Philadelphia acquired Ed Sadowski from Boston for Hank Beenders and Chick Halbert on May 1, 1948. Sadowski became a major Warriors contributor in 1948-49, playing all 60 games, scoring 920 points and averaging 15.3 points with 10.7 win shares. Boston received only eight games and 2.4 points per game from Beenders, while Halbert averaged 9.4 points in 33 games before the Celtics moved him to Providence in January. The Warriors get the historical edge because Sadowski delivered a full high-level season and remained productive into 1949-50, while Boston's two-player return was shorter and less valuable.
On May 1, 1948, the Boston Celtics traded Ed Sadowski to the Philadelphia Warriors for Hank Beenders and Chick Halbert. The move came after the 1947-48 BAA season, so the cleanest comparison begins in 1948-49. Sadowski had just been Boston's dominant scorer, averaging 20.3 points across 47 games. Beenders had been a reserve for Philadelphia, while Halbert had played 40 games for the Warriors at 10.5 points per game after arriving from Chicago.
Sadowski gave the Warriors exactly the kind of production that makes this trade stand out. He played all 60 regular-season games in 1948-49, scored 920 points and averaged 15.3 points per game while shooting .405 from the field. Basketball-Reference credits him with 10.7 win shares, one of the strongest marks on the team. Philadelphia finished 28-32 and reached the playoffs, where Sadowski appeared in two games.
Boston's return was divided between a short Beenders stint and a useful but temporary Halbert role. Beenders appeared in only eight games for the Celtics in 1948-49, averaging 2.4 points on .214 shooting before his BAA career ended. Halbert contributed much more. He played 33 games for Boston, averaged 9.4 points and 1.8 assists, and generated 1.7 win shares before the Celtics traded him to Providence on January 16, 1949.
The trade is not a case where Boston received nothing. Halbert was a real contributor, and turning one player into two bodies had roster logic for a Celtics team trying to improve after a 20-win season. The problem is the realized value. Beenders barely played, Halbert lasted only 33 games, and Sadowski immediately produced 15.3 points per game with double-digit win shares for Philadelphia. Sadowski's role was both larger and more durable through the next season.
Warriors Win — Golden State A, Boston B. Philadelphia acquired Ed Sadowski from Boston for Hank Beenders and Chick Halbert on May 1, 1948. Sadowski became a major Warriors contributor in 1948-49, playing all 60 games, scoring 920 points and averaging 15.3 points with 10.7 win shares. Boston received only eight games and 2.4 points per game from Beenders, while Halbert averaged 9.4 points in 33 games before the Celtics moved him to Providence in January.