The Exchange
St. Louis traded Frank Radovich, Bob McDonald and cash to Philadelphia for Joe Graboski on August 19, 1961. The Hawks, Warriors and league Basketball-Reference transaction pages all preserve the same date and package. Graboski was a veteran forward-center with more than a decade of professional experience, while Radovich was a 1961 second-round pick and McDonald a sixth-round pick whose NBA value had not yet materialized. St. Louis was therefore paying two younger assets plus cash for an established player.
St. Louis Return
Graboski's direct Hawks tenure was extremely short. He appeared in only three regular-season games for St. Louis in 1961-62, averaging 2.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game. His value did not end there, however. On November 21, the Hawks included Graboski with Si Green and Woody Sauldsberry in the trade that brought Barney Cable and Archie Dees from the expansion Chicago Packers. Because that later transaction involved five players, it is not possible to isolate an exact dollar-like share of the return attributable to Graboski.
Philadelphia Return
Radovich gave the Warriors 37 regular-season games in 1961-62, averaging 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in only 4.7 minutes per game. He also appeared briefly in the playoffs, but his NBA career ended after that season. McDonald never appeared in an NBA regular-season game. That leaves Philadelphia with a small amount of low-minute player production plus the unknown cash payment. The cash matters because it was guaranteed value at the time, but the two basketball assets did not develop into rotation pieces with meaningful longevity.
Hindsight Comparison
Neither side produced a major long-term winner from the exchange. Philadelphia received more direct games because Radovich stayed on the roster for 37 appearances, yet those minutes were minimal and McDonald never reached the league. St. Louis received only three Graboski games, but the Hawks were able to reuse him in another multi-player trade within three months. That downstream utility gives the Hawks a modest realized-value advantage, although the unreported cash amount and inability to isolate Graboski's exact share of the later Cable-Dees package keep the gap narrow.
Final Verdict
Hawks Edge, B-/C+. St. Louis receives a B- for acquiring the only established veteran in the deal and preserving some downstream trade value despite receiving just three direct games. Philadelphia receives a C+ because Radovich supplied 37 low-minute appearances, McDonald never played in the NBA, and the cash amount is unknown. Confidence is high on the package and player outcomes, with the principal uncertainty limited to the financial term and the exact value Graboski contributed to the later Chicago trade. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.