The trade finished close, with a slight edge to 76ers: Detroit received Jerry Stackhouse, Eric Montross, 2003-2005 (76ers option) second round pick (2005 #60-Alex Acker) and sent Theo Ratliff, Aaron McKie, conditional first round pick (2003 #25-Carlos Delfino).
Detroit sent Theo Ratliff, Aaron McKie and a conditional first-round pick to Philadelphia in December 1997 for Jerry Stackhouse, Eric Montross and a future second. The Pistons were buying a younger high-volume scorer who could become an offensive centerpiece. Philadelphia was moving Stackhouse out of an overlapping perimeter role with Allen Iverson and chose defense, playmaking and future draft value instead.
Ratliff became an All-Star-level rim protector in Philadelphia and later served as a major outgoing asset in the trade for Dikembe Mutombo during the 2000-01 season. McKie stayed, won Sixth Man of the Year in 2001 and became one of the most trusted guards on the team that reached the NBA Finals. The 76ers therefore received both immediate fit and directly traceable downstream value from the package.
Detroit also realized substantial value. Stackhouse became a two-time All-Star with the Pistons, led the team in scoring and produced several high-volume offensive seasons. When Detroit moved him in 2002, he was the central outgoing player in the deal that brought Richard Hamilton, creating another important directly traceable branch. Montross and the later second-round pick were minor pieces, but Stackhouse alone made Detroit’s return strong enough to keep the historical verdict close.
The exchange also contained a conditional first-round obligation and a future second, alongside four named veterans. Detroit's side included a second that ultimately corresponds to the 2005 No. 60 choice, Alex Acker; Philadelphia's recorded first-round branch is associated with the 2003 No. 25 slot, Carlos Delfino. Those draft endpoints shouldn't automatically be treated as lengthy contributions for the original recipient. Subsequent trades can reroute rights, so the first task is to credit what the 1997 deal gave each franchise to control, then follow the later transaction chain. Philadelphia's decisive verified value lies in McKie's award-winning 2001 season and Ratliff's role in the Mutombo trade. Detroit's strongest return is Stackhouse's All-Star scoring and his later conversion into Hamilton. The minor draft branches add context, but they don't justify inflating either side's grade.
Slight 76ers Edge — Philadelphia A, Detroit A-. Both teams extracted high-level value. Detroit got All-Star scoring from Jerry Stackhouse and later used him in the transaction that brought Richard Hamilton. Philadelphia got Theo Ratliff, Aaron McKie and a first; McKie became the 2001 Sixth Man of the Year, while Ratliff’s value helped bring Dikembe Mutombo during the Finals run. The 76ers receive the slight edge because more of their incoming package directly supported a championship-level season, but Detroit’s return was excellent.