1956 NBA draft


The 1956 NBA draft was the tenth annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on April 30, 1956, before the 1956–57 season. In this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams select in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season, except for the defending champion and runner-up, who were assigned the last two pick on each round. The draft consisted of 10 rounds comprising 92 players selected.

Draft selections and draftee career notes

from Duquesne University was selected first overall by the Rochester Royals. Tom Heinsohn from the College of the Holy Cross was selected before the draft as Boston Celtics' territorial pick. Heinsohn went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season. Bill Russell from the University of San Francisco was selected second overall by the St. Louis Hawks and immediately traded to the Boston Celtics for Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan. Three players from this draft, Tom Heinsohn, Bill Russell, and K. C. Jones, have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Elgin Baylor and Sam Jones, who were selected by the Minneapolis Lakers in the later rounds, have also been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame, although they did not enter the league immediately after the draft. In the 1957 draft, Sam Jones was selected in the first round by the Boston Celtics, with whom he played for in his whole career. In the 1958 draft, Elgin Baylor was selected first overall by the Lakers, with whom he played for in his whole career.

Draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityTeamCollege
T–^F/CUnited StatesBoston CelticsHoly Cross
11G/FUnited StatesRochester RoyalsDuquesne
12^CUnited StatesSt. Louis Hawks San Francisco
13G/FUnited StatesMinneapolis LakersDayton
14FUnited StatesNew York KnicksNC State
15FUnited StatesSyracuse NationalsGeorge Washington
16GUnited StatesFort Wayne Pistons DePaul
17GUnited StatesPhiladelphia WarriorsTemple
28F/CUnited StatesRochester RoyalsKentucky
29+F/CUnited StatesSt. Louis HawksUCLA
210#CUnited StatesMinneapolis LakersMarquette
211CUnited StatesNew York KnicksUtah
212#FUnited StatesSyracuse NationalsIllinois
213^GUnited StatesBoston CelticsSan Francisco
214#FUnited StatesFort Wayne PistonsMaryland
215GUnited StatesPhiladelphia WarriorsLouisville

Other picks

The following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game.
RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityTeamCollege
316F/CUnited StatesRochester RoyalsXavier
318FUnited StatesMinneapolis LakersKentucky
320GUnited StatesSyracuse NationalsWestern Kentucky
322F/CUnited StatesFort Wayne PistonsHofstra
424GUnited StatesRochester RoyalsCanisius
428CUnited StatesSyracuse NationalsOregon State
429FUnited StatesBoston CelticsMorehead State
533FUnited StatesSt. Louis HawksMissouri
536GUnited StatesSyracuse NationalsToledo
642F/CUnited StatesMinneapolis LakersWhitworth
643GUnited StatesNew York KnicksUtah State
750FUnited StatesMinneapolis LakersCal State L.A.
1074F/CUnited StatesSyracuse NationalsGrambling
1490^FUnited StatesMinneapolis LakersSeattle

Trades