Boston Bought Don Barksdale from Baltimore
Baltimore sent Don Barksdale to Boston on August 27, 1953 for Jim Doherty, Herm Hedderick, Mo Mahoney, Vernon Stokes and cash. Basketball-Reference's Baltimore, Boston and league-wide transaction logs all list that date and package, so the legacy August 28 route is corrected by one day. The source-backed review also normalizes two player names from the old intake: Francis Mahoney is the player known in the NBA record as Mo Mahoney, and Herman Hedderick is Herm Hedderick.
Barksdale Gave the Celtics 135 Games
Barksdale gave the Celtics two full seasons of useful frontcourt play. He appeared in 63 games in 1953-54, averaging 21.6 minutes, 7.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, then played all 72 games in 1954-55 while averaging 10.5 points and 7.6 rebounds. Across the two seasons he totaled 135 regular-season appearances and averaged 9.0 points and 6.6 rebounds for Boston. The production was below his Baltimore All-Star peak, but the Celtics received a legitimate multi-year rotation starter from a package built mostly around fringe or future players.
Baltimore’s Four Players Produced Almost Nothing
The Bullets received very little measurable NBA production from the four players. Mahoney appeared in two Baltimore games and did not score. Hedderick remained in military service throughout 1953-54 and later played only five NBA games, all for New York in 1954-55. Basketball-Reference lists Doherty and Stokes as drafted players but credits neither with an NBA appearance. Baltimore also received cash, and the amount is not preserved in the reviewed public record. That financial consideration deserves credit, but it cannot erase the large difference in realized playing value.
Two Productive Seasons Give Boston the Win
Boston acquired the only durable NBA contributor in the transaction. Barksdale supplied 135 games over two seasons, while Baltimore's four-player return produced only Mahoney's two Bullets appearances and no later Baltimore value from the other three players. The undisclosed cash payment prevents an extreme bottom grade for the Bullets, but the documented basketball outcome remains heavily tilted toward Boston.
Final Verdict
Celtics Win — Boston A-, Baltimore D+. Baltimore traded Don Barksdale to the Boston Celtics on August 27, 1953 for Jim Doherty, Herm Hedderick, Mo Mahoney, Vernon Stokes and cash. Basketball-Reference's Baltimore, Boston and league transaction logs all agree on the August 27 date, correcting the legacy August 28 route. Barksdale then played 135 regular-season games across two Boston seasons, averaging 9.0 points and 6.6 rebounds for the Celtics. Baltimore received only two NBA games from Mahoney; Hedderick was still in military service and later played five games for New York, while Doherty and Stokes never appeared in an NBA game.