Boston Bought Andy Duncan from Rochester
On June 27, 1950, the Rochester Royals sold Andy Duncan's player rights to the Boston Celtics for cash. Rochester's transaction page, Boston's transaction page, the 1949-50 league transaction log and Red Auerbach's executive record all agree on the date and player-rights sale. That evidence corrects two defects in the legacy Boston intake: the record used June 28 and classified Duncan as draft rights. Duncan was already a veteran professional, having played 55 BAA games for Rochester in 1948-49 and 67 NBA games in 1949-50.
Duncan Barely Contributed to the Celtics
Duncan's Boston return was brief and modest. He appeared in 14 games during the 1950-51 season, averaging 2.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.6 assists while shooting .175 from the field. He scored 29 total points for the Celtics and did not appear in another NBA season. That leaves Boston with a very small realized basketball return from the purchase.
The Royals Took Cash for an Expendable Player
Rochester received cash for a player whose role had already declined from 7.4 points per game in 1948-49 to 4.6 in 1949-50. The Royals then entered the 1950-51 season without Duncan and won the NBA championship. That team success does not itself prove the sale was valuable, but it shows Rochester was able to move on from a reserve without creating an obvious roster problem. The limitation is the missing sale price.
The Failed Purchase Gives Rochester the Edge
The surviving evidence favors Rochester because Boston received almost no lasting player value. Duncan played only 14 games, scored 29 points and was out of the NBA after the season. Rochester at least converted his rights into cash after two seasons of service. The unknown price prevents a high-confidence claim about how profitable the sale was, but Boston's return is concrete enough to evaluate and was minimal. This is therefore a small historical win for the Royals rather than an important franchise transaction.
Final Verdict
Royals Win — Boston D+, Rochester C+. Boston purchased Andy Duncan's player rights from the Rochester Royals for cash on June 27, 1950. Authoritative Rochester, Boston, league and Red Auerbach transaction records establish the June 27 date, correcting the legacy June 28 intake record, and show this as a player-rights sale rather than a draft-rights transaction. Duncan had already played two seasons for Rochester, including 67 games at 4.6 points per game in 1949-50.