This is the fourth installment of a new series highlighting the rays of hope for fans of non-contending or fringe playoff teams. 

Nobody was more heavily criticized after the Dwight Howard trade in 2012 than Rob Hennigan, but even the Orlando Magic general manager himself could not have predicted the events that would transpire and ultimately make him the winner of the trade. Howard and the Los Angeles Lakers struggled to reach expectations, and playing under the looming shadow of Kobe Bryant was not something he enjoyed. He would bolt for the Houston Rockets to play with James Harden. Andre Iguodala quickly saw himself as the perfect wet blanket to tuck in next to the Splash Brothers with Golden State Warriors. And Andrew Bynum, well, didn’t quite fit into the reboot with the Philadelphia 76ers in which cartilage was a point of emphasis.

Victor Oladipo

Hennigan’s reasoning for not opting to acquire the second or third best player in the trade is clear now: acquire cheap young assets and make the team bad enough in the 12-13 season to hopefully get a top pick in the draft. The Indiana Hoosier was taken with the second pick. A defensive savant with elite speed and athleticism, Oladipo has already made his presence felt around the league, garnering plenty of nods for the Rookie of the Year award. Constantly compared to Michael Carter-Williams due to their early season success, one of Oladipo’s best games came as the two rookies faced each other on December 3. The result: a historical double-overtime game in which both rookies posted triple doubles (26 pts, 10 asts, 10 rebs for Oladipo).

His intensity and passion for the game have already endeared him to the Magic faithful. Oladipo recently expressed a desire to enter this year’s Slam Dunk Contest, which demonstrates the kind of proactive love of the sport that has been dwindling from All Star Weekend. Jacque Vaughn has tinkered with Oladipo’s role a bit, mainly due to the presence of veterans on the team that play similar positions, but it looks clear that he will eventually be the team’s starting shooting guard for years to come.

Nikola Vucevic

Perhaps the biggest surprise to come out of the Howard trade was the emergence of Vucevic. The Swiss turned Belgian turned Montenegrin center had been buried on Doug Collins’ bench with the 76ers for most of his rookie year, and although he had shown promise, nobody anticipated the double-double machine that he would become. Since being acquired by the Magic, Vucevic has posted three games of at least 20 points and 20 rebounds and two games of at least 30 points and 20 rebounds. In the 2012-2013 season, Vucevic finished second in the league in rebounding with 11.9 per game, only behind Howard, and came in fourth place for the Kia Most Improved Player Award. While he lacks the leaping ability to become a great shot blocker, he should continue to improve on defense as he gains experience in defensive positioning and adds more bulk. While he may never become the player of Howard’s caliber, it is certainly safe to say that the Magic have found a viable replacement for him. 

2014 NBA Draft/Veteran Assets

The Magic are on their way to another season in which their name should be high on the lottery board this May. In addition to their own pick, the Magic received a first round pick from the Nuggets in the Howard trade, which will be the worse pick between the Nuggets and Knicks pick (a relic from the Carmelo Anthony trade of 2011). Additionally, Arron Afflalo is very quietly having an All-Star caliber season. He is averaging 21.8 pts per game (10th in the league) and is on a very reasonable contract at $7.5 million per year through the 15-16 season, with the last year being a player option. Afflalo could easily be dealt this season for more picks, expiring contracts, or young talent. Jameer Nelson is another veteran that the Magic could look to trade, with only $2 million of his salary being guaranteed for next season. Hennigan should have options aplenty as he continues to execute the franchise rebuild.