Syracuse Bought Bob Harrison from St. Louis
St. Louis sold Bob Harrison's player rights to Syracuse on December 2, 1956. Basketball-Reference records the same transaction on the Hawks, Nationals and league-wide 1956-57 transaction pages. Harrison had been an established NBA guard for years and made the 1956 All-Star team with St. Louis, but his role collapsed early in 1956-57: he appeared in only 10 Hawks games and averaged 4.8 minutes before the sale. Syracuse was therefore buying a veteran whose current fit had deteriorated, while St. Louis chose cash rather than continuing to carry him.
Harrison Immediately Reclaimed a Major Role
Harrison immediately recovered a substantial role. He appeared in 56 Syracuse games over the rest of 1956-57, averaging 31.5 minutes, 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists. The next season he played all 72 games for the Nationals, adding 25.0 minutes, 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Across those two Syracuse seasons he supplied 128 regular-season appearances and became a steady backcourt contributor on teams that reached the playoffs both years. That is far more than a short emergency stint.
The Hawks Received Undisclosed Cash
The Hawks received cash, but the reviewed public transaction logs do not preserve the amount. That makes the financial return impossible to measure precisely. St. Louis did have a rational basketball reason to move Harrison because his role had nearly disappeared before the sale, and the Hawks were building around a different core. The later outcome shows that Harrison still had useful NBA basketball left, however, so the unknown cash has to be weighed against two full Syracuse seasons of proven production.
Two Strong Nationals Seasons Decide the Trade
Syracuse received the stronger measurable return. Harrison gave the Nationals 128 games over two seasons and immediately regained starter-level minutes after barely playing in St. Louis. The Hawks' cash return should not be treated as zero, and the undisclosed amount prevents an extreme grade gap. Still, the realized basketball value is clear enough to move this well beyond the legacy even-trade framing. Syracuse bought a veteran at a moment when his prior team had little use for him and extracted two productive seasons.
Final Verdict
Nationals Win — St. Louis C, Syracuse B+. St. Louis sold Bob Harrison's player rights to the Syracuse Nationals on December 2, 1956. Basketball-Reference's St. Louis, Syracuse and league transaction logs all verify the sale. Harrison had appeared in only 10 Hawks games that season before the move, but he immediately became a major Syracuse guard, playing 56 games at 31.5 minutes and 9.9 points per game in 1956-57. He then played all 72 games for the Nationals in 1957-58, averaging 25.0 minutes and 7.2 points. The undisclosed cash return gives St.