Magic Trade Speculation: Harkless or Nicholson for Wizards’ Otto Porter?
The Washington Wizards are replete with depth and parting ways with Georgetown product Otto Porter, Jr. may work in Washington’s favor.
The Wizards go 12 deep, featuring 12 players who all average 12 minutes a game or more. Could Porter be parted with if it meant Orlando was willing to pay the price?
Otto Porter, Jr. was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, but as of yet he has not established a niche within the NBA, or with the Wizards, more specifically.
With Washington on the brink of contention, the Wizards already have Paul Pierce and Rasual Butler to man the 3-spot. That leaves Porter an odd man out of sorts, seeing 18 minutes per game while posting a humble 5.7 point and 3.1 rebound average.
At this point, Porter is primarily a defensive ace. His 13.1 PER does not reflect his strong defense, and Porter moves his feet in a very Andre Iguodala-like manner, using his long arms to control offensive players, or at least he did so very effectively in the NCAA.
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Having hailed from a particularly weak draft class, the fact he was a No. 3 overall pick should have little bearing on his obtainability. He is a rangy 6-foot-9 and just 198 pounds, but he is cut out to be a full time 3-man. Per-100 possessions, he posts a 113 Offensive rating and a 104 defensive, while averaging 10.9 points and 2.0 steal/blocks per-36 minutes.
The scoring could stand to improve, but the Magic would likely keep Porter for the second unit where the buckets come easier. He can get out in transition too off of turnovers, so pairing him with Victor Oladipo would result in horrifying consequences for teams asleep at the wheel.
Is Porter available? Who knows. But let’s explore a bit whether a player like Porter makes sense for the Magic and where some of the Magic’s movable assets stand.
Andrew Nicholson‘s Value to the Wizards
That means the Magic and Rob Hennigan could sweep in with Andrew Nicholson as the primary bait, if inclined to do so.
In last night’s affair, Nicholson played 21 minutes, posting a plus-11 on the court. Nicholson showed his great ability to stretch the court, hitting three triples to help the Magic make a late run. He rebounded fairly well, snatching four boards to go with an assist and a steal.
The Wizards could actually use Nicholson. Currently, the team has little depth behind Nene Hilario. Kris Humphries has kind of leveled off as a player after having been a double-double machine with the Nets and Celtics. And Drew Gooden has never been much more than an inconsistent nightmare. He shoots too frequently to function with first unit players…
Obtaining a young player who could stretch the court like Nicholson would give John Wall even more room to penetrate, and Nicholson would be a far better fit than either Humphries or Gooden, specifically long term.
It just makes sense.
Maybe the Magic will continue to showcase Nicholson in attempts to maximize his trade value. Going after Porter, probably with the addition of a pair of second-round picks may get the job done.
Why Maurice Harkless?
The other option is the seldom used Maurice Harkless. Harkless at one time was being mentioned as a potential premier defensive small forward with great athleticism.
He was basically in the mold of former Magic player Stacey Augmon, but the comparisons fell short when Harkless fell out of the rotation.
Both forwards are/were rangy athletes, but Augmon carved out a career as a slasher and athlete, while Harkless was only on the brink of doing such.
Last season, he was showing major strides, but this year has played in just 17 games while posting a very low PER of 8.0. It seems he has fallen entirely out of favor — and until the last contest against the Denver Nuggets, he had not played 10 minutes or more since Dec. 6 against the Sacramento Kings.
In his rookie season, Harkless averaged 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 steals/blocks per-36 minutes. Those numbers dipped in a sophomore slump, though his shooting percentages increased both from the field and three-point range, where he hit a very solid 38.3 percent in 2013-14.
This year, Harkless is shooting just 18 percent from behind the arc and has struggled to find consistent minutes because of it, and a lack of motor according may be contributing to the coaching staff’s opinion of him. Drawing from Basketball Insider’s Steve Kyler, it explains that Harkless has always been too methodical and too mechanical.
This may be true. But athletes can sometimes overcome a lack of “motor,” and even sometimes a lack of basketball IQ. Would these detractors scare the Wizards off?
Harkless averaged 16.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per-100 possessions as a rookie, but this year has fallen to a paltry 11.6 and 8.3. There is talent there, and sometimes swapping underachieving players works out. It helps changing their scenery.
Porter is merely another means to an end, but by no means whatsoever a sure-fire starter in this league.
The evolution of NBA youngsters is a very tough thing to understand. Sometimes, the progression stagnates or even devolves, but other times a player merely needs a new situation to make the most of his talents. In the case of Porter, Nicholson and Harkless, this holds true on all accounts.
Either Harkless or Nicholson likely wouldn’t be enough on their own, but the addition of late draft picks can make the difference since second rounders are not on guaranteed contracts (and have been considered more valuable in recent years with the latest Collective Bargaining contract, which expires in 2016).
Statistical Sources:
1) ESPN
Next: It was more of the same, but a bit different in Denver for Magic