A Failed Utah Deal Set Up the Seikaly Exchange
On February 19, 1998, Orlando sent center Rony Seikaly and forward Brian Evans to New Jersey for Kevin Edwards, Yinka Dare, David Benoit and a lottery-protected 1998 first-round selection. Two days earlier, Utah had attempted to acquire Seikaly from Orlando, but that agreement was voided after he failed to report. The Nets took a different risk: contemporary Washington Post coverage reported New Jersey agreed to keep the deal in force even if Seikaly did not report or pass his physical. The Magic obtained three players and a first-round draft option; New Jersey bet on a veteran center with ankle concerns. Both the failed Utah episode and the completed Nets agreement matter to the transaction chronology.
The Magic Used the Pick on Matt Harpring
Orlando kept the valuable first-round consideration and selected forward Matt Harpring at No. 15 in the 1998 draft. Harpring played 50 games in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, starting 22 and averaging 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds, then became a regular starter for Orlando in 1999-2000. His playing contributions and future exchange possibilities gave Orlando an asset beyond the reserve players that arrived at the deadline. Dare was waived almost immediately after the transaction, confirming that not every incoming player was intended as a lasting rotation piece. The Magic’s B+ grade is best justified by a real mid-first-round pick and Harpring’s NBA production, not an imagined breakout from all three veterans.
New Jersey Received an Injured Center and a Small Wing Return
Seikaly never established an on-court Nets regular-season role after the move, making the center gamble costly. The agreement’s waiver of the reporting and physical condition had protected Orlando’s ability to finish the trade despite his injury concerns. Evans supplied a much smaller wing contribution than the expected frontcourt centerpiece. New Jersey’s C- grade reflects the failure to receive meaningful NBA minutes from the veteran for whom it surrendered a first-round choice. This was not simply bad luck after a normal physical: the contemporaneous record shows the medical/reporting risk was known before the deal was completed.
Final Verdict
Magic Win. Orlando earns B+ after obtaining the No. 15 pick used on Matt Harpring plus Kevin Edwards, David Benoit and Yinka Dare. New Jersey gets C- for the Seikaly and Brian Evans return; Seikaly did not produce Nets regular-season minutes after the reporting and injury concerns.