The Portland Trail Blazers acquired a budding player in forward Maurice Harkless via a trade deal with the Orlando Magic in exchange for a future second-round draft pick.
The Blazers recently lost four of their five starters from last season this offseason with All-Star point guard Damian Lillard the only one remaining from that group.
Forward Nicolas Batum was traded to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for forward Noah Vonleh and veteran guard Gerald Henderson.
Lillard's backcourt partner, guard Wesley Matthews, was a free agent and joined the Dallas Mavericks for a max deal.
Meanwhile, big men LaMarcus Aldridge and Robin Lopez also tested free agency.
Aldridge who was coveted by a number of teams signed with the San Antonio Spurs while Lopez is now part of the New York Knicks.
Adding Harkless is a great move for the Blazers who are looking to build a contending team in a limited time following the loss of four players who were major contributors, especially Batum and Alrdidge who were cornerstones of the franchise.
Harkless was drafted 15<sup>th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers and joined the Magic after being part of the deal that sent center Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 22-year-old athlete played in only 45 games last season and averaged 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds.
In his first two seasons with Orlando, Harkless played in 156 games which included 100 starts but was no longer a major part of the rotation in the 2014-15 season, causing his playing time to dwindle.
Harkless can reach his potential with the Blazers and can have significant minutes following the departure of Batum.
He will be joining the Blazers' newest acquisitions, which include centers Mason Plumlee, Ed Davis, and forward Al-Farouq Aminu.
Portland is also targeting restricted free agent center Enes Kanter whom they offered a max deal, although the Oklahoma City Thunder matched the offer.
