BOSReceived
+Draft rights to Bill Russell · No. 2Dynasty origin · April 30, 1956
The draft-night trade that created the Celtics dynasty
St. Louis selected Bill Russell second and sent his rights to Boston for six-time All-Star Ed Macauley and the draft rights to Cliff Hagan.
See where this happened in the 1956 offseason →The original receipt
Every asset in the deal
The arrows show what each team received—not which direction a player left.
STLReceived
St. Louis Hawks
PEd Macauley
+Draft rights to Cliff Hagan
Why it happened
The bet each side made
Red Auerbach sacrificed an established local star and another premium prospect for the defensive center he believed could complete Boston.
Why history remembers it
Russell won 11 championships in 13 seasons. Hagan and Macauley helped St. Louis win the 1958 title, but Boston acquired the foundation of the greatest dynasty in league history.
The family tree
Where the picks and rights went
Selections, swaps and later trades are traced separately so a downstream player is not mistaken for a direct one-for-one return.
- 01
No. 2 draft rights · selected
Bill Russell →St. Louis selected Russell for Boston before exchanging his rights for Macauley and Hagan.
What changed
The consequences
- Boston won its first championship in Russell's rookie season.
- Russell became the defensive center of 11 championship teams.
- Hagan and Macauley helped the Hawks defeat Boston in the 1958 Finals.
Principal profiles