Iowa (Sr.) |
| 6 | 91 | Willie Calvert$^#$ | C | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Abilene Christian (Sr.) |
| 6 | 92 | Tom Peck$^#$ | F | United States | Houston Rockets | Wisconsin–Eau Claire (Sr.) |
| 6 | 93 | Mike Quick$^#$ | G | United States | Kansas City–Omaha Kings | San Francisco (Sr.) |
| 6 | 94 | Gene Doyle$^#$ | F | United States | Phoenix Suns | Holy Cross (Sr.) |
| 6 | 95 | Dennis Johnson$^#$ | F | United States | Detroit Pistons | Ferris State (Sr.) |
| 6 | 96 | John Williamson | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks | New Mexico State (Jr.) |
| 6 | 97 | Bob Lauriski$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Utah State (Sr.) |
| 6 | 98 | Johnny Neumann | G/F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Memphis Tams (ABA) |
| 6 | 99 | Mike Allocco$^#$ | F | United States | Capital Bullets | Stonehill (Sr.) |
| 6 | 100 | Lawrence Lilly$^#$ | C | United States | New York Knicks | Alabama State (Sr.) |
| 6 | 101 | James Floyd$^#$ | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Shaw College (Jr.) |
| 6 | 102 | David Brent$^#$ | C | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Jacksonville (So.) |
| 6 | 103 | Joe Caffeyky$^#$ | G | United States | Boston Celtics | NC State (Sr.) |
| 7 | 104 | James Greene$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Kentucky Wesleyan (Sr.) |
| 7 | 105 | Larry Hollyfield$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | UCLA (Sr.) |
| 7 | 106 | Tim Bassett | F/C | United States | Buffalo Braves | Georgia (Sr.) |
| 7 | 107 | Jim Andrews$^#$ | C | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Kentucky (Sr.) |
| 7 | 108 | Larry Farmer$^#$ | F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | UCLA (Sr.) |
| 7 | 109 | Fred DeVaughn$^#$ | F | United States | Houston Rockets | Westmont (Sr.) |
| 7 | 110 | Mike Jeffries$^#$ | G | United States | Kansas City–Omaha Kings | Missouri (Sr.) |
| 7 | 111 | Jerry Bisbano$^#$ | G | United States | Phoenix Suns | Southwestern Louisiana (Sr.) |
| 7 | 112 | Fred Smiley$^#$ | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Northwood (Sr.) |
| 7 | 113 | Pete Harris$^#$ | F | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Stephen F. Austin (Sr.) |
| 7 | 114 | Steve Smith$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Loyola Marymount (Sr.) |
| 7 | 115 | Billy Harris$^#$ | G | United States | Chicago Bulls | Northern Illinois (Sr.) |
| 7 | 116 | Ronnie Hogue$^#$ | G | United States | Capital Bullets | Georgia (Sr.) |
| 7 | 117 | Mike Moore$^#$ | F | United States | New York Knicks | Manhattan (Sr.) |
| 7 | 118 | Nate Hawthorne | G | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Southern Illinois (Sr.) |
| 7 | 119 | Eddie Childress$^#$ | G | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Austin Peay (Sr.) |
| 7 | 120 | Mike Stewart$^#$ | C | United States | Boston Celtics | Santa Clara (Sr.) |
| 8 | 121 | Dave Langston$^#$ | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Drake (Sr.) |
| 8 | 122 | Carl Jackson$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | St. Bonaventure (Sr.) |
| 8 | 123 | Lindell Reason$^#$ | G | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Eastern Michigan (Sr.) |
| 8 | 124 | Wardell Jeffries$^#$ | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Oklahoma Baptist (Sr.) |
| 8 | 125 | John Ritter$^#$ | F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Indiana (Sr.) |
| 8 | 126 | John Thomas$^#$ | F | United States | Houston Rockets | Missouri Southern (Sr.) |
| 8 | 127 | Mike Williams$^#$ | G | United States | Kansas City–Omaha Kings | Kentucky Wesleyan (Sr.) |
| 8 | 128 | Jim Owens | F | United States | Phoenix Suns | Arizona State (Sr.) |
| 8 | 129 | Ben Kelso | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Central Michigan (Sr.) |
| 8 | 130 | Tim Dominey$^#$ | G | United States | Atlanta Hawks | Valdosta State (Sr.) |
| 8 | 131 | Jeff Dawson$^#$ | G | United States | Golden State Warriors | Illinois (Jr.) |
| 8 | 132 | B. G. Brosterhous$^#$ | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Texas (Sr.) |
| 8 | 133 | Mark Jellison$^#$ | G | United States | Capital Bullets | Northeastern (Sr.) |
| 8 | 134 | Steve Rowell$^#$ | G | United States | New York Knicks | Rhode Island (Sr.) |
| 8 | 135 | Walt McGary$^#$ | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Chattanooga (Jr.) |
| 8 | 136 | Roy McPipe$^#$ | G | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Montana State Billings (Jr.) |
| 8 | 137 | Robert White$^#$ | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Sam Houston (Sr.) |
| 9 | 138 | Harvey Catchings | C/F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Hardin–Simmons (Jr.) |
| 9 | 139 | Mike Contreras$^#$ | G | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Arizona State (Sr.) |
| 9 | 140 | Bob Fullarton$^#$ | C | United States | Buffalo Braves | Xavier (Sr.) |
| 9 | 141 | Greg Williams$^#$ | F | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Seattle (Sr.) |
| 9 | 142 | Les Taylor$^#$ | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Murray State (Sr.) |
| 9 | 143 | James Brown$^#$ | G | United States | Kansas City–Omaha Kings | Dartmouth (Sr.) |
| 9 | 144 | Sandy Smith$^#$ | G | United States | Phoenix Suns | Winston-Salem State (Sr.) |
| 9 | 145 | Bill Kilgore$^#$ | F | United States | Detroit Pistons | Michigan State (Sr.) |
| 9 | 146 | Everett Fopma$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Idaho State (Sr.) |
| 9 | 147 | Ruben Montanez$^#$ | G | Puerto Rico | Chicago Bulls | Duquesne (Sr.) |
| 9 | 148 | Mike Boylan$^#$ | F | United States | Capital Bullets | Assumption (Sr.) |
| 9 | 149 | Joe Wise$^#$ | G | United States | New York Knicks | Bridgewater State (Sr.) |
| 9 | 150 | Bob Bocca$^#$ | G | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Quinnipiac (Sr.) |
| 9 | 151 | Corky Taylor$^#$ | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Minnesota (Sr.) |
| 10 | 152 | Abe Steward$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Jacksonville (Sr.) |
| 10 | 153 | Nick Connor$^#$ | F | United States | Buffalo Braves | Illinois (Sr.) |
| 10 | 154 | Sam Whitehead$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Oregon State (Sr.) |
| 10 | 155 | Bob Bodell$^#$ | G | United States | Seattle SuperSonics | Maryland (Sr.) |
| 10 | 156 | Dean Martin$^#$ | F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Baldwin–Wallace (Sr.) |
| 10 | 157 | Ernie Kusnyer$^#$ | F | United States | Kansas City–Omaha Kings | Kansas State (Sr.) |
| 10 | 158 | Claude White$^#$ | G | United States | Phoenix Suns | Elmhurst (Sr.) |
| 10 | 159 | Bob Solomon$^#$ | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Wayne State College (Sr.) |
| 10 | 160 | Fred Lavaroni$^#$ | F | United States | Golden State Warriors | Santa Clara (Sr.) |
| 10 | 161 | Russ Hunt$^#$ | F | United States | Chicago Bulls | Furman (Sr.) |
| 10 | 162 | Dickie Kelly$^#$ | G | United States | Capital Bullets | Bay CC (Fr.) |
| 10 | 163 | Ed Fields$^#$ | F | United States | New York Knicks | LIU Post (Sr.) |
| 10 | 164 | Ron Battle$^#$ | F | United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Sam Houston (Sr.) |
| 10 | 165 | Steve Turner$^#$ | C | United States | Boston Celtics | Vanderbilt (Sr.) |
| 11 | 166 | Rod Freeman | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Vanderbilt (Sr.) |
| 11 | 167 | Eddie Payne$^#$ | G | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Wake Forest (Sr.) |
| 11 | 168 | Mike Lee$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | Syracuse (Sr.) |
| 11 | 169 | Floyd Lewis$^#$ | F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Harvard (Sr.) |
| 11 | 170 | Lynn Greer$^#$ | G | United States | Phoenix Suns | Virginia State (Sr.) |
| 11 | 171 | Len Paul$^#$ | F | United States | Detroit Pistons | Akron (Sr.) |
| 11 | 172 | Dale Adams$^#$ | F | United States | Capital Bullets | St. Mary's (Maryland) (Sr.) |
| 11 | 173 | Charles Edge$^#$ | F | United States | New York Knicks | LeMoyne–Owen (Sr.) |
| 11 | 174 | Ed Hastings$^#$ | G | United States | Boston Celtics | Villanova (Sr.) |
| 12 | 175 | Connie Warren$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Xavier (Sr.) |
| 12 | 176 | Aaron Covington$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | Canisius (Sr.) |
| 12 | 177 | Rick Holdt$^#$ | F | United States | Portland Trail Blazers | NC State (Sr.) |
| 12 | 178 | Chris McMurray$^#$ | F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | San Diego State (Sr.) |
| 12 | 179 | Laymon Williamson$^#$ | F | United States | Phoenix Suns | Samford (Sr.) |
| 12 | 180 | Clarence Carlisle$^#$ | G | United States | Detroit Pistons | Ferris State (Sr.) |
| 12 | 181 | Mike Battle$^#$ | F | United States | Capital Bullets | George Washington (Sr.) |
| 12 | 182 | Bruce Winkler$^#$ | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Santa Clara (Sr.) |
| 13 | 183 | Jim Crawford$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | La Salle (Sr.) |
| 13 | 184 | Bob Vartanian$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | Buffalo (Sr.) |
| 13 | 185 | John Penebacker$^#$ | G | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Hawaii (Sr.) |
| 13 | 186 | Kalevi Sarkalahti$^#$ | F | Finland | Phoenix Suns | BYU (Sr.) |
| 13 | 187 | Chet Davis$^#$ | G | United States | Capital Bullets | Morgan State (Sr.) |
| 13 | 188 | Scott Koelzer$^#$ | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Montana State (Sr.) |
| 14 | 189 | Ernie Johnson$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Michigan (Sr.) |
| 14 | 190 | Ron Gilliam$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | SUNY Brockport (Sr.) |
| 14 | 191 | Charles Mitchell$^#$ | F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Eastern Kentucky (Sr.) |
| 14 | 192 | Howard White$^#$ | G | United States | Capital Bullets | Maryland (Sr.) |
| 14 | 193 | Rick Williams$^#$ | G | United States | Boston Celtics | Iowa (Sr.) |
| 15 | 194 | Lionel Harris$^#$ | G | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Cincinnati (Sr.) |
| 15 | 195 | John Fraley$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | Georgia (Sr.) |
| 15 | 196 | Reese Stovall$^#$ | F | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Pan American (Sr.) |
| 15 | 197 | Shorty Simmons$^#$ | F | United States | Capital Bullets | St. Mary's (Maryland) (Sr.) |
| 15 | 198 | James Gilchrist$^#$ | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Florida Southern (Sr.) |
| 16 | 199 | Larry Robinson$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Tennessee (Sr.) |
| 16 | 200 | John Green$^#$ | F | United States | Buffalo Braves | U.S. Armed Forces (AAU) |
| 16 | 201 | Tom O'Connor$^#$ | C | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Iowa State (Sr.) |
| 16 | 202 | Sam Barber$^#$ | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Bethune–Cookman (Sr.) |
| 17 | 203 | Tony Prince$^#$ | F | United States | Philadelphia 76ers | St. John's (Sr.) |
| 17 | 204 | Jim Garvin | F | United States | Buffalo Braves | Boston University (Sr.) |
| 17 | 205 | Phil Elderkin$^#$ | – | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | – |
| 17 | 206 | Lamont King$^#$ | G | United States | Boston Celtics | Long Beach State (Sr.) |
| 18 | 207 | Donn Johnston$^#$ | F | United States | Buffalo Braves | North Carolina (Sr.) |
| 18 | 208 | Peter Gavett$^#$ | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Maine (Sr.) |
| 19 | 209 | Ron Thorsen$^#$ | G | United States | Buffalo Braves | UBC (Sr.) |
| 19 | 210 | Tom Austin$^#$ | F | United States | Boston Celtics | UMass (Sr.) |
| 20 | 211 | Phil Tollestrup$^#$ | F | Canada | Buffalo Braves | Lethbridge (Sr.) |

## Notable undrafted players

These players were not selected in the 1973 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.
| Player | Pos. | Nationality | School/club team |
| Al Carlson | C | United States | Oregon (Jr.) |
| Henry Dickerson | G | United States | Morris Harvey (Sr.) |
| Slick Watts | G | United States | Xavier (Louisiana) (Sr.) |

## Trades

* $^{a1}$ $^2$ On the draft-day, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired a first-round pick and a third-round pick from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for John Johnson, Rick Roberson and Los Angeles Lakers' first-round pick. The Cavaliers used the picks to draft Jim Brewer and Jim O'Brien. The Blazers used the pick to draft Barry Parkhill.
* $^b$ On October 13, 1971, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired a 1973 first-round pick, 1972 and 1973 second-round picks from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Rick Roberson. The Lakers used the picks to draft Kermit Washington and Bill Schaeffer.
* $^c$ On April 13, 1973, the Atlanta Hawks acquired the ninth pick from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for George Trapp. The Hawks used the pick to draft Dwight Jones.
* $^d$ On October 18, 1971, the Capital Bullets (as the Baltimore Bullets) acquired a second-round pick and Archie Clark from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Fred Carter and Kevin Loughery. The Bullets used the pick to draft Louie Nelson.
* $^e$ On November 9, 1972, the Kansas City-Omaha Kings acquired a second-round pick from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for John Mengelt. Previously, the Pistons acquired the pick on September 29, 1972, from the Buffalo Braves in exchange for Howard Komives. The Kings used the pick to draft Mike D'Antoni.
* $^f$ On July 31, 1972, the Philadelphia 76ers acquired a second-round pick from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Fred Foster. The 76ers used the pick to draft Allan Bristow.
* $^g$ On April 18, 1973, the Philadelphia 76ers acquired a 1973 second-round pick from Seattle SuperSonics as a compensation when the Sonics signed John Brisker on August 15, 1972. The 76ers used the pick to draft George McGinnis.
* $^h$ On June 9, 1971, the Chicago Bulls acquired a second-round pick from the Houston Rockets in exchange for Dick Gibbs. The Bulls used the pick to draft Kevin Stacom.
* $^i$ On November 22, 1972, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired a second-round pick from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Walt Wesley. The Bulls used the pick to draft Allan Hornyak.
* $^j$ On October 31, 1972, the Atlanta Hawks acquired a second-round pick from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Don Adams. The Hawks used the pick to draft Tom Ingelsby.
* $^k$ On October 9, 1972, the New York Knicks acquired a second-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Eddie Mast. The Bulls used the pick to draft Patrick McFarland.
* $^l$ On December 6, 1972, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired a second-round pick from the Capital Bullets (as the Baltimore Bullets) in exchange for Flynn Robinson and future considerations. The Lakers used the pick to draft Jim Chones.
* $^m$ On October 18, 1972, the Philadelphia 76ers acquired a second-round pick from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Dennis Awtrey. Previously, the Bulls acquired the pick on December 10, 1971, from the New York Knicks in exchange for Charlie Paulk. The 76ers used the pick to draft Caldwell Jones.
* $^n$ On October 10, 1972, the Phoenix Suns acquired a second-round pick from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Mel Counts. Previously, the 76ers acquired the pick on the same day from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Gary Gregor. The Suns used the pick to draft Gary Melchionni.
* $^o$ On January 26, 1973, the Atlanta Hawks acquired a third-round pick from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Jeff Halliburton. The Hawks used the pick to draft Ted Manakas.
* $^p$ On December 27, 1971, the Phoenix Suns acquired a third-round pick from the Kansas City-Omaha Kings (as the Cincinnati Royals) in exchange for Fred Taylor. The Suns used the pick to draft Joe Reaves.
* $^q$ The Detroit Pistons acquired a third-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers as part of the 1969 trade for Happy Hairston.
* $^r$ On December 9, 1971, the Houston Rockets acquired a third-round pick and Greg Smith from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for a 1972 first-round pick and Curtis Perry. The Rockets used the pick to draft E. C. Coleman.

## Early entrants
### College underclassmen

For the third year in a row, the NBA would implement the hardship exception for college underclassmen following the results of the 1971 NBA draft's event. Originally, twelve college underclassmen signed up for this year's event, but the University of Maryland's Len Elmore, Southern California Community College's Mallory Mitchell, and St. John's Ed Searcy would all later decline their entries into this draft. In addition to them, one of the ABA's players in David Brent from the Carolina Cougars (previously last played for Jacksonville University) would also declare his entry into this NBA draft, with him later being selected by the Los Angeles Lakers this year in the sixth round. The following college basketball players successfully applied for an NBA hardship.
* Bird Averitt – G, Pepperdine (junior)
* Larry Harris – F, Genesee Community College (sophomore)
* Dwight Jones – Houston (junior)
* Larry Kenon – F, Memphis (junior)
* Raymond Lewis – G, Cal State Los Angeles (sophomore)
* Arnold Mast – G, Oklahoma City Southwestern Junior College (freshman)
* Larry McNeill – F, Marquette (junior)
* John Williamson – G, New Mexico State (junior)