Philadelphia Sent Ed Sadowski and Cash to Baltimore
On December 7, 1949, the Philadelphia Warriors traded Ed Sadowski and cash to the Baltimore Bullets for Ron Livingstone. Basketball-Reference records the exchange on the league and Philadelphia transaction pages, while the Bill Dyer and Peter Tyrell executive registers corroborate it from both front offices. Sadowski was a proven veteran who had averaged 15.3 points for Philadelphia in 1948-49 and was still scoring 8.6 points through 17 games in 1949-50.
Sadowski Became the Bullets’ Leading Scorer
Sadowski became Baltimore's most productive scorer almost immediately. In 52 games after the trade, he scored 726 points and averaged 14.0 points while shooting .328 from the field. That scoring rate was far above what Livingstone had provided in Baltimore and gave a 25-43 team an established offensive centerpiece for the rest of the season. The limitation is duration. Sadowski was 34 and 1949-50 was his final NBA season, so Baltimore received one high-volume stretch rather than a multi-year asset.
Ron Livingstone Gave Philadelphia More Longevity
Livingstone gave the Warriors less immediate scoring but substantially more longevity. He played 38 games for Philadelphia in 1949-50, averaged 9.6 points and 3.1 assists, and became the team's highest per-game scorer among players listed on the season roster page. He also appeared in both playoff games and averaged 8.0 points. Livingstone returned for 63 games in 1950-51, averaging 4.5 points and 4.7 rebounds as Philadelphia improved to 40-26.
Baltimore’s Immediate Return Wins a Close One
This deal is closer than the original placeholder grades suggested. Baltimore received the clearly better immediate scorer and also collected cash, while Philadelphia received the younger player and extracted two seasons of rotation value. Sadowski's 14.0 points per game mattered on a weak Baltimore roster, but his NBA career ended after the season. Livingstone never matched that scoring level, yet he stayed for 101 Warriors games and contributed to the following year's 40-win team.
Final Verdict
Baltimore Win — Baltimore B+, Philadelphia B. Philadelphia traded Ed Sadowski and cash to the original Baltimore Bullets for rookie center Ron Livingstone on December 7, 1949. Sadowski immediately became Baltimore's leading scorer, averaging 14.0 points across 52 games after the trade. Livingstone also improved after moving to Philadelphia, averaging 9.6 points and 3.1 assists in 38 games, then returning for 63 games in 1950-51 at 4.5 points and 4.7 rebounds. The cash amount is not preserved.