New York acquired Irv Rothenberg's player rights from the St. Louis Bombers for cash on October 25, 1948. Rothenberg had averaged 7.8 points in 24 games for St. Louis the prior season, then became a regular for the Knicks. He played 53 games in 1948-49, averaged 5.9 points and 1.3 assists, and contributed 1.6 win shares as New York finished 32-28 and reached the BAA Eastern Division Finals. The cash amount is not preserved in the reviewed public transaction log. New York gets the historical edge because the purchase turned directly into a full season of rotation value and playoff participation.
On October 25, 1948, the New York Knicks acquired Irv Rothenberg's player rights from the St. Louis Bombers for cash. New York's 1948-49 transaction log records the rights purchase on that date. Rothenberg was already an experienced BAA center: he had played for Cleveland, Washington, Baltimore and St. Louis across the first two league seasons, including 24 games for the Bombers in 1947-48 at 7.8 points per game.
Rothenberg played 53 of the Knicks' 60 regular-season games in 1948-49. He averaged 5.9 points and 1.3 assists, scored 314 points and produced 1.6 win shares. Those numbers were not star-level, but the availability mattered on a 32-28 club that finished second in the BAA Eastern Division. New York beat Baltimore in the division semifinals before losing to Washington in the Eastern Division Finals.
St. Louis received cash, but the amount and any downstream roster use are not preserved in the sources reviewed for this record. The Bombers had received useful scoring from Rothenberg the previous season, when he averaged 7.8 points in 24 games. Selling his rights therefore removed a player who still had enough value to become a 53-game regular for New York. At the same time, early BAA cash sales were common roster-management tools, and an undisclosed payment prevents a strong claim that St.
The measurable basketball return belongs to New York. The Knicks paid an unknown amount and received 53 regular-season games, 314 points and a rotation center on a team that reached the Eastern Division Finals. St. Louis received money that cannot be quantified or connected to a specific later asset. Because Rothenberg's New York tenure lasted only one season and his production was modest, this is not a franchise-changing win.
Knicks Win — New York A-, St. Louis B. New York acquired Irv Rothenberg's player rights from the St. Louis Bombers for cash on October 25, 1948. Rothenberg had averaged 7.8 points in 24 games for St. Louis the prior season, then became a regular for the Knicks. He played 53 games in 1948-49, averaged 5.9 points and 1.3 assists, and contributed 1.6 win shares as New York finished 32-28 and reached the BAA Eastern Division Finals. The cash amount is not preserved in the reviewed public transaction log.