Addition by subtraction (Tmac Apologists need not click)

It kills me to think that maybe the Rockets could have dumped McGrady for Billups/Prince or Billups/Hamilton. Now the team might be in a position where they have to cut bait and there's no telling what they'll get.

 

I think so too. A team willing willing to "be gentle" to him for a few weeks to see if he comes out on top at the end of the season. Its about that time anyway....

 

if Les and Morey decided to let go of T-Crap...hope they can move him before the all star break..he's not worthy of representing the West..i can see the Clippers as the place in the West where he can be traded..otherwise, he's going East for sure..

 

I voted no, because I think trading him at this point would be fruitless. We would get nothing back in return. Better to wait it out for the next 2 years and let 2010 play itself out.

Houston has always been very attractive to free agents, and I don't see why the Rockets couldn't be major players in the FA market that year.

 

Trading you need some combination of the following:

-Team angling to get in on the 2010 sweepstakes
-Team probably not going to contend (for title) as it stands/having a bad year
-Team below or not concerned about luxury tax
-Team thinks McGrady is pulling a Vince Carter (Toronto)
-Team has a bloated salary or two to shed
-Team plays in the Eastern Conference
-Team has a need at swingman
-Team would be a Mac-friendly destination

Potential non-fits in my opinion:
McGrady would veto/threaten/dissuade the following places:
OKC, SAC, MIN, MEM, UTA, MIL, CHA

The following teams probably aren't interested since they're fine as is:
BOS, LAL, CLE, POR

The following teams are out since we'd never trade within the division / the state:
NO, SAS, DAL

ORL and TOR are out for obvious reasons.

Den, ATL, Det, Pho, NJ, and Miami are all currently playoff squads, which diminishes their interest. Plus, only Phoenix has a real hole at the 3, but they're pretty stocked up on all offense-no defense guys.

Again, a usually good team having an unexpectedly bad year is a much more likely fit. They're more likely to pull the trigger on a big move, and McGrady is more likely to want to go there.

Leaves us with:
WAS, IND, LAC, PHI, GS, NYK, CHI


My guess - Chicago, Knicks, and MAYBE the Heat.

Evan

 

Nice analysis Evan... out of those three my bet would be the Heat for Marion. The Knicks don't really have anything that Morey would definitely want. Chicago doesn't have anything they are willing to likely give up. There have been rumblings about the Heat trading Marion for a while now. So its my best guess if they were to try and move him.

Honestly I don't think they will.

 

I disagree a bit. I think there's a real potential for a Shaq to Phoenix type of deal, especially in the East. What difference does it make if you're in the playoffs if you can't get past Boston? If Cleveland or Detroit don't think that they can get past the Celtics I could envision them as potential trading partners.

Especially Detroit. Supposedly they were interested in McGrady in the off season and they're still in the same position now that they were then despite adding Iverson--stuck behind the Celtics with little prospect of getting back to the Finals as long as they have to get past Boston.

 

Or to sum up I think you have to talk to a desperate team to move McGrady. But there's different kinds of desperation. There's the kind felt by truly crappy teams. There's also the kind that legitimate teams feel who are stuck and can't get over the hump in the playoffs--Phoenix was in exactly that position vis a vis San Antonio and they traded for Shaq. I think Cleveland and especially Detroit are probably engaged in some serious contemplation right now as to whether they can get past Boston.

 

I hear what you're saying about Detroit, but I don't get the sense that they're trying to make a run at the title this year or even next. I think they're gearing up for an overhaul (while staying semi-competitive) and are eyeing summer 2010 to do so.

Iverson-Billups wasn't to make them better, it was to gt out from under CB's long term deal in exchange for a box office seller with a massive expiring contract. I think Iverson and McGrady were targeted by them this past year for the same reasons. I don't think they ever wanted to get both of them. They could become reinterested in McGrady, but I figure that it would be 13 months from now.

A trade now would be tough for them to pull off and remain remotely competitive. Who do they send us without crippling the team? Sheed is their top carrot, but they'd have scraps rotating in the frontcourt. Unless you move Rip and Prince (not happening), they'd have to send 3-4 guys over simply to get the trade to work under the cap rules.

I think Detroit COULD have happened, but it needed to be before November and before the Denver trade.

Evan

 

i see where you com from and it's all logic and sound arguments.

but what is the difference of being a mid-of-the-pack team and a lottery team for detroit, if they're just eyeing 2010? how 'bout having 2 gigantic contracts expiring instead of one?

 

Chicago is a team that is desperate to get over the hump. They teased with becoming a force in the East for a couple years under Skiles, but it imploded and they're trying to regun. Chicago's front office is DYING to matter again.
They're LOADED with contracts they would be eager to shed (not bad players, just overpaid): Hughes, Hinrich, Deng, Nocioni, and Gordon and Gooden expiring. EASY combinations to be found to match McGrady.
This is the team that came the closest to signing McGrady when he left Toronto. Mutual interest was there.

Knicks have wanted to matter again this entire decade. McGrady would be all about going to a market like NY (and would soon regret it). They want stars, have none. They need more scoring. They need an upgrade at swingman. They have been the epitome of desperate forever.

Miami is still run by Riley, and Riley is the guy that brought about the massive Shaq-Walker-Posey-Williams moves that mortgaged the franchise for a championship. He would drown babies if it guaranteed him 10 extra wins. Marion straight up works. There are plenty of other guys (Blount, Haslem, Banks, Wright, Jones) that could be packaged. McGrady would love a return to Florida.

All 3 are very nice matches.

Evan

 

Did the Rockets have a chance to trade for Billups last offseason?

 

Because teams don't want the fans to realize that they're mailing in the next two years. That's box office poison. Why would I spend several grand on season tickets knowing that the team isn't even going to TRY to win? It also hurts you win wooing the FA target - who wants to play for a chump?

Trading for an Iverson allows the fans to pretend that it was about the player and not the $21M expiring. Trade for Marbury and it gets a lot tougher. Trade for Marion and you can believe they want him because of his game. Trade for Raef LaFrentz and you know what's up.

The other thing is, Detroit doesn't need another gigantic expiring deal. Sheed's $13M comes off this year. Rip is a FA in time for 2010. The only guy they'll still have on the books at that point is Prince. If I'm right, they are the only team (maybe NJ) already set to offer two max deals in 2010. McGrady's unneeded, especially if he doesn't allow them to keep winning in the meantime.

Evan

 

As much as people say i'm a fan of t-mac, i would trade anyone on this roster for a upgrade a chance to win a ring. I also recognize that there are a couple of dynamics at work. If they trade tracy and no matter what people may say, he's their most impactful player. As consistent as Yao is and when Artest goes into pitbull mode, tracy is still the guy. Just like Last year when people were bringing up scenerios, the guy in return has to be impactful on the game, not just the stat box. Then when i look at what he's worth now vs in 2010 to this roster, i have my doubts. Thing is, everyone is loading up for that year and if the organizations are smart, people are getting robbed because they want to be a player in that year. Mo Williams was given away as well as jefferson. So even with the effort and the injuries, the team has to ask themselves is it good to be screwed by his play or by the contracts they recieve. Believe me, this team has and still need upgrades to beat Boston and La with a healthy Mcgrady. Now i know people want to talk about the 22 game win streak and all this other stuff, but i would move Rafer,Battier,head, an hayes and even one of the other 2 pf's before Mcgrady. Thats just me.

 

How can you say that they are not better than LA or Boston when we havent played them at full strength yet with all our guys!

 

The same reason why i said last year the rox werent contenders even with a healthy yao. it makes people upset or mad when i state the facts or say what they dont like. I just watch the games, put it on paper and sit back and let it happen. I said the rox needed a 3rd scorer. Guess what? Management thought so also. I said Rafer,battier,and chuck hayes are 20 min bench and situational players. i've also said that Scolanadry are redundant and for all the production, its negated because they give up just as much if not more. Keep believing this healthy or unhalthy thing, but in 7 games, the lkaers have too much of everything for the Rox to combat. Th only way the Rox beat the Lakers or the Celtic in 7 is with a few trades and some luck of not meeting them. I know the truth hurts

 

Be honest. What do you think the chances are that we are at full strength by the time the playoffs roll around, and that we stay at full strength for the whole thing?

The Rockets have all but said that T-Mac, Artest, and Battier are going to be dealing with pain the whole year. That issue will not simply go away.