Don't you know? The Rockets have the ability to get every desirable player on the market. The only thing in the way is Morey's sluggishness at the wheel.
McGrady's selling point is that he's an expiring contract covered by insurance. However the insurance payout isn't set as he can come back any time. The Mavs and Knicks have the expiring contracts to trump the Rockets. Mavs have Stackhouse's 7.25M contract which only partially guaranteed for $2M. A team can instantly cut 5.25M off their team salary. Package him with Dampier expiring contract (fully non-guaranteed after this upcoming season) or package him with a All Star level player in J-Ho. Knicks have Mobley's 9.5M but 80% insured contract. A team saves 7.6M. These smaller contracts are also easier to move without gutting a team that $20M+ does, make salaries match, and the salary savings are set in stone. In McGrady's case this is not definate and depends on his health.
T-Wolves are under the cap and do not need relief. I don't think expiring contracts are gonna cut it. I think they want to collect tradable assets to get a big name.
At this moment in time, T-Mac's ability to play is a big question mark. He is more valueble as an expiring contract. Will he come back by training camp? Will it be by the All-star break? When he does come back, will he be the Orlando T-mac? Will he be 2005 T-mac or last years T-mac? They would want a big name that can help make thier new GM look like a genious.
If tmac was not hurt we would be the team in the drivers seat. That was the plan the whole time. Tmac was supposed to be healthy and hungry and what was supposed to land us a boat load of good players and high draft picks. Tmac getting micro fracture screwed all that up. Now we are the one with the cup in our hand waiting for some one to through us some coins. The knicks where trying to make use take qrich and curry. What a joke. We will not get a our leverage back till after the all-star break and Morey knows exactly how much the insurance policy is going to pay out to who ever is holding Tracy's contract at the time. Then we have to pray that a team who has good players worth taking is looking to call it quits on the season and get some room againts the cap.
T-Wolves roster is: Flynn, Telfair Ellington, Brewer Gomes, Cardinal Love, Songaila, E.Thomas, Madsen Jefferson, Smith, Pecherov Gomes & Cardinal are forwards rather than swingmen type SFs. So that's a really unbalanced roster they're carrying. Minny might be under the cap, but they're not contending. So there's no point in paying more salary than required. Ditch the deadweight contracts and save money in the process.
All they have are gaurds and forwards, which I agree is terribly unbalanced. Given thier market and position, it will be hard to attract big names via free agency. Hence, they must build through the draft and via trade. I believe they are trying to collect assets to trade for a big name that can help them. But you do bring up a good point in that they may be using those "tradable assets" to get get rid of a bad contract like Brian Cardinal's.
..............however, if McGrady is traded to a NONCONTENDER, the odds are overwhelming that he will not come back on court for them and will thus be covered by insurance, thereby allowing that NONCONTENDER to move him at the deadline for other assets, or buy him out for less than what he is owed and save even more $$.
The Orlando T-Mac > Kobe Bryant, in the regular season. This is the ONE reason I am afraid of trading McGrady.
