The Exchange
Basketball-Reference's Cincinnati, Philadelphia and league transaction logs all record the same October 16, 1970 deal: the Royals received Darrall Imhoff and a future draft choice while the 76ers received Connie Dierking and Fred Foster. Pro Sports Transactions preserves the same four-part structure and, importantly, also leaves the draft choice unidentified. That means the player side of the trade is traceable, but the exact year, round and ultimate outcome of Cincinnati's pick are not. The verdict therefore has to leave room for value that the surviving source chain cannot price.
Cincinnati Return
Imhoff was acquired to help a team that wanted more rebounding and an outlet for Bob Cousy's faster offense. Cincinnati's 1971 media guide described the trade in those terms after the club had been outrebounded through much of the preseason. On the floor, Imhoff played 34 games in 1970-71, averaging 8.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in 24.3 minutes. His Cincinnati run was interrupted and did not develop into a long stay: he appeared in only nine more Royals games in 1971-72 before finishing that season with Portland. The future draft choice could alter the long-term accounting, but no reliable ledger used here identifies what it became.
Philadelphia Return
Philadelphia received two veterans with different value curves. Dierking played 53 games in 1970-71, averaging 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 13.5 minutes, then retired. Foster provided the more durable return. He played 66 games for the 76ers in 1970-71 and another 74 in 1971-72, when his role expanded to 23.0 minutes per game and 11.9 points. That second season is the clearest realized advantage in the deal: Philadelphia got a useful rotation scorer after Foster had been Cincinnati's third-leading scorer the year before the trade.
Hindsight Comparison
The documented player value favors Philadelphia. Dierking and Foster combined for 119 games in the remainder of 1970-71, and Foster stayed productive for another full season. Imhoff supplied useful rebounding in Cincinnati but played only 43 games for the Royals across two seasons. The unresolved draft choice prevents a harsher grade for Cincinnati because an unidentified pick cannot responsibly be assigned zero value. Still, on what can actually be traced, Philadelphia received more usable NBA minutes and the best post-trade season from any player in the exchange.
Final Verdict
76ers Win, B-/C+. Philadelphia receives a B- for getting two rotation players, highlighted by Foster's 11.9-point 1971-72 season. Cincinnati receives a C+ because Imhoff contributed when available and the future draft choice may have carried additional value that cannot currently be identified. Confidence is medium: the transaction and player outcomes are well documented, but the draft asset remains unresolved. The verdict reflects only verified transaction terms and realized team value.