I have to say McGrady. I remember I was very excited on that day when I heard that Rockets acquired him. He was very skilled player. I jumped up a lot on that day. I miss Yao and McGrady a lot.
In hindsight, Drexler trade was the best because it led to a championship. Without knowing the results of each trade I really liked the value we got back on the Tmac trade. The Barkley trade was absolutely necessary to get past the Sonics. Both of those trades were some horrible injuries away from being better than the Drexler trade (multiple title possibilities).
We beat Seattle the team we lost to the season before. Also we went to the Western Conference Finals. Try to separate your feelings about Barkley from TNT vs Barkey the Rocket. That guy gave it all on the court.
Some of those trades led to important pieces to championship teams, some of them led to teams that made to the Finals, some of them led to at least the WCF some of them led to no playoff success
True, but imo that was more about Rudy T sticking to what worked in the 95 playoff run with Horry at the 4. The 95-96 team should've been Elie at SG, Horry at SF and Herrera at PF or traded for another PF. It's not Barkley I have a problem with, it's letting go of the future in mainly Cassell.
did you not put the Barkley trade there cause you don't like Barkley? You realize that trade was an enormous trade and we got like 50000x more TNT and NBC coverage than normal when we got Barkley. It is one of the most significant trades in Rockets history, it's crazy that you left it out. And it's obvious cause look at how you are passionately talking about it.
Otis Thorpe, Marcelo Nicola, and 1st Round Pick for Clyde Drexler and Tracy -championship Murray Carr, Dickerson, Harrington, Price, 1st round pick for Francis and Massenburg -no playoff success Cato, Francis, and Mobley for McGrady, Gaines, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue -no playoff success Rodney McCray and Jim Peterson for Otis Thorpe -championship Rudy Gay and Stromile Swift for Shane Battier Vassilis Spanoulis, a future second round pick and $ for Scola & Jackie Butler -playoff series victory John Lucas and Tim McCormick for Kenny Smith and Roy Marble -championships Two First Round Picks for Moses Malone -nba finals $50.000 for Vernon Maxwell -championship
That's because it was a terrible trade. We took an old man running on empty and traded a legitimate point guard and one of the best clutch playoff players in the NBA. I hated that trade then and I hate it now.
The TMac trade was the best in a vacuum. We were acquiring one of the best scorers in the game at the peak of his career. It didn't really amount to anything, but it was the closest thing to a blockbuster we'll ever see I think.
People forget that the 97 and 98 teams were supposed to have Brent Price or Derek Harper instead of Matt Maloney. That would have been the game changer.
