Fort Wayne sold Bill Henry's player rights to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks on February 7, 1950 for cash. Henry had averaged 4.9 points in 44 games for the Pistons that season after scoring 9.9 per game as a rookie the year before. He played 19 regular-season games for Tri-Cities, averaging 4.3 points and 0.5 assists, then appeared in all three of the Blackhawks' playoff games. Henry never played another NBA season. Because the cash amount is not preserved and Tri-Cities received only a short stretch of modest production, the historical result is essentially even.
On February 7, 1950, the Fort Wayne Pistons sold Bill Henry's player rights to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks for cash. Fort Wayne's transaction log, the Tri-Cities transaction log, the 1949-50 league transaction record and Pistons executive Carl Bennett's ledger all identify the same sale. The reviewed public sources do not preserve the cash amount. Henry was a 25-year-old center in his second professional season.
Henry joined a Blackhawks team that eventually finished 29-35 and reached the Western Division Semifinals. He appeared in 19 regular-season games after the move and averaged 4.3 points and 0.5 assists while shooting .348 from the field. He also played in all three playoff games, averaging 3.0 points. That gave Tri-Cities a usable reserve center for the final stretch and the postseason, but there was no long-term payoff.
Fort Wayne received cash for a player whose role had already fallen sharply from his rookie season. The Pistons had used Henry in 44 games that year, but his scoring average had dropped by half and his field-goal percentage sat at .311. Selling his rights therefore converted a declining rotation asset into a financial return rather than losing him for nothing later. The problem for hindsight grading is that the amount is unknown.
Neither side produced a durable basketball return. Tri-Cities received 19 regular-season games, three playoff appearances and modest reserve production from Henry, but his NBA career ended immediately afterward. Fort Wayne received cash, yet the amount is absent from the reviewed transaction sources. Henry's short stay helped the Blackhawks cover center minutes during a playoff season, which has real value, but it is not enough to create a strong edge against an unknown cash payment for a player whose Fort Wayne role had already shrunk.
Even Trade — Fort Wayne C+, Tri-Cities C+. Fort Wayne sold Bill Henry's player rights to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks on February 7, 1950 for cash. Henry had averaged 4.9 points in 44 games for the Pistons that season after scoring 9.9 per game as a rookie the year before. He played 19 regular-season games for Tri-Cities, averaging 4.3 points and 0.5 assists, then appeared in all three of the Blackhawks' playoff games. Henry never played another NBA season.