SLAM Magazine's take on Mcgrady being shopped http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2009/06/source-t-mac-being-shopped/ Source: T-Mac Being Shopped by Ryne Nelson Will Rockets fans miss the most important trade of the decade? It could definitely go under the radar. H-Town shipped both its 2009 draft picks (to bring in Luis Scola and Ron Artest), leaving most Rockets fans without incentive to follow the NBA’s annual rite of passage. It’s no small secret, though, that the team would like to get rid of Tracy McGrady, and June 25 could be as good of time as any to make it happen. Could they dish him to another area code when supporters have their collective heads turned? Draft Express has heard murmurs: Houston also seems to be very active in trade talk, particularly in trying to move Tracy McGrady we’re told. McGrady will be out for the first 20-30 games of the regular season, but there is some thought that he might be able to help a playoff team down the stretch, particularly since he’s in a contract year. It’s tough to see how many teams would be able to absorb the $20+ million he’s owed next season. The New York Knicks might be one of them. Houston would be looking for a shooting guard in return. Of course, the Rockets would like to get good value to McGrady. And the Knicks want better value for their $20+ million. Trading McGrady for a draft pick would seem like an option, but ultimately a step back in their title pursuit. For that reason, the Rockets should stay relatively quiet next week. GM Daryl Morey may make a shrewd deal to unload salary, possibly for a future pick, but the Rockets would be wise not to trade its established players for an inexperienced question mark. But a rookie could just be the icing on the cake of a large trade. It’s purely speculation, but Rip Hamilton’s a name oft-mentioned as being on the block. Should the Pistons offer a package including Hamilton and its first round pick for Mac, the Rockets would be enticed to accept.Chance are the Rockets will wait to do something during the free agency period if they’re going to make a move. But Rocket fans may not want to miss the Draft… just in case.
According to trade machine, they'd have to give us Tayshaun and Rip to make this work. Man that would be sexy, but then we can say goodbye to Artest or Battier no way we'd keep 3 defensive specialists.
Some posters here made it seem like Rip has a long term deal extending to 2012/2013 but I can't find anything besides him expiring next year at all the major websites. Rip is declining but a one year rental wouldn't be too bad. If he does have one year left, its highly likely we could get him after what's figured out with T-Mac: 1. Is his contract being broken into pieces? (The NY Deal) 2. Will those pieces return something better? (Rip, etc) 3. Is he staying the entire season? (Least likely to happen, but wouldn't be surprised if this happens) I would let (1) happen and see what's the best return (2).
Is Detroit that desperate to dump salary that they'd deal Rip and Prince for a broke down TMac's expiring?
Yao Scola/Landry Battier/Artest RIP/Wafer Lowry/AB trade Prince/Barry for another Center and we're SET!!!!
Sheed and Rip sounds good to me. Sheed would be perfect for this team if he didn't expect such a big contract and if he didn't mind coming off the bench knowing he would get plenty of PT and more than likely close out games. He could play major minutes for us at the 4 and 5. I think Sheed has at least 2 more productive years in him and Rip has at least 2 if not 3 left in him as well.
Considering we don't really need Prince, I'm sure a third team could be dragged into the deal. We could get RIP and some other player that is also good since Tayshaun is a player teams would like.
Hell yeah, I would take a sheed + Rick combo + 1st round or scratch that... Those 3 w/o the 1st rounder.. I would take a 2nd rounder
I would rather have Prince than Battier or Artest. Plus he is another player that has done a good job on Kobe.
Pros and Cons. Prince is a better defender on speed wings (Lebron/Kobe) than Artest is. Prince can move his feet better, plus he has freakishly long arms to alter shots. Go look at some old clips when Detroit beat LA in 5 games for the championship. Every game but 1, Prince locked Kobe down, the only game he didn't do a good job was LA's only win Artest though, no slouch on defense, not as good as Prince, but I think Artest brought some swagger to our team that's been missing. All the guys behaved this year, but I think Artest had a lot to do with them playing tougher and having more of a no fear attitude (NY streets). It would be interesting indeed.
Trade Machine checked and approved: Houston ships Tracy McGrady to Detroit Houston ships Carl Landry to Indiana Detroit ships Rip Hamilton to Houston Detroit ships Tayshaun Prince to Indiana Indiana ships Troy Murphy to Houston Houston receives Troy Murphy and Rip Hamilton Detroit receives Tracy McGrady Indiana receives Tayshaun Prince and Carl Landry Houston: Pros: Gets rid of McGrady's contract and brings in a decent enough shooting guard that can play the baseline picks well. This also brings in a big PF that can space the floor and shoot the 3 and who's not that bad of a rebounder/defender. Our depth would be even better than it was last year. Cons: Hamilton's contract goes beyond what most of us would like. Starting Five: Yao Scola Artest (re-signed of course) Hamilton Brooks Bench: Murphy, Battier, Lowry Detroit: Pros: Ships out longer contracts for a contract that comes off the books sooner. Cons: Lotto bound team for the next few years. Starting Five: Can't even project this one. Indiana: Pros: Gets a defensive specialist that can back up Granger or even play alongside him for most of the game. Also receives a backup PF that can probably start on their team with Murphy gone. The Indiana ties wouldn't hurt either. Cons: They'd lose their starting PF. Starting Five: Foster Landry Granger Rush Ford Bench: Prince, Jack, Dunleavy Just something I mocked up. Flame away guys
I would do Sheed (sign and trade by the Pistons) and Rip plus Detroit's 1st round pick for McGrady. Rip would be good in Adelman's offense and Sheed as a 4 could stretch the defense due to his 3 pt shooting and play alongside Yao as well as behind him. Looks like the 3 most likely places T-Mac might end up are Detroit, Golden State, and the Clippers.
I like your proposal a lot. I would just like to point out to those who think Rip is an expiring contract. He signed onto a new $34 Million/3 yr deal through 2011-12. I guess the usual websites have not updated their info. http://content.usatoday.com/sports/...s/playerdetail.aspx?lname=Hamilton&player=155 Still, not too bad of a contract
Rip Hamilton is not the answer...We have plenty of guys who can score. Yao, Scola, Artest, and Brooks can all score. Carl Landry will have a good scoring game 1 in every 5-7 games as well. IF we resign Wafer, he showed that he could score in the regular season. Even if we keep Tmac, he wouldn't have to score big for us anymore night in and night out. The main reason we need him is to be a playmaker: Simply to get us good shots when Yao is not able to get the ball. Yao taking the shot, is our best shot in our offense, outside of a layup. Yao is our best shooter, and he scores very efficiently and can hit free throws and draws double teams and fronting defenses. However, when teams do decide that Yao is not going to beat them, where do we go? Artest is a HORRIBLE playmaker, and a very streaky shooter. Scola is a great scorer with certain matchups, but he is not that big time scorer yet. Aaron Brooks is a nice young point guard, but at his size, he will make a lot of turnovers, and if his shot is off, he loses confidence. We need Tracy McGrady or a player similar to him to be that DIFFERENCE MAKING PLAYMAKER. That is what this team needs. That is what Yao, similar to Shaq, needs. Big centers are limited in a sense due to their size and lack of athleticism. Honestly, we either need to get a great "true" (not a score-first like Mo WIlliams). Or we need to get that dynamic wing player who can handle the ball, shoot, score, and make that tough shot late in games when our offense stalls, and the defense picks up. Tmac was that guy for us for 3 years, and I believe with our supporting cast now, he could still be pretty good at that now. But if the Rockets do decide to go in another direction, then we need to get a player who can score and make plays in tough situations in return. Rip Hamilton is a glorified Kevin Martin. He can't break anybody off the dribble, he can't set up anybody. He is great at coming off screens, but that can be taken away quite easily as well. He is a good player, but not an elite player. Players that can't replace the playmaker Ben Gordon, Shawn Marion, Ray Allen (present day), Rip Hamilton, Kevin Martin, Allen Iverson, Gerald Wallace, Antawn Jamison, Rudy Gay, Josh Howard, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Trevor Ariza, J.R. Smith These guys are very good players. I wouldn't mind having some of them if we picked up a playmaker first, otherwise some are limited in a sense offensively. Guys we should go after if we are not keeping Tmac (Actual Possibilities) Chris Paul, Andre Miller, Steve Nash, Turkoglu, Ginobili (if healthy), Maybe Ramon Sessions, Maybe Monta Ellis, Danny Granger, MAYBE Vince Carter (if willing to take on that contract) Personally, I would rather play this season out if Tmac is 85% of what he used to be, just so we can have that cap room after next season. We would have a lot of money to offer any free agent. But if we do trade Tmac, I say trade him for one of the playmakers/potential playmakers I listed above. Those are the type of players that will make Yao's job much easier.
Rockets should KEEP T-Mac People change, they really do. Look at Kobe, there was a time when LA was thinking of trading Kobe, and Kobe wanted out. If our goal is to contend for a championship, we give Yao, Mac, Artest 1 last shot at it. Yao is playing at his peak, next year will be an easy year compared to this year. LA, Cleveland, Orlando, New Orleans will not be the same team as this year. If T-Mac is really working out and not gambling every night in Las Vegas, I say we get the guy on some Tony Robbin's tapes and have a go at it again.
