McGrady To Houston Thread (Update: Francis will visit Orlando)

Thanks! I was looking all over the damn site for it.

 

If I had a nickel for every redundant post this past week, I'd buy my own NBA team and trade for TMac my damn self!!

 

http://bbs.clutchcity.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=79374

 

Are you Clutch?

 

Actually that line was in the same piece I posted.
I should had bolded it or something.

 

Actually, that was me.

Clutch's connection was down and he asked me to do a couple things for him. I didn't realize when I did that it logged me in as Administrator. Scary!

 

That is not funny.

 

Here's a new twist I didn't know about in the Florida Today article I posted:

One factor that might speed up the process and result in an announcement this week is that Lue has the option to opt out of his contract by Wednesday. Lue's agent, Andy Miller, was confident that he can get Lue a better deal than the $1.65 million he is due next season and said his client is likely to exercise his option. If Lue becomes a free agent, he can't be included in a trade.

Not only does that mean the trade really has to happen before Wednesday if it is to work, BUT, it also means that Lue will probably opt out leaving him free to pursue other options and the Rockets short another point guard.

For those who didn't want Lue, obviously good news. Thoughts?

 

If this is true, Weisbrod's bluff will soon be fully exposed. How stupid would it look if a nothing-is-imminent trade suddenly gets consummated in just 48 hours. Would anyone believe his ridiculous facade? Does anyone believe it now?

It's absurd that a mediocre, undersized backup pg is the catalyst to end his power trip.

He must be cussing out Tyronne Lue right now for ending his fun.


As far as Lue opting out of his contract, the fact he's making $1.65 million is all the evidence we need not to make the Kevin Ollie trade or something equally dumb.

We need to use our $ and get a decent pg in the FA market.

The last unknown in this puzzle is: How much of a bust is Reece Gaines? At least we can hope.

 

Is there anyone else on the roster that can be plugged in for that trade to work in place of Lue? I doubt the Rockets are going to balk on a trade to get Tracy McGrady because Tee Loo can't be included. Now if there's no other way to make the trade go, then yes, it becomes a pretty interesting situation.

 

Oh tell me about it. The last thing the Rockets need is for Weisbrod to get 14 more days to jerk around this deal.

 

This ties in with something I was wondering earlier having to do with including Cato.

Supposedly Cato and his salary go if the deal is done before July 1st to compensate for Steve's BYC number, meaning that, in real dollars, the Rockets ship out significantly more dollars than they get back?? So if that happens plus the Rockets get Lue, then Lue opts out, does that mean the Rockets lose some $9 mil net off the payroll? If so, where does that leave the team with respect to the salary cap? Does it still end up over the cap, thus keeping the MLE?

 

If that happens, I'm not even going near a Rockets site, news site, sports show, etc. until September 1. I'll just get my news then.

 

G-Hill?

Or could this be the third team scenario?

Or does it take Cato out of the trade?

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...c27062704jun27,1,5485635.story?coll=orl-magic

Dixon invited to camp
The former Edgewater standout will play on a Magic summer-camp team.
By Tim Povtak
Sentinel Staff Writer

June 27, 2004

Nigel Dixon didn't get the call he wanted on draft night. But he did get a call a day later that brought a smile to his face.

Dixon, the former Edgewater High standout, has been invited to the Orlando Magic summer camp that will begin next week and include players such as Keith Bogans, Britton Johnsen and their two first-round draft picks.

Dixon is the 6-foot-11, 320-pound center whose weight once soared to 425 pounds before he left Florida State and finished his college career at Western Kentucky.

He was hoping to become someone's second-round draft pick Thursday night, but the disappointment of not being selected didn't last very long.

"I was hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst," he said Saturday. "But I'm happy now for this chance. I'll show them a guy who can rebound, bring toughness and a true, low-post game."

While Dixon will be trying to impress the Magic, Orlando already has been impressed with what it's heard from Houston Rockets guard Steve Francis, a key component in the expected trade of Tracy McGrady.

Although Francis initially reacted unfavorably to coming to Orlando, he has softened his stance after speaking with Magic General Manager John Weisbrod. Jeff Fried, Francis' agent, said he expected to speak with Orlando officials again today about the possible deal.

Rockets officials had expressed some frustration at the inability to finalize the trade, but Fried said he and his client understood why it was taking a little longer than expected.

"The right steps are being taken," Fried said Saturday night. "Under the circumstances, it's the prudent thing to do."

Although Fried said nothing had been scheduled yet, there is a good chance that Francis will come to Orlando this week before the trade is finished.

 

Will there even be news by Labor Day?

 

June 26, 2004, 11:54PM

NBA NOTEBOOK
Weisbrod taints reputation
Future partners to be wary in deals with Magic GM
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
RESOURCES


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Nearly a week since the Tracy McGrady-Steve Francis exchange was close enough to a done deal to tell Francis — albeit late, for his tastes — Orlando Magic general manager John Weisbrod has taken to pretending the trade is just an idea he is mulling around.


You don't often get this much double talk for no extra charge.

But as much as Weisbrod insists this is just one option — while chatting on the phone to a player under contract to another team and even repeatedly saying a decision will be made before the draft — the rest of the NBA believes agreements were reached.

General managers know deals are not done until the ink dries, so this one is not done.

But this is Weisbrod's introduction to the NBA. His only previous GM experience was in hockey's minor leagues. And while his Harvard MBA and ability to direct a wrist shot to the five hole are impressive, this trade will determine his reputation.

Weisbrod has let this go on for reasons that might become clear this week. Maybe he wanted the draft — in which Orlando had the top pick and used it on Dwight Howard — to have its own spotlight. He might be trolling for better offers. He probably is trying only to serve his franchise, though he might be, as many have suggested, enjoying holding all the cards.

But many around the league have already said that the first time they deal with Weisbrod, they will watch their backs. Trust but verify. Believe it when you see it.

If the Magic prosper or if Weisbrod pulls off a deal even better than this one, that will be his reputation. But for now, he is the guy who left the Rockets and seven players twisting in the wind.

Many have promised to be wary before they are next.

Word to the wise
When Magic forward Grant Hill spoke on Saturday of the expectation that the Tracy McGrady-Steve Francis trade would go through, he sounded like everyone else.

Of course he assumed the deal would happen. Everyone assumes the deal will happen.

But Hill usually knows.

Magic general manager John Weisbrod is thought to talk frankly with Hill and teammate Pat Garrity. In town to exhibit his art collection at Texas Southern, Hill probably knew of what he was speaking when discussing his expectations.

"A little birdie told me it's going to happen," Hill said. "It's going to happen. That's part of the business of professional sports. (McGrady) is going to go on and do well here in Houston with coach (Jeff) Van Gundy and Yao Ming. Hopefully, we're going to go on and do well with the guys we have. Life is about change, and sometimes change is necessary. But sometimes change could be good.

For the Rockets and for the Magic, it could be good. "It would have been nice to be able to play at least one season with Tracy. It's not going to happen. That's fine. I look forward to playing with Francis, (Cuttino) Mobley and (Kelvin) Cato."

Wooing Wallace
Even Knicks GM Isiah Thomas agrees the Pistons will likely re-sign Rasheed Wallace. But it took Pistons GM and former Thomas teammate Joe Dumars to tell how Thomas agreed.

"So I am walking down the street with my son Jordan, taking him to the NBA Store (on Fifth Avenue)," Dumars said. "There are 8 million people in New York City, and I walk right into Isiah Thomas."

Thomas and Dumars went shopping and began talking about Wallace. The Knicks can offer the mid-level exception, expected to begin at about $5 million. If they so choose, the Pistons can offer Wallace three times that to return to the NBA champions.

"That's Rasheed's call now," Dumars said. "I feel real good about it, and Isiah said the same thing.

"Our situation speaks for itself. I don't have a huge sales pitch. What am I going to say? 'Let me tell you about this city. We're going to win a championship one day. We've got a great crowd. They are going to love you here.' He lived that. He saw it. What else am I going to tell him?"


No can do
Seems a good time to clear up a few things.

While the Rockets are holding a trade exception worth $6.9 million, salary-cap rules do not allow them to combine that money with a player's salary to make a trade work. For some reason, there are those who refuse to believe this. But when making up trades for fun or profit, trust us, it can't be done.

OK. If you won't trust us, trust NBA executive vice president for legal and business affairs Joel Litvin. He and his department must approve all NBA trades that go through.

"You cannot aggregate a trade exception with a player's salary in order to make a trade," Litvin said. The Rockets can use some or all of the exception left over from the Glen Rice deal in a sign-and-trade deal for a free agent, allowing them to significantly outbid teams using only the mid-level exception (assuming the other team cooperates)."

Another update:

The Steve Francis-Tracy McGrady trade can go through this month or after July 13. The Rockets and Magic worked out deals that can be approved while Francis is still a base-year player and next month when he is not. The league moratorium on trades or free-agent signings, this year from July 1-13, would push back any July deal until the 14th.

One more: Francis is a point guard, not a shooting guard.

Just thought we'd throw that one in for old time's sake.

 

Who knows how much Vecsey's word is worth these days but...

"Don't know about you, but I'm countin' down the seconds until the Tracy McGrady-Steve Francis package becomes official. I suspected Francis had accepted Florida as his new state of mind when he washed ashore with Jose Contreras' family."

nypost.com

 

rabble rabble rabble!

 

First off, I do think the trrade will go through. But if it doesn't, I have to feel there are a lot of hurt feelings, then everybody gets over it.

Realistically, Steve is going to pout for what, seven years! He is going to cut his scoring in half for the rest of his career, just to teach us a lesson. A last second opportunity to win, and he clanks it - just to get even with management.

Seriously, all they can do is get over it and move on.