Orlando Magic: Grading The Offseason

Feb 22, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9), forward Tobias Harris (12) and teammates high five against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Amway Center. Orlando Magic defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 103-98. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

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Nov 22, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo, left,and Miami Heat guard Shabazz Napier fight for the ball during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

The Napier Trade

If it weren’t for LeBron James‘ pre-draft tweets about how good Shabazz Napier was, we might have viewed his rookie season very differently. When the Miami Heat traded up for the 24th overall pick in the draft, they were taking Napier to cater to King James in the hopes he’d stay in South Beach.

But James migrated home to Cleveland, leaving Pat Riley with a point guard rookie whose transition to the NBA was a little bumpy.

Napier is better than people give him credit for, and Miami’s backcourt was too crowded to expect a stellar rookie season. In Orlando, he’ll be competing with veteran C.J. Watson for minutes at backup point guard, but his solid three-point shooting (36.4 percent last year) is one area where even starter Elfrid Payton cannot contribute yet.

He’s already 24 years old, but Napier could be a nice long-term addition on a team grounded in its youth, especially since Watson won’t be around/effective forever. Then you consider the unbelievably low cost — a top-55 protected 2016 second round pick — and trading for Napier will likely cost Orlando nothing other than his $1.3 million rookie salary next season.

Grade: A

Next: Overall

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