Boston Sold Dermie O’Connell after Waiving Him
On February 1, 1950, the Boston Celtics sold Dermie O'Connell's player rights to the St. Louis Bombers for cash. Basketball-Reference's Boston transaction page, the St. Louis transaction page, the league transaction log and Walter Brown's executive record all identify the same rights sale. The sequence is worth preserving because Boston had waived O'Connell on January 29, then sold his rights three days later. The reviewed public records do not state the cash amount.
St. Louis Got a Short Reserve Stint
O'Connell joined the Bombers for the remainder of their final NBA season. He appeared in 24 games, averaged 3.8 points and 1.1 assists, and shot .260 from the field. That was a smaller scoring role than he had held in Boston, though it still gave St. Louis another guard for a roster that finished 26-42. The acquisition did not produce a future asset.
The Celtics Recovered Cash from an Exit
Boston's return was cash from a player the club had already waived. That is the strongest contextual point in the Celtics' favor: the organization recovered some financial value instead of receiving nothing after deciding O'Connell was no longer part of the active roster. The limitation is that the amount is not preserved in the reviewed transaction sources, so it cannot be compared directly with O'Connell's on-court contribution.
Neither Side Created Much Basketball Value
The transaction is too small and too poorly quantified to support a strong winner. St. Louis received 24 games from a young guard, but O'Connell averaged only 3.8 points after the move and his NBA career ended with the season. Boston received cash after waiving him, but the undisclosed amount prevents a precise value judgment. The Bombers' short-term roster use and the Celtics' financial recovery are both real.
Final Verdict
Even Trade — Boston C+, St. Louis C+. Boston sold Dermie O'Connell's player rights to the St. Louis Bombers on February 1, 1950, three days after the Celtics had waived him. The public transaction record identifies the return as cash but does not preserve the amount. O'Connell played 24 games for St. Louis after the sale, averaging 3.8 points and 1.1 assists, and did not appear in another NBA season. The Bombers received a usable short-term guard while Boston converted a player it had already removed from the roster into an undisclosed payment.