Today in Boston Celtics history: Howell, Siegfried, Bryant lost in 1970 expansion draft
Today in Boston Celtics history, the storied ball club lost three players during the 1970 NBA expansion draft. This draft, the fifth in league history, was conducted to fill the rosters of three new teams entering the NBA: the Buffalo Braves (who would eventually become the Celtics, though that is a different story ), the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Portland Trail Blazers . Former Celtics point guard Emmette "Em" Bryant would be drafted by the Braves after just two seasons with Boston between 1968 and 1970, with whom he won a championship in 1969, the Celtics' last until the mid-seventies.
The Chicago native holds the distinction of being one of the only players in NBA history to have been selected in multiple expansion drafts after having been selected from the New York Knicks by the Phoenix Suns in the 1968 expansion draft as well. Bryant averaged 6. 7 points, 3.
1 rebounds, and 2. 7 assists per game in his two seasons with Boston. Transactions The Celtics also lost veteran guard Larry Siegfried to the Trail Blazers, who had been a key part of Boston's rotation on five championship teams in the 1960s, and with the team for seven seasons.
His outstanding defense was a particularly noteworthy loss for the Celtics; Siegfried logged 11. 6 points, 2. 8 boards and 3.
3 assists a game in his time with Boston. Bailey Howell was also taken from the Celtics in the expansion draft but was dealt by the Braves to the Philadelphia 76ers almost immediately for Bob Kauffman and a 1971 second-round draft pick. Howell averaged 18.