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, eight college underclassmen were declared eligible for selection under the "hardship" rule, a similar case in which Spencer Haywood successfully argued in his court case against the NBA which allowed him to play in the NBA before his college class graduated.[3][4] 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.[5] This was the first draft where college underclassmen were allowed to enter.
Paul Westphal, the 10th pick, was named All-NBA four times, an All-Star five, and on the 1974 NBA championship Boston Celtics.[12] After retiring as a player, he went on to coach three NBA teams, most recently the Sacramento Kings.[13] The 16th pick, Jim Price, and 34th pick, Don Buse, were also selected to an All-Star Game.[14][15]Chris Ford, the 17th pick, won the NBA championship in 1981 with the Celtics.[16] After retiring as a player, he went on to coach four NBA teams, including the Celtics.[17]Ralph Simpson, the 11th pick, had left college in 1970 to play professionally in the ABA with Denver Rockets. He was selected to five ABA All-Star Games and four All-ABA Teams before he joined the NBA in 1976.[18]
LaRue Martin is considered one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history.[19][20][21] Martin only lasted four seasons in the league with a career scoring average of 5.3.[22] Martin and eight other first-round picks all had insignificant contributions to the league; none of them had career scoring averages above 9 points per game and only one of them lasted more than six seasons in the NBA. Two of the first-round picks, Erving and Simpson, had already played in the ABA before the draft. They stayed there until both leagues merged in 1976 and only Simpson played for the team that he got drafted to.[10][18]
^Nationality indicates the player's national team or representative nationality. If a player has not competed at the international level, then the nationality indicates the national team which the player is eligible to represent according to FIBA rules.
^The Celtics selected Mark Wagar of the Ohio State Buckeyes who was a junior and ineligible for the draft. The Celtics mistakenly submitted the wrong name and had instead meant to select Wagar's teammate, Mark Minor. The NBA informed the Celtics that they had to forfeit their choice of Wagar.[27]
Notable undrafted players
These players were not selected in the 1972 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.
a On April 7, 1972, the Phoenix Suns acquired the fourth pick from the Houston Rockets in exchange for Otto Moore.[28] Previously, the Rockets acquired a first-round pick on December 10, 1971, from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Jim Davis.[29][30] The Suns used the pick to draft Corky Calhoun.
b On December 9, 1971, the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Curtis Perry and a first-round pick from the Houston Rockets in exchange for Greg Smith and 1973 third-round pick.[31] The Bucks used the pick to draft Russ Lee.
c On April 2, 1971, the Detroit Pistons acquired a first-round pick from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Otto Moore.[28][30] The Pistons used the pick to draft Bob Nash.
d 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.[32] The Lakers used the pick to draft Jim Price.
f On November 11, 1970, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired a second-round pick from the Baltimore Bullets in exchange for John Tresvant.[34] The Lakers used the pick to draft Paul Stovall.
g On November 15, 1971, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired a second-round pick and a future pick from the New York Knicks in exchange for Luther Rackley.[35] The Cavaliers used the pick to draft Steve Hawes.
h On the draft-day, the Baltimore Bullets acquired a second-round pick from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Gus Johnson.[36] The Bullets used the pick to draft Tom Patterson.
j 12 On November 9, 1971, the Cincinnati Royals acquired Jim Fox and a second-round pick from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Norm Van Lier and a third-round pick.[39][40] The Royals used the pick to draft Mike Ratliff. The Bulls used the pick to draft Frank Russell.
k On September 11, 1971, the Portland Trail Blazers acquired a second-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for LeRoy Ellis.[41] The Blazers used the pick to draft Ollie Johnson.
l On August 13, 1971, the Phoenix Suns acquired 1972 and a future third-round picks from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Greg Howard.[42] The Suns used the pick to draft Scott English.
k On October 12, 1969, the Cincinnati Royals acquired Wally Anderzunas and a third-round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Dave Newmark.[43] The Royals used the pick to draft Ron Riley.
Early entrants
College underclassmen
Following the success of the first ever NBA Hardship Draft the previous year, the NBA decided to continue implementing the hardship exception for college underclassmen in need for it. Originally, eight college underclassmen signed up for the draft this year, but three of them in St. John'sMel Davis, Siena College's Tony Delgado, and Kaskaskia College's Walter Gardner would all later decline entry for this year's draft. The following college basketball players successfully applied for an NBA hardship.[44]
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