In view of their injuries, the Philadelphia 76ers come out the best in the three-way trade. Except for George Lynch, who has a history of injuries, they lost nobody they planned on using.

Derrick Coleman is in perhaps the best physical shape I've seen him in a long time. He just wants a place to play. He and coach Larry Brown have always had a good relationship. Depending on Matt Geiger's status, Coleman can back up at center as well as play big forward. And Geiger has played most of the preseason and done pretty well. The 76ers also get Corie Blount, another big reserve who is a banger. Suddenly, they have a lot of big-man power.

In addition, the 76ers got the backcourt insurance they needed. They need Vonteego Cummings right away. He's a pretty good point guard who is energetic, can penetrate and works hard defensively. The 76ers should get Allen Iverson and Aaron McKie back for the start of the season, but Eric Snow has a long period of rehabilitation ahead. Cummings and Speedy Claxton can hold down the fort until Snow returns.

If Lynch is healthy, he will be a good player for the Hornets. He is a solid role player who can play the three or the four and defend big men. However, his injury history limits his overall value. The other three players -- Robert Traylor, Jerome Moiso and Chris Porter -- have yet to demonstrate if they can perform at a high level in the NBA.

I'm not sure what the trade does for Golden State. Cedric Henderson has been around a few years and played his best season as a rookie in Cleveland in 1997-98. After that, he kind of evaporated. Maybe the Warriors are making the deal for payroll purposes.

The 76ers, however, will remain a force in the Eastern Conference. In my preseason evaluation, the trade moves among the top four in the East, along with Orlando, Toronto and Milwaukee.