Expansion-draft pick from Milwaukee, gone to Phoenix in that same trade. He started for the Suns in the 1976 Finals.
One of the strangest entries in the roster book: New Orleans claimed the rugged rebounding forward from Milwaukee in the May 1974 expansion draft that stocked the brand-new franchise — and traded him to Phoenix that September, before the Jazz had played a single game.
He left on September 16, 1974 together with Dennis Awtrey, Nate Hawthorne and a future first-round pick, with Neal Walk coming back. That pick became the No. 6 choice of the 1976 draft — Adrian Dantley, who would later become a Jazz great by an entirely different road. Perry himself started for the Suns in the 1976 NBA Finals. He never wore the Jazz uniform in a game, but Topps had already printed his 1974-75 card as a New Orleans Jazz man — the signed copy lives in this archive.
HOW HE CAME & WENTTaken by the brand-new Jazz in the May 1974 expansion draft, he was traded to Phoenix that September — before the franchise had played a single game.
No official games for the franchise. He was on the roster without ever appearing in a box score — the story of his short stay is in the biography above. Every man who wore the badge belongs in the checklist.
Why he is in the checklist. His 1974-75 Topps card lists him as New Orleans Jazz, printed in the summer between the expansion draft and the trade to Phoenix. The signed copy is in this archive.
More info: Basketball-Reference ↗ · Wikipedia ↗