SALT LAKE CITY _ Gerald Henderson is coming home.
The former Episcopal Academy (then in Merion, Pa.) standout agreed on Tuesday to a two-year, $18 million deal to play for the 76ers.
Henderson is the latest piece in the reshaping of a team that finished a league-worst 10-72 last season and 47-199 the last three years. The Sixers also added point guards Sergio Rodriguez and Jerryd Bayless since the free-agency period began at midnight Friday.
The deals won't become official until the free agents sign their contracts. The first day to do so is Thursday.
Henderson joins Jerami Grant as a second-generation Sixer. Henderson's father, Gerald Henderson Sr., played for the Sixers during the 1987-88 and 1988-89 seasons. Grant's father, Harvey Grant, was a Sixer during the 1998-99 season.
Henderson may fit in perfectly in the Sixers' system. The athletic 28-year-old can defend and rebound well at the guard position. He is also an improved shooter who can score the ball. Based on the team's current roster, the seven-year veteran should take over the starting shooting-guard spot.
However, with just a two-year deal, Henderson probably won't be a long-term option for the Sixers. But he'll provide another veteran presence to help the young Sixers navigate through the arduous NBA season.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder averaged 8.7 points while shooting a career-best 35.3 percent on 3-pointers last season with the Portland Trail Blazers. Henderson played his first six seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets.
The Bobcats selected him 12th overall out of Duke in the 2009 draft.
After being a seldom-used reserve as a rookie, Henderson became a part-time starter in his second-year. Then he started 262 of 280 games in his final four seasons with the Hornets.
Henderson brings career averages of 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists to the Sixers.
At Episcopal, Henderson teamed up with guard Wayne Ellington as one of the best high school tandems in Philadelphia history. Both players participated in the 2006 McDonald's All-American game.
Ellington, now an unrestricted NBA free agent, was regarded as the eighth-best college prospect in the Class of 2006, according to Rivals.com. The recruiting website had Henderson three spots back at 11.
They led the Churchmen to a 52-7 overall record during their junior and senior years. They also won two Inter-Academic League titles during that span by going 20-0 in both seasons.
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