The Package Is a Straight Player-for-Fourth-Round Pick
Chicago and New Orleans list the October 18, 1977 transaction identically: the Bulls sent their 1978 fourth-round pick to the Jazz for Glenn Hansen. The league draft-trade record also traces that exact selection to New Orleans, where it became No. 75 overall.
There are no extra players, cash terms or conditions in the reviewed record. This review therefore keeps the legacy package structure and focuses on correcting the realized-value assessment.
Hansen Barely Appeared for Chicago
The biggest issue with the legacy B+ grade is Hansen's actual Bulls production. Basketball-Reference credits him with only two Chicago games in 1977-78 and four total minutes.
He went 0-for-2 from the field, did not score and recorded no rebounds or assists for the Bulls. Hansen also played three games for Kansas City that season, but those minutes came after Chicago and do not belong to the Bulls' return.
His NBA career ended after 1977-78. Chicago therefore received a real player but almost no measurable on-court value from the transaction.
New Orleans Used the Pick on Jeff Covington
The Jazz kept the acquired fourth-rounder through the 1978 draft and selected Jeff Covington at No. 75 overall. The draft record confirms both the slot and the Youngstown State forward.
Covington never appeared in an NBA regular-season game. Basketball-Reference lists the draft selection but no NBA career statistics, and the 1978 draft table shows no NBA games or minutes attached to his record.
That means New Orleans received a valid draft asset and exercised it, but the pick produced no realized NBA playing value. There is also no verified downstream trade return attached to Covington in the reviewed sources.
The Difference Between Two Games and Zero Games Is Small
Chicago technically realized more direct NBA production because Hansen appeared twice. But two games and four minutes should not be inflated into a meaningful roster win.
New Orleans, meanwhile, at least retained the flexibility of a future fourth-round selection through draft night. In process terms that asset had value. In retrospective realized-value terms, however, it became a player who never appeared in the league.
This is exactly the kind of low-stakes historical transaction where the grade gap should remain narrow. Neither side surrendered premium capital, and neither side generated a lasting contributor.
Final Verdict
Slight Bulls Edge, D+/D. Chicago receives a D+ because Hansen produced two documented regular-season appearances, even though the contribution was only four minutes and zero points. New Orleans receives a D because the acquired pick was fully exercised at No. 75 but Covington never played an NBA regular-season game. The Bulls edge is technical rather than substantial. Confidence is high on the package, Hansen's Chicago line and the draft outcome.