Philadelphia Paid Utah to Take Alan Henderson
The February 22, 2007 deadline exchange was unusual because Philadelphia traded veteran forward Alan Henderson, cash and draft considerations to Utah and received the right to exchange 2007 second-round picks. The NBA's official historical deadline ledger lists the pieces in that direction. Utah's own media guide separately confirms that the Jazz received Henderson and cash from Philadelphia. The published cash amount is not specified, and the draft considerations should not be assumed to represent a confirmed high-value pick. Philadelphia wanted options for the 2007 draft and fewer commitments to a veteran who had little place in its young roster.
The Jazz Cut Henderson Ten Days Later
Utah did not acquire useful frontcourt minutes from Henderson. The club requested waivers on March 2, ten days after the transaction, without him appearing in a regular-season Jazz game. Before being traded, Henderson had played 34 Philadelphia games in 2006-07, including five starts, with averages of 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds. Those 34 games are not production Utah received. The incoming player's on-court contribution was therefore zero. Utah's tangible gain was financial: cash considerations supplied by Philadelphia, with the precise sum absent from the public official record.
Philadelphia's Pick-Swap Right Was Not Used
The 76ers received a conditional option rather than an immediate draft selection or a player. The right to swap 2007 second-round picks was not exercised, so it did not produce a better draft position or drafted contributor from this February deal. The transaction nonetheless could provide Philadelphia with roster and draft flexibility by moving Henderson off its books. A separate June 2007 arrangement in which Philadelphia received Herbert Hill's draft rights and Utah received Kyrylo Fesenko should not automatically be assigned to the earlier swap. The different 2007 transactions need to be assessed independently unless their assets are explicitly linked.
The Small Advantage Is Administrative, Not On-Court
No new NBA playing value came directly to either club from this particular exchange. Utah waived Henderson, and Philadelphia did not exercise its pick right. The 76ers can claim a modest benefit from shedding a veteran contract and retaining an optional route to a later draft decision; the Jazz can claim the cash it received, but its value cannot be quantified from the available documents. Neither outcome merits a top grade or a claim of major basketball improvement. The resulting assessment is intentionally narrow, and the stale partner aggregate is corrected to agree with the published team grades.
Final Verdict
Slight 76ers Edge. Philadelphia gets C+ for moving Henderson and briefly holding a draft-swap option, even though it was unused. Utah earns C for receiving cash while waiving Henderson before he played. Neither side gained on-court production from this exchange. The undisclosed cash amount prevents a stronger comparative claim.