Jazz Trades Dawkins to Pistons for a Pair of Draft Picks, Cash

The Utah Jazz traded center Darryl Dawkins to the Detroit Pistons Thursday for second-round draft picks in 1988 and 1990 and cash, Jazz president Dave Checketts said.

Dawkins, 30, a 12-year National Basketball Assn. veteran, was obtained by the Jazz in October in a three-way trade that also involved the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New Jersey Nets.

Rumors of the possibility of a trade involving the 6-foot 11-inch Dawkins began circulating after he missed the first five games of the season following the Nov. 1 suicide of his estranged wife in Trenton, N.J. Since then, Dawkins had played just 26 minutes and scored only six points in four games for the Jazz.

A team spokesman, however, said that Utah Coach Frank Layden had been pleased by Dawkins’ play, and that the trade was made because the Jazz had a surplus of centers. Mel Turpin, another 6-11 center obtained in the three-way trade, is averaging 8.5 points per game and has been a steady backup for 7-4 Mark Eaton, Utah’s starting center.

“Darryl wasn’t going to get the playing time he needed, so this is a good deal for him as well,” the spokesman said.

Checketts said that 80% of the money Dawkins could earn according to the terms of his contract involved incentive clauses, and that Dawkins would not have had the playing time he needed to achieve many of his incentive limits.