Philadelphia Bought Championship Rotation Help
On January 16, 1947, the Philadelphia Warriors acquired the player rights to Ralph Kaplowitz from the New York Knicks for cash. Basketball-Reference records the transaction on both teams' 1946-47 transaction pages. New York had used Kaplowitz in 27 games, where he averaged 7.2 points, before selling his rights. The public transaction record does not disclose the cash amount, so a responsible hindsight grade has to avoid inventing a financial value for the Knicks' side.
Kaplowitz Stayed in the Warriors Rotation
Kaplowitz immediately became a rotation player for a Warriors team that finished 35-25 and won the first BAA championship. He appeared in 30 regular-season games for Philadelphia, averaged 7.0 points and improved his field-goal percentage from .259 with New York to .291 with the Warriors. He then played in all 10 postseason games, averaging 6.6 points as Philadelphia beat St. Louis, New York and Chicago on the way to the title.
New York’s Cash Return Cannot Be Priced
The Knicks received cash after getting 27 games from Kaplowitz. Selling a rotation player was not disastrous: New York still finished 33-27, reached the playoffs and won its quarterfinal series before losing to Philadelphia in the semifinals. The problem for retrospective grading is that the size and later use of the cash are not documented in the transaction sources. That makes it impossible to compare the financial return directly with Kaplowitz's championship-season contribution.
A Championship Run Gives Philadelphia the Edge
Kaplowitz's scoring rate barely changed after the move, so Philadelphia did not unlock a hidden star. The value came from fit, timing and availability. He joined a 35-win contender, played 30 regular-season games, appeared throughout the playoffs and remained with the Warriors for another year. New York was also a good team and did not collapse after moving him, which keeps the margin from becoming extreme.
Final Verdict
Warriors Win — Golden State A-, New York B. Philadelphia acquired Ralph Kaplowitz from the New York Knicks for cash on January 16, 1947. Kaplowitz had averaged 7.2 points in 27 games for New York and then averaged 7.0 points across 30 regular-season games for Philadelphia. He also appeared in all 10 of the Warriors' playoff games as Philadelphia won the inaugural BAA championship. The cash amount paid to New York is not preserved in the transaction pages used here, so the Knicks' financial return cannot be valued precisely.