Al Harrington: Expect Orlando Magic to Use Newly-Acquired Forward as Trade Bait

The Orlando Magic may be publicly getting killed for the return they received for Dwight Howard and Jason Richardson, but odds are the new-look franchise isn’t done dealing yet.

They gave up the duo in exchange for Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Moe Harkless, Nikola Vucevic, Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga, three protected first-round picks and two second-round selections.

It’s a huge haul, and they have now exceeded the roster limit. Right now NBA.com lists 19 players on the roster, so obviously some wheelin’ and dealin’ is still to come.

They aren’t going to get rid of the young and inexpensive guys, odds are they’ll be looking to move an aging guy like Harrington.

The 32-year-old averaged 14.2 points and 6.1 rebounds last year for the Denver Nuggets in his 14th season in the league. He was the sixth-man for a team who took the Los Angeles Lakers to seven games in the playoffs and has 48 games of postseason experience in his career.

He still has a lot of sound basketball left in the tank, but he’s not somebody the Magic need, especially considering he has three years and over $22 million remaining on his contract.

The Magic don’t need a volume shooter who is a subpar defender. Harkless is a similar player with a greater upside, and Hedo Turkoglu is still on the roster as well.

Harrington is overkill.

That means Magic GM Rob Hennigan will likely be shopping the New Jersey native, the only question now is when.

Can they make another deal before the season kicks off at the end of October? Would a team like the San Antonio Spurs or Memphis Grizzlies pull the trigger now that the Lakers have Howard?

While it’s certainly a possibility to get a deal done before the season, odds are the market won’t heat up until the winter time when the trade deadline inches closer. By then team’s will be fully aware of the glaring weaknesses of their team and will be more prepared to land an over-priced vet with playoff experience.

Harrington still has value, just not on this Magic team. I believe the organization is well aware, and is currently working the phone lines looking to make yet another trade.

The Magic are rebuilding, and shedding more payroll needs to be a priority. So does playing their young talent. Harrington doesn’t fit into these plans.

When will a trade happen?

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