When the Sixers sent him to the Utah Jazz on Saturday, the deal was less about Korver and even less about the arriving Gordan Giricek than it was about acquiring salary-cap space and a trade-market chip.

The Sixers won't say it, but whether Giricek - a 6-6 Croatian wing man - contributes significantly is almost immaterial to the basic concept of the transaction. He is, as Joe Smith was last season, an expiring contract. Anything more than that would be a bonus.

Never mind that he was at odds with demanding Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, or that he asked to be traded. He seems to have the same sensible grasp of the situation that Sixers president/general manager Eddie Stefanski leaves somewhat unspoken but hopes Sixers Nation - as fragmented as it might be - comes to accept.

The Jazz, hopeful of driving deep into the playoffs in the crowded Western Conference, have added a perimeter shooter who should profit mightily from the presence of an effective low-post teammate (Carlos Boozer), who can draw double-teams and is willing to pass back to the open man.

That became obvious Monday night when video of Korver flashed across the late-night TV news shows in the area. Korver, despite scoring just 11 points in 17 minutes of the Jazz' 111-101 streak-stopping victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, was named player of the game. The Energy Solutions Arena crowd was already chanting his name.

That performance now serves as a backdrop for tonight's fascinating game against the Sixers, coming off Monday night's 98-90 victory in Seattle. Korver and Giricek, each facing his former team.

The Sixers, hopeful of being a major player in free agency and in the trade market in the summer, have added flexibility to their dossier. If they choose to allow Giricek to become an unrestricted free agent, they can have about $10 million in available space, plus the lure of a first-round pick they can acquire any time from 2009 to '14.

"You guys - reporters, fans - have fun picking out who got the best of a trade, and that's the way it should be," Stefanski said. "And with this one, you can't say right away. Can we turn this into something? Is Giricek serviceable? What will we do with the pick? How will Korver fit in with the Jazz? At this point, we don't know. All we know is, we needed cap space and we got it. And, in the draft choice, we got a chip."

They will miss Korver's long-range shooting and his knowledge of team concepts, but they will not miss his general inability to be effective as a man-to-man defender. For the rest of this season, they will make do with Giricek's three-point range (he has won several three-point contests overseas), his better midrange skills, his penchant for slashing to the basket and his perhaps underrated defensive ability.

If it doesn't work, Giricek suggested there were 30 teams in the league and who knows how many all over Europe. As for his spat with Sloan that saw him banished (but neither suspended nor disciplined) for three games, he all but said the circumstances would remain in his rearview mirror.

"It wasn't as big a conflict as y'all made it," Sloan said in the Salt Lake Tribune. "All that stuff goes on, and it has to be talked about for whatever reason. Sometimes there's a conflict with players . . . and life goes on. You have to take into consideration that he wasn't happy here."

It was, however, a big enough conflict that it dramatically affected the career paths of two players.

"It's been a pretty long few years as far as just taking losses and being part of a rebuilding process," Korver said. "To come to Utah now and to be part of a team that expects to win is nice. I'm definitely looking forward to being a part of that and hopefully being a part of a lot of wins."

Just like that, the trade became virtually ancient history.

"I forgot about it, to tell you the truth," the Sixers' Andre Iguodala said. "It's really hard to just harp on it. You miss your teammate; he [was] here with me since I've been here, but mentally you have to just block it out and move on, see him in the summer, I guess."

It is, as Stefanski has said, "a clean slate." But with more than a few layers of gray.

Six shots

There were lots of keys to the Sixers' victory in Seattle, including 25 points from Andre Iguodala, 19 points from Lou Williams, who knocked down 12 of 14 free throws, and six blocks, seven rebounds and 10 points from Samuel Dalembert. The Sonics were without injured rookie star Kevin Durant (sprained left index finger), Chris Wilcox (sprained left knee) and Luke Ridnour (sore left quadriceps) . . . The Lakers will be without starting forward Lamar Odom for Friday's game against the Sixers. Odom will serve a league-mandated one-game suspension for a flagrant foul against Boston's Ray Allen in a Dec. 30 loss to the Celtics. *