Revisiting the assets acquired in the Dwight Howard blockbuster trade

Revisiting the assets acquired in the Dwight Howard trade

Moe Harkless

Moe Harkless spent the most time with the Orlando Magic out of this group. He was the 15th overall selection in the 2012 draft out of St. John's. He had great size at 6-foot-7 and had a knack for rebounding the basketball as he led St. John's in rebounds per game.

At 19 years old, Harkless immediately saw playing time. His rookie season he played in 76 games, starting in 59. He averaged 8.2 points per game

He scored 28 points in one of the final games of his rookie campaign and was looking to be a significant piece of Orlando's future.

Victor Oladipo was acquired the following offseason with the second pick in the draft and took Moe Harkless' starting spot. He saw a decrease in minutes and shots per game as Victor Oladipo and Tobias Harris became focal points on the wing.

The following season Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton joined the Magic which pushed Moe Harkless even farther down the rotation. He was in an unfortunate situation where he showed true promise but younger players were the priority for the team.

After his third season, Harkless was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers for a 2020 second round draft pick. The pick never conveyed as it was protected and Harkless was traded for nothing.

Harkless ended up building a solid career with the Trail Blazers and became a full time starter for them. It was unfortunate that Harkless had his stint with Orlando cut short, but it was best for his career.

These four players contributed for the Magic, but resulted in very little value for the future of the franchise.