The 1972–73 Dallas Chaparrals season was the sixth and final season of the Chaparrals in the American Basketball Association. The Chaps failed to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, finishing dead last, though they missed the final playoff spot by just two games. Low attendance that had been a problem for most of their tenure led to an agreement from the owners to a San Antonio group led by Angelo Drossos, John Schaefer and Red McCombs. Part of this "lend-lease" deal involved the group being leased the team to play in San Antonio for three years, and if the team was not purchased by the end of the agreement (1975), it would be returned to Dallas. However, the first season in San Antonio turned out to be a roaring success, and the group decided to buy the team outright and keep the team in San Antonio, which managed to join the NBA when the two leagues merged in 1976. Dallas would not have a pro basketball season until 1980-81, when the Mavericks began play.
