Fort Wayne acquired Leo Klier from the Indianapolis Jets for cash in the summer of 1948 as both clubs prepared to enter the BAA. A historical account of the Zollner Pistons describes cash-strapped Indianapolis selling the contract of its leading scorer to Fort Wayne, while the exact sale day and cash amount are not preserved in the reviewed public transaction logs. Klier then played 47 games at 7.4 points per game in 1948-49 and 66 games at 6.9 points in 1949-50. The Pistons get the historical edge because the purchase produced 113 games of rotation value across the BAA-to-NBA transition.
In the summer of 1948, Fort Wayne acquired Leo Klier from the Indianapolis franchise for cash as the Pistons and the newly renamed Jets prepared to enter the BAA. The historical Zollner Pistons account describes Indianapolis as financially strained and says the club sold the contract of its highest scorer to Fort Wayne before the season.
Klier immediately became a regular for the Pistons in their first BAA season. He played 47 games in 1948-49, averaged 7.4 points and 1.2 assists, and scored 347 points. Fort Wayne struggled to a 22-38 record, so his arrival did not turn the club into a contender, but he remained useful through the league transition.
Indianapolis received cash at a time when the franchise's finances were a central concern. The historical account specifically frames the Klier sale as part of that financial pressure, which makes the decision easier to understand than a normal basketball-for-cash move. The Jets still entered the 1948-49 BAA season but finished 18-42 and folded after the season. The compensation amount is not preserved in the reviewed sources, and there is no traceable basketball asset tied to the proceeds.
Klier never became a star in Fort Wayne, yet the transaction produced exactly the kind of durable role value that gives an early cash purchase meaning in hindsight. He played nearly two full seasons, remained through the creation of the NBA and improved his efficiency in year two. Indianapolis' decision had a defensible business rationale because the club needed money and was heading into a precarious final season.
Pistons Win — Fort Wayne A-, Indianapolis B. Fort Wayne acquired Leo Klier from the Indianapolis Jets for cash in the summer of 1948 as both clubs prepared to enter the BAA. A historical account of the Zollner Pistons describes cash-strapped Indianapolis selling the contract of its leading scorer to Fort Wayne, while the exact sale day and cash amount are not preserved in the reviewed public transaction logs. Klier then played 47 games at 7.4 points per game in 1948-49 and 66 games at 6.9 points in 1949-50.