Fort Wayne sold John Hargis' player rights to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks for cash on December 8, 1950. Hargis had played 14 games for the Pistons that season, averaging 4.8 points and 2.1 rebounds, after a 10.7-point season with Anderson the year before. He then appeared in 15 games for Tri-Cities at 3.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists before his NBA career ended. The cash amount is not preserved. Tri-Cities received a short stretch of usable depth, while Fort Wayne monetized a player it was ready to move, leaving the trade close to even with only a slight Blackhawks edge in realized on-court value.
On December 8, 1950, the Fort Wayne Pistons sold John Hargis' player rights to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks for cash. Tri-Cities' transaction page and the 1950-51 league transaction log identify the same rights sale. Hargis was not an unknown prospect: he had averaged 10.7 points in 60 games for the Anderson Packers in 1949-50, then moved into a much smaller role with Fort Wayne.
Hargis joined the Blackhawks and appeared in 15 games, averaging 3.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists. That gave Tri-Cities a real but limited return: a veteran guard-forward who could fill minutes during a difficult 25-43 season. He did not reproduce his Anderson scoring level, and those 15 games were the final NBA appearances of his career.
Fort Wayne received cash after using Hargis for only 14 games. The Pistons were 32-36 and reached the Western Division semifinals, so moving a reduced-role veteran did not prevent a playoff appearance. The sale amount is unknown, which makes it impossible to determine whether Fort Wayne captured more economic value than Tri-Cities received in 15 games of reserve production. Still, the Pistons converted a player they no longer needed into an immediate financial return rather than simply losing him with no compensation.
The difference between the two sides is small. Tri-Cities received 15 games and 56 total points from Hargis, while Fort Wayne received an undisclosed cash payment and avoided giving up any other asset. Because Hargis' NBA career ended after the season, the Blackhawks did not gain a long-term player or a later trade chip. That keeps the transaction far below the level of a meaningful franchise win.
Slight Blackhawks Edge — Tri-Cities C+, Fort Wayne C+. Fort Wayne sold John Hargis' player rights to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks for cash on December 8, 1950. Hargis had played 14 games for the Pistons that season, averaging 4.8 points and 2.1 rebounds, after a 10.7-point season with Anderson the year before. He then appeared in 15 games for Tri-Cities at 3.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists before his NBA career ended. The cash amount is not preserved.