Boston Sent Five Players for Jack Nichols
Milwaukee sent Jack Nichols to Boston on November 29, 1953 for John Azary, Fred Eydt, Tom Lillis, J.C. Maze and Paul Unruh. Basketball-Reference records that exact package on the Hawks, Celtics and league-wide 1953-54 transaction pages, and the Red Auerbach and Ben Kerner executive ledgers independently preserve the same exchange. The structure looks large because Boston sent five names, but the source-backed review has to distinguish roster rights from actual NBA production. Nichols was the only player in the package who produced measurable post-trade NBA minutes.
Nichols Still Supplied 16 Celtics Games
Nichols appeared in six Celtics games in 1953-54, seven in 1954-55 and three in 1955-56. Across those three partial seasons he totaled 16 games, 542 minutes, 214 points, 147 rebounds and 64 assists. The role was small, but it was real. Boston received a veteran forward who could fill rotation minutes over several seasons without surrendering a player who later emerged as a meaningful NBA contributor. Nichols' best Boston stretch came immediately after the deal, when he averaged 35.2 minutes and 16.7 points across six games in 1953-54.
Milwaukee’s Five Names Produced No NBA Return
Azary, Eydt, Lillis, Maze and Unruh generated no documented NBA regular-season appearances after the trade. Basketball-Reference preserves their draft or player identities, but none became an NBA rotation piece for Milwaukee. That makes the five-player return look much larger on paper than it was in realized basketball value. The Hawks effectively exchanged a veteran who still had some usable NBA minutes for a group of rights and fringe assets that did not translate into league production.
The Small Realized Edge Goes to Boston
Boston received the stronger realized return because Nichols was the only asset in the transaction to play another NBA game. At the same time, 16 games across three seasons is too little to treat this as a major win. The Celtics gained useful depth at very low realized opportunity cost, while Milwaukee's five-player package never produced a corresponding NBA contribution. The source-backed result should therefore favor Boston without exaggerating the importance of the trade.
Final Verdict
Celtics Win — Milwaukee D+, Boston B-. Milwaukee traded Jack Nichols to the Boston Celtics for John Azary, Fred Eydt, Tom Lillis, J.C. Maze and Paul Unruh on November 29, 1953. Basketball-Reference's Milwaukee, Boston and league transaction logs all verify the six-player package. Nichols then appeared in 16 regular-season games for Boston across three seasons, totaling 542 minutes, 214 points and 147 rebounds. The five players sent to Milwaukee never produced an NBA regular-season appearance after the trade. Boston therefore received the only measurable on-court value, although Nichols' limited role keeps the hindsight advantage modest rather than dramatic.