Rochester Sold Lew Hitch to Philadelphia
Rochester sold Lew Hitch's player rights to Philadelphia on January 4, 1957. Basketball-Reference lists the same date on the Royals, Warriors and league-wide transaction pages, and the Les Harrison executive ledger independently records the sale. The legacy TradeVerdicts route was dated January 5, so this pass corrects the date and route metadata while preserving the original source lineage. Hitch had joined Rochester as a free agent in July 1956 and played 30 games before the move. Philadelphia was purchasing an experienced reserve big man for the second half of the season.
Hitch Gave the Warriors 38 Reserve Games
Hitch played 38 games for the Warriors after the sale, averaging 15.2 minutes, 3.7 points and 3.5 rebounds. He was not a high-impact acquisition, but Philadelphia received regular reserve minutes through the rest of a 37-win season and playoff appearance. Those 38 games were the final appearances of Hitch's NBA career, so there was no downstream multi-year value. The return was nevertheless tangible and considerably more useful than a dormant player right.
The Royals Took Undisclosed Cash
The Royals received cash, but the public ledgers do not preserve the amount. Rochester had already gotten 30 games from Hitch that season and was able to monetize his remaining rights before his career ended. That makes the sale defensible and prevents a low grade. At the same time, because the cash amount is unknown, there is no basis for claiming that it clearly exceeded the value of the 38 reserve games Philadelphia received.
A Modest Basketball Return Gives Philadelphia the Edge
The deal is close, with a modest Philadelphia edge. The Warriors received half a season of useful depth, while Rochester received real but unquantified financial consideration. Hitch's short remaining career limits the upside on Philadelphia's side, and the Royals did not give away a future starter or long-term asset. The old C-/F split substantially overstated the gap. A mild Warriors advantage better matches the documented outcome.
Final Verdict
Slight Warriors Edge — Philadelphia B-, Rochester C+. Rochester sold Lew Hitch's player rights to the Philadelphia Warriors on January 4, 1957, not January 5 as the legacy route recorded. Basketball-Reference's Rochester, Philadelphia and league transaction ledgers all agree on the January 4 date. Hitch had played 30 Royals games that season at 18.5 minutes, 4.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game before the sale, then appeared in 38 games for Philadelphia at 15.2 minutes, 3.7 points and 3.5 rebounds. Those were the final 38 games of his NBA career.