The Magic probable starting lineup:

PG E’Twaun Moore

SG DeQuan Jones

SF Arron Afflalo

PF Glen Davis

C Nikola Vucevic

Usually trading a superstar like Howard gives a team the chance to get out from under the contracts of some of their more highly-compensated supporting players like Hedo Turkoglu, Glen Davis, and Jameer Nelson — who is likely to be out injured tonight with Moore starting in his place. As they played it, the Magic actually acquired some modestly overpaid players like Afflalo and Harrington.

The altogether serviceable pieces the Magic received and ended up keeping pretty much guarantee they will be competitive in games like Sunday’s 115-94 win at home against Phoenix and surprise struggling teams like Denver in their opener, 102-89.

This also opens the door for a potential Wolves letdown after an exhilarating comeback against the Nets in Brooklyn Monday night.

The Wolves probable starting lineup:

PG Luke Ridnour

SG Brandon Roy

SF Andrei Kirilenko

PF Derrick Williams

C Nikola Pekovic

The question marks are plenty after the bench led a spirited comeback. Is Ridnour healthy enough, after competently defending shooting guards for most of last season, to be starting and getting torched nightly at point guard? Is Brandon Roy capable of defending the other team’s fourth or fifth offensive option? Is Williams getting just enough leash to hang himself (or showcase himself in a potential trade to a place like, hmmm… say… Orlando?) or is he primed to break out of a shooting slump? If you’ve shot 3-12 in two out of three games in a season, is it a slump or is your shot broken? Will Shved’s emergence as a second-team playmaker extraordinaire continue?

The knowns are Pekovic’s dependable post play and Kirilenko’s all-around brilliance. I maintain those to be enough tonight.

The Kings potential starting lineup:

PG Isaiah Thomas

SG Tyreke Evans

SF James Johnson

PF Jason Thompson

C DeMarcus Cousins

Feel-good story of last year, Thomas is platooned at point guard with free agent Aaron Brooks. Perenially under-valued Thompson got the starting power forward spot ahead of the Kings lottery pick this year, Thomas Robinson. Marcus Thornton is set as the first guard off the bench, a role perfectly suited for him as instant offense — if he accepts it. Free agent James Johnson is a quality defensive player who shouldn’t be asked to do much on offense. Tyreke Evans is in a make-or-break year and, perhaps related to that overall field goal percentage Wednesday night, tied human tree trunk Chuck Hayes for the team lead in assists, with 3. The elephant in the room is Cousins and whether or not he can keep it together enough to have the break-out year everyone seems to be predicting.

The Wolves potential starting lineup:

PGLuke Ridnour

SG Brandon Roy

SF Andrei Kirilenko

PF Derrick Williams

C Nikola Pekovic

Kirilenko will be starting at forward. Period. In this lineup or with Chase Budinger starting at small forward or Dante Cunningham at power forward. J.J. Barea could be your starting point guard, too. It really doesn’t matter because, with Roy and AK-47, you will be seeing the most competent wing players on the floor at the same time in years. Regardless, we shall all receive a steady diet of Pek.

The best moment in the Sacramento-Timberwolves post-KG history happened at the 0:50 mark of this youtube clip when, after a dust-up with little Luke Ridnour, DeMarcus Cousins foolishly tried to shove Mount Pekovic and was forced back on his heels.