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

'cause then they ain't selling papers.

I agree with you SA

 

Does anybody else find it funny that the Rockets have just a vague tease about the rumored TMac deal along with links to various papers writing on the subject? "Reports are circulating that..." , "Reportedly...", etc.

I know they're being professional and not talking to the media about it like UN-Weisbrod is. And I guess to ignore it on their website would be silly. But it's kind of nutty that one of the participants in the deal(that knows the exact details of the deal)is essentially acting like:

"wow, check out this rumor. we'll check it out and if we find out any details we'll let you know because we're in the dark about this just like you guys are"

Maybe it's just late and this thing is taking waaaaaay to long, but I got a chuckle out of it.

 

except everyday in training

 

When this gets done, will the SOF become TMOF?

 

Tolbert and Stephen Smith are total idiots. Just thought I'd add that. They just talk through their hat. Smith reminds me of the boy that cheers on the preacher on Sunday morning, always grunting after every word of the message. Tolbert reminds me of a city street sweeper that just took a shower and drank a bunch of beer, he just shoots off his mouth like he knows a lot and he don't know jack.

 

Does anyone have a clip of Steve's last circus shot vs. the Lakers in our win? The one with "He Did it Again!!"

 

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/2644908

Magic mulling McGrady options
Orlando GM says Francis no longer an impediment to possible deal with Rockets
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

John Weisbrod might as well have taken an ad out in the paper.

"For sale: The NBA's most dynamic scorer. All offers considered."

The Magic general manager did not declare the trade of Tracy McGrady to the Rockets dead Wednesday. Nor did he rule out McGrady's returning to Orlando. But he indicated that if teams want to make offers, he wants to hear them.

"I've just heard because of all the GMs that are calling in that it has been reported or the assumption is out there that it is done, or Houston is the team," Weisbrod said. "That is certainly not the case. We are still weighing all of our options.

"I would say there are at least seven teams that are still under consideration."

The most obvious option for the Magic is to send McGrady with Juwan Howard, Reece Gaines and Tyronn Lue to the Rockets for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato as planned. That could still happen, though Weisbrod said a deal is unlikely until after tonight's draft at the earliest.

NBA sources said talks with the Suns had picked up but that Phoenix was unwilling to add Joe Johnson to an offer that included Shawn Marion, instead offering Casey Jacobsen. McGrady, however, can opt out of his contract after next season and has said the Rockets are his first choice if traded.

Weisbrod offered another encouraging note for the Rockets in their hopes to land McGrady, saying Francis' initial reluctance to go to Orlando was not an issue.

"That is not a major factor in it at all," Weisbrod said. "I think, after taking a couple calls from Steve's people, that his main issue is frustration with Houston over how he has perceived they handled it or commitments they made to him in the past. His emotion about the situation, his emotion about leaving Houston, it's not about coming here.

"He doesn't have any aversion to coming to Orlando, from what I understand. He has an aversion to leaving Houston, based on everything he has been through with them and some of his commitments and understanding as to what they told him his future was there. But it was unfortunate that the kid was put in that position, because he is asked all these questions as if there was some deal immediately pending and that he was in it, and that wasn't fair to him. That certainly wasn't the case."

Francis' agent, Jeff Fried, said he told Francis the deal was close on Monday.

Sources said Wednesday the Rockets and Magic reached agreements on deals that could work either while Francis is considered a base-year player or when his base-year status expires July 1. If the deal is not made in June, it cannot be approved by the NBA and made official until July 14 because of the July 1-13 moratorium on trades or free-agent signings.

With Francis' unhappiness with the deal widely considered the roadblock to its getting done, Nate Peake, one of his representatives, said Francis is open to the idea of playing for the Magic. Peake said he and Fried would like Francis to have a chance to speak directly to Weisbrod.

"He is not saying he would not go to Orlando," Peake said. "He is not saying that at all. Steve should have been treated the same way as T-Mac. T-Mac knew what was going on. The first Steve knew was when it was almost done. He just wanted to know more about the situation, what's going on there, what their plans are.

"We're open-minded about the whole thing. We're trying to do what's best for Steve and the Orlando organization. To say Steve wouldn't go there is not true. He did want to know what's going on. He wanted to be involved in the process."

Francis said Monday he believed the Rockets would improve upon last season's playoff berth, the first of his career, and that he was disappointed he might not be back.

"A lot has changed, but Houston is still Steve's team," Peake said. "He is their leader. He did not expect that to change. But he was not saying he won't do it (the trade). That was misinterpreted. He was not saying that he wouldn't go to Orlando."

Weisbrod was not saying he no longer wanted to bring Francis to Orlando. But the GM was not ready to seal the deal, preferring to sift through the offers still coming in.

"I know because of the magnitude of the deal and the magnitude of (McGrady) as a player, it is a big rush to people to try and conclude where he is going to be," Weisbrod said. "But all those options are still open. He could still be here. And obviously, he could be traded."

 

Friday, June 18th 2004
this whole thing was quiet, sure you had people making trade props for McGrady but at the same time they were making the same trade threads for guys like Iverson, Allan, Barry, God, and even draft picks

Monday, June 21st 2004
The world changed, every news media outlet reported that the Rocket-Orlando trade was done. Threads were popping up saying "Best Steve Francis Moment", "I will miss you Cuttino". Jerseys were being sold on ebay, McGrady was a Rocket.

Tuesday, June 22nd 2004
The world hated Steve Francis for ruining the everything, threads changed to "Steve Francis needs to STFU, How to tape that fools mouth shut" etc. etc. People were pointing figers everywhere, Mobley was sad, and people sympathized for him.

Wednesday, June 23rd 2004
The drama continued, some people were defending Steve and started pointing at Orlando instead, people were accusing CD for lying and then accusing Orlando for leading the Rockets on. Then, suddenly news hit PHX was out and its Monday all over again..

 

LOL Great post!

Rollercoasters are great fun. But you can only take so much of even the best ones. After awhile you just want to get off for awhile so your head stops spinning and your stomach settles down.

 

Great summary Kaiser. This completely captures the frenzy of the past few days.

 

KILL!

 

I totally agree.

 

Nothing against people from Flordia or anyting like that, but man do people in Flordia just have a knack for creating chaos? They couldn't make up their minds on who won the election in 2000, sitting around counting chads while there were swarms of media attention, speculation, and general chaos around the world.

And now, in 2004 (another presidential year), the Orlando Magic cant make up their minds on what they want, sitting around mulling the possibilities while the whole NBA world goes into anarchy with trade rumors and speculation flying everywhere!

 

It is a bluff, nothing more. With Tmac clear on where he will play long term, no team is making sky-high bids.

Magic is busy discussing whon to pick at #1. They don't have time to seal a Tmac deal anyway. They are just bluffing, trying to get us give them future picks. I say to hell with that.

If I were the management, I start rumors about trading Taylor and TE for an expiring fat contract to secure enough cap room, just in case any team takes Tmac against his will. That way, we are protected both ways, and I dare any team to part multiple talents for a 1-year rental.

 

If TM wasn't stubborn about playing with YM, then he would already be in a Suns uniform.

TM and YM = multiple championships and TM knows it.

 

Would anybody hate t-mac if he got the Rockets to trade Steve, Cat, and we want our money back for him.
Then made it where the Rockets only rented him (t-mac) for a year than went and re-signed with Orlando as a free agent?
Maybe that's the idea, maybe he wants a one year vacation from the Magic while his team improves than he comes back and they're tirle contendors. That would be smart. LOL

 

What are you on?

 

Great writing. You should work for one of these papers.

 

Sugar Cookies

 

when I looked at the number of replies I had to take a screen cap.









man I'm such a n3rd.