On May 31, 1951, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks traded Frankie Brian to the Fort Wayne Pistons for Dick Mehen, Howie Schultz and cash, correcting the legacy May 4 date. Brian became the best long-term asset in the deal: he played five seasons for Fort Wayne, made the 1952 All-Star team and averaged 15.9 points that first season. Mehen gave the Hawks 65 games at 10.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 1951-52, while Schultz was returned before playing for the franchise. Tri-Cities received useful short-term production and cash, but Fort Wayne got the longer, higher-impact return.
Basketball-Reference's Tri-Cities, Fort Wayne and league transaction logs all place the deal on May 31, 1951: the Blackhawks sent Frankie Brian to Fort Wayne for Dick Mehen, Howie Schultz and cash. That corrects the legacy May 4 date in the legacy archive entry. Brian had just completed an All-NBA Second Team season for Tri-Cities, averaging 16.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists across 68 games.
Brian immediately justified the acquisition. In 1951-52 he played all 66 games for Fort Wayne, averaged 15.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists, and made the All-Star team. He remained with the Pistons for five seasons and appeared in 306 regular-season games for the franchise, averaging 10.1 points over that span. His role declined later, but the longevity matters: Fort Wayne converted one transaction into several years of backcourt production and received Brian's best post-Tri-Cities season immediately after the trade.
Mehen became a major part of the renamed Milwaukee Hawks in 1951-52. He appeared in 65 games, averaged 10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists, and logged more than 35 minutes per game. Schultz, however, did not produce the same return. Basketball-Reference lists him outside the NBA in 1950-51, and executive records note that his rights were later returned to Fort Wayne before Minneapolis acquired him in October 1951. The cash amount is not preserved.
The Hawks' side was better than a simple loss because Mehen delivered a full season of starter-level minutes and double-digit scoring. Still, Brian's five-year Fort Wayne tenure created more durable value, and his first Pistons season included an All-Star selection while nearly matching his Tri-Cities scoring. The cash consideration could narrow the gap, but the amount is unknown and cannot be credited beyond acknowledging it existed. Schultz also failed to become a Hawks contributor.
Pistons Win — Tri-Cities B, Fort Wayne A-. On May 31, 1951, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks traded Frankie Brian to the Fort Wayne Pistons for Dick Mehen, Howie Schultz and cash, correcting the legacy May 4 date. Brian became the best long-term asset in the deal: he played five seasons for Fort Wayne, made the 1952 All-Star team and averaged 15.9 points that first season. Mehen gave the Hawks 65 games at 10.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 1951-52, while Schultz was returned before playing for the franchise.