By Marc Stein ESPN.com The Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards continue to discuss a possible Tracy McGrady trade in advance of next month's trading deadline, according to NBA front-office sources. Sources close to the situation, however, insisted Saturday night that no deal is imminent and that both teams continue to talk to other clubs. McGrady was in the nation's capital Saturday to attend the Georgetown-Duke game at the Verizon Center, but that appears to be unrelated to any Houston-Washington talks. The game was a benefit for educational programs in Darfur and also commanded the presence of President Obama. McGrady is one of the NBA's leading Darfur activists, having filmed a documentary there in 2007. McGrady was granted an indefinite leave from the Rockets in December after McGrady's representatives and Houston management mutually agreed to pursue a trade that would find a new home for him before the league's Feb. 18 trading deadline. Sources told ESPN.com that the Rockets have indeed expressed an interest in Wizards forward Caron Butler and center Brendan Haywood. But for a Wizards-Rockets deal to go through, Houston would almost certainly be forced to part with at least one other asset, which potentially muddles trade talks depending on whom the Wizards would want. The Rockets, sources say, have made it clear that they are willing to surrender McGrady's $22.5 million contract before the deadline if they can get quality talent in return, but they could also elect to keep McGrady for the rest of the season and let his contract expire to gain payroll flexibility for an offseason retooling. Washington, meanwhile, is expected to remain active leading up to the deadline even if nothing further materializes from its talks with Houston. The Wizards are widely expected to commission a thorough housecleaning in the wake of the Gilbert Arenas/Javaris Crittenton gun incident, which ranks as the obvious low point of a disastrous and chaotic season. Butler, Haywood and Wizards mainstay Antawn Jamison have all popped up regularly in trade speculation this season, even before the Dec. 21 confrontation in the Wizards' locker room that led to Arenas and Crittenton receiving season-long suspensions this week from NBA commissioner David Stern. Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4873867
eh, caron butler, i'm not all that interested. Will be interesting to see what happens... It could just be Morey doing his due diligence...
Having Haywood would be nice, especially when Yao comes back, but I think Wizards should be our 3rd option if we can't deals from the Sixers or Kings
Haywood is expiring and seems too much like a stop gap move. Caron is the prize but for McGrady's expiring and an asset? Giving up an asset seems too much. Could this be a move McGrady and his people are pushing? Wizards would give him the opportunity to play the role of franchise player. That's all he cares about, to showcase himself for free agency. http://dcist.com/2010/01/obama_to_attend_georgetown_vs_duke.php
Everyone would prefer Iggy over Butler.. but Iggy's contract is long. Butler expires in 2011 and Haywood (6 MIL) expires this year.
If it were just T-Mac and a filler, I would gladly take Butler and Haywood. I think they would fit nicely with this team. It would be practically giving up nothing to get some depth/decent players.
Actually, of all teams out there, the Wizards make a lot of sense, from the standpoint of expiring contracts. Morey likely doesn't want to jack with the current Rox lineup too much, and he did try to add Caron Butler last year. If the idea is to add Caron Butler, then at the end of next season, you'd have some options with the expirings of Caron, Shane, and Yao (depending on what you do with Luis THIS offseason). Or you can swing Caron + a second player (to match salaries) for Iggy, although I'm less sure of that one. In the meantime, JT gets some PT in the RGV---in the event he has to replace Budinger or Lowry or whomever once a trade is made?
You put them on the table, and like a magician, you rip them away quick enough without the plates and silverware flying everywhere.
UPDATE Sources told ESPN.com that the Rockets have indeed expressed an interest in Wizards forward Caron Butler and center Brendan Haywood. But for a Wizards-Rockets deal to go through, Washington would almost certainly try to hold out for at least one of Houston's rotation players, such as Luis Scola, in addition to McGrady. The Rockets, though, are determined to keep the core of a roster that has unexpectedly managed this season without McGrady and the injured Yao Ming. Houston is thus believed to be offering Washington only the payroll relief that would come with McGrady's contract. The Rockets, sources say, have made it clear that they are willing to surrender McGrady's $22.5 million contract before the deadline if they can get quality talent in return, but they also have the option of simply keeping McGrady for the rest of the season and letting his contract expire to gain payroll flexibility for an offseason retooling
in other words no way jose.....Wizards can keep dreaming. I think they realize Arenas is pretty much screwed and may never return, won't be surprised if his contract is taken away some way or they have to pay a portion of what's left, who knows...but i can't see who else houston would ask for in exchange for our own rotational player...morey sure as hell isn't going to send tmac + player for only butler and haywood...
LOL ya... Cook and Mac for Butler, Haywood, and Mike James.. who? works.. James is also an expiring deal at 6.5 MIL
