St. Louis Sent Frank Selvy to New York for a Second-Rounder
St. Louis traded Frank Selvy to New York on October 22, 1958 for a 1959 second-round draft choice. The Knicks' historical media guide explicitly records Selvy arriving from St. Louis for that pick on October 22, and Pro Sports Transactions plus RealGM independently preserve the same move. Basketball-Reference's 1958-59 team and league transaction pages do not list it, so the transaction is kept with a source-gap note rather than pretending every archive agrees. The pick was subsequently used by St. Louis at No. 14 overall on Alan Seiden.
Selvy Became a Full-Season Knicks Rotation Guard
Selvy immediately became a useful rotation guard for the Knicks. He appeared in 68 games during 1958-59, averaging 21.3 minutes, 9.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting .385 from the field. New York went 40-32 and reached the Eastern Division playoffs, so the acquired player contributed meaningful regular-season offense to a winning team. Selvy did not become a long-term Knick; he was waived in October 1959 and later resumed his career elsewhere. Even so, one full productive season is substantial realized value for a second-round pick.
The Pick Became Alan Seiden and Produced No NBA Games
The Hawks used the acquired 1959 second-round pick on Alan Seiden at No. 14 overall. Seiden was a decorated St. John's guard and a consensus All-American, but Basketball-Reference does not record an NBA regular-season career for him. That means the draft asset generated no measurable NBA production for St. Louis. The selection itself was legitimate value at the time, but hindsight has to distinguish draft pedigree from realized professional return.
New York Realized the Clear Advantage
New York received the clear realized advantage. Selvy supplied 68 games and almost 10 points per game in the season immediately after the trade, while the pick St. Louis received became a player who never appeared in an NBA regular-season game. The archival omission on Basketball-Reference lowers confidence in the transaction mechanics slightly, but the Knicks media guide and independent transaction databases align on the date and consideration. The result therefore supports a decisive Knicks edge.
Final Verdict
Knicks Win — St. Louis D, New York B+. St. Louis traded Frank Selvy to the New York Knicks on October 22, 1958 for a 1959 second-round draft pick that became Alan Seiden at No. 14 overall. The transaction is preserved in the Knicks' historical media guide, Pro Sports Transactions and RealGM's Selvy timeline even though Basketball-Reference's 1958-59 team and league transaction pages omit it. Selvy then played 68 games for New York in 1958-59, averaging 21.3 minutes and 9.8 points per game. St. Louis used the acquired pick on Seiden, but Basketball-Reference records no NBA regular-season career for him. The verified realized value therefore favors New York.