Jazz make one of few NBA trades

DENVER — The Jazz made only one minor deal before Thursday's NBA trade deadline, acquiring veteran forward Alan Henderson, the right to swap second-round draft picks and unspecified cash considerations from Philadelphia. The move, however, shouldn't impact the Jazz's current 14-man roster.

That is because Utah is expected to waive Henderson, who has averaged 3.5 points while playing 34 games in a mostly reserve role for the 76ers this season.

"We'll sit down and visit with him a little bit," O'Connor said of Henderson, whose wife gave birth just last week. "But reality suggests ... I don't think we'll bring Alan in."

The trade, agreed to just a couple minutes before the deadline, is designed such that the Jazz will wind up with a better second-round selection in next June's NBA Draft.

Based on current records, Philadelphia's will be the higher of the two.

"We helped ourselves," O'Connor said.

The cash the Jazz receive from the Sixers will cover the amount it costs Utah to pay off the prorated amount that remains on Henderson's salary of $1,178,348 for this season.

Philadelphia, it's believed, was prompted to make the deal as a means of relief from the luxury tax imposed by the NBA on franchises that spend in excess of the league's team payroll salary cap.

Henderson, 34, has played one season each in Dallas, Cleveland and Philadelphia after playing nine years in Atlanta.

The Jazz were thought to be trying to pull off a much-bigger trade, perhaps making a play for Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Corey Maggette.

But Maggette is staying put.

And O'Connor, who spurned overtures from teams trying to lure away youthful talent like rookie power forward Paul Millsap, said he was not tempted enough to pull the trigger on any other deals.

"I felt like if we could have improved our team we would have tried to," he said. "But we didn't think we could.

"We expect our younger players," O'Connor added, "to get better."

That leaves the Jazz as is heading into their final 29 regular-season games, including tonight's visit with Northwest Division-rival Denver.