Trail Blazers, Magic Agree on a Moe Harkless Trade

(March 5, 2013 – Source: Chris Trotman/Getty Images North America)

The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired small forward Moe Harkless from the Orlando Magic for a future second round pick.

The Trail Blazers have had an up and down offseason thus far, largely highlighted by Damian Lilliard’s five year, $120 million dollar extension and LaMarcus Aldridge’s decision to take his talents to San Antonio.

However, they have made some really good undervalued additions this summer, including adding Al-Farouq Aminu to a four year, $30 million dollar contract way before DeMarre Carroll and Khris Middleton increased the small forward market with their bloated contracts. They also received  Noah Vonleh as a throw-in essentially in a deal with Charlotte as well as nabbing Mason Plumlee for two rookies graded as second round picks.

So, today’s news that they have acquired Harkless does not come as a surprise.

Harkless, once a first round selection (15th overall), provides Portland with a defensive minded wing that has experience and a better scoring touch than Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (one of those rookies they sent to Brooklyn as part of the Mason Plumlee trade).

Add to the fact that Harkless is only 22 and one might understand the significance to this minor trade. Harkless averaged 3.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.7 steals per game last year with the Orlando Magic.

The deal also provides Portland with some depth that they can play with when the 2015-2016 NBA season arrives.

There will be a plethora of players fighting for rotation minutes during camp, which makes for an interesting training camp to say the least. Even more, the Portland Trail Blazers positioned themselves with contracts, like Gerald Henderson’s, that expire after next year opening up cap space for next year to potentially replace LaMarcus Aldridge.

They severely crippled a division rival’s chances at cap space next year by offering Enes Kanter a max deal – as the Oklahoma Coty Thunder had to match it.

Look for the Trail Blazers to run out a lineup that includes Lilliard, McCollum, Henderson, Aminu, and Plumlee as starters.