Boston Sold Bob Doll to Minneapolis
On July 28, 1950, the Boston Celtics sold Bob Doll's player rights to the Minneapolis Lakers for cash. Boston's 1950-51 transaction page, Minneapolis' transaction page, the league transaction log and Red Auerbach's executive record all identify the same rights sale. Doll was 30 and had already completed four BAA/NBA seasons, including the previous two in Boston. He appeared in 47 Celtics games during 1949-50, averaging 6.7 points and 2.3 assists while shooting .346 from the field.
The Lakers Never Got an NBA Game from Doll
Boston received cash and cleared a veteran from the roster before Red Auerbach's first season as coach. That return is modest because the sale price is unknown, but hindsight provides an unusually clear clue about the underlying asset value: Doll never played another NBA game. The Celtics had already received 94 regular-season games from him over two seasons, so the transaction monetized residual rights after his Boston contribution was complete rather than moving a young player who later broke out elsewhere.
The Celtics Converted the Rights into Cash
Minneapolis acquired Doll's rights but never received an NBA appearance from him. The Lakers' transaction log shows that the club released him on October 30, 1950, before he played a regular-season game for the team. Basketball-Reference lists Doll's 1949-50 Boston season as the final season of his four-year BAA/NBA career. The Lakers therefore paid cash for an asset that produced no on-court return and no documented downstream trade value.
The Buyer’s Zero Return Gives Boston the Win
The historical comparison favors Boston despite the missing cash figure. The Celtics received a financial return for rights they no longer needed, while Minneapolis released Doll three months later without using him in a game. There is no later player, pick or trade chain on the Lakers' side that offsets the purchase. The unknown sale amount prevents Boston from receiving a high grade because the size of the benefit cannot be measured, but the direction of realized value is still clear.
Final Verdict
Celtics Win — Boston C+, Minneapolis D. Boston sold Bob Doll's player rights to the Minneapolis Lakers for cash on July 28, 1950. Doll had spent the previous two seasons with the Celtics, including 47 games at 6.7 points and 2.3 assists in 1949-50. Minneapolis never received an NBA appearance from him: the Lakers released Doll on October 30, and his four-year BAA/NBA career ended with his final Boston season. The reviewed transaction records do not preserve the cash amount.