Atlanta acquired Dave Piontek from Royals in exchange for Dave Gambee; Hubert Reed.
Basketball-Reference’s executive ledgers and historical date index agree that Cincinnati sent Dave Piontek to St. Louis on January 31, 1960 for Dave Gambee and Hub Reed. The exchange moved one established forward to a contender and gave the Royals two younger frontcourt players. Unlike the overlapping cash entry in the legacy archive, this three-player structure is consistently preserved by independent transaction sources.
Piontek played 25 games for St. Louis after the trade, averaging 28.9 minutes, 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. He also appeared during the Hawks’ run to the 1960 NBA Finals. His role shrank the next season to 29 games and 8.8 minutes per night, leaving St. Louis with 54 regular-season games over two years before Chicago selected him in the 1961 expansion draft.
Reed supplied the most durable value in the deal. He played 69 games for Cincinnati after the trade in 1959-60 and averaged 9.7 points and 8.9 rebounds, then remained with the Royals for three more seasons. Gambee added 19 games before his rights moved back to St. Louis and ultimately on to Syracuse. Cincinnati therefore received both the best single-season production and the longest tenure.
St. Louis received useful short-term minutes from Piontek during a Finals season, so the trade was not empty for the Hawks. Cincinnati nevertheless obtained far more cumulative production through Reed alone, with Gambee adding a smaller contribution. The verified careers support a clear Royals win while still recognizing why a contender could value Piontek’s immediate veteran role.
Kings Win — St. Louis C, Cincinnati B+. Atlanta acquired Dave Piontek from Royals in exchange for Dave Gambee; Hubert Reed.