LeBron James Isn't Coming to the Knicks, Says Tracy McGrady

McGrady says he is ready to re-sign with the Knicks next year, if they appear ready to make a legitimate run at the NBA title. Obviously the Knicks are not even close to that now. For the last year the hope in New York has been that the Knicks can lure LeBron James to sign with the team after this season. The Knicks have been working to build an "aura of inevitability" around their efforts to gather top name stars, such as James and McGrady, from around the league during this upcoming offseason.

But now it appears that the "aura of inevitability" that the Knicks have been working to fabricate may be crumbling before our very eyes.

Tracy McGrady spoke to the issue on Sunday:

[RQUOTER]LeBron James Isn't Coming to the Knicks, Says Tracy McGrady

MANHATTAN — LeBron James won't be lacing up his sneakers as a member of the New York Knicks if Tracy McGrady's hunch proves correct.

McGrady has said he's be willing to resign with the Knicks next year if they landed a marquee player like James, but the veteran guard didn't sound too optimistic on Sunday.

"When I talk about players coming here, obviously LeBron is the guy," McGrady told reporters Sunday. "My honest opinion, I don't see it happening. I really don't. It's set for him right now [in Cleveland]."

McGrady sat out of the Knicks 113-107 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday because of his swollen left knee, the New York Post reported.

James is the NBA's leading scorer at 29.9 points per game and has led the Cavaliers to back-to-back 60-win seasons. Meanwhile, the Knicks have lost at least 50 games three straight years and have not had a winning season since 2001.

There's hope in the future for New York. The Knicks, who acquired McGrady in a trade deadline deal back in February, will be more than $30 million under the salary cap when James and other marquee free agents hit the free agent market on July 1.

McGrady, who is making $23 million this season, will consider returning to the Knicks at a discount if he believes they have a chance to win an NBA title. Landing James would be a big step in that direction for New York.

"I would love to be here, be a part of bringing in some players to change the whole situation around," McGrady told the Post. "At the same time, I want to do what's best for me. This is definitely my final run. I want to make sure it's the right decision."[/RQUOTER]

And if the Knicks continue to stink over the next two years, then the value of the draft picks obtained by the Rockets from the Knicks in the Tracy McGrady trade could truly skyrocket. In which case, Darrel Morey will be hailed as a genius, and the Rockets could end up with high lottery picks in the NBA draft in 2011 and 2012. These players would be added to a solid core group that should be in the thick of the Western Conference playoffs regardless.

I hope McGrady is right. Nothing against the Knicks, but this could be really good news for the Rockets.

 

Even if McGrady moves on, if LeBron James comes to New York, the Knicks may well be able to assemble an all-star cast around him. Lebron James is a future hall of famer and one of the top two marquee name players in the league right now. Also, New York is the most dynamic city in America and it has the largest media market in the country. It has every attractive feature that any professional athlete could ever want, which is why the city itself is a big draw for professional athletes.

If Lebron James comes to New York, this could be a very exciting time for New York Knicks basketball fans over the next few years. If he does not, it could be back to the bottom of the barrel, with no quick fix in sight. Whether Tracy McGrady stays with the team or not is very probably a secondary consideration.

 

Well, that is what their strategy supposedly is, if reports are correct. They apparently want to sign 2 max FA's in the offseason, and until recently it was thought they would pair those two with Tracy McGrady. Two max FA's and Tracy McGrady are about as much of an "all star lineup" as any team can reasonably hope to have under the salary cap.

But I agree that this is not a sure-fire strategy by any means. Several teams have assembled "all star lineups" over the years, and I cannot recall even one of them winning the NBA title. This is an idea that looks great on paper, but does not seem to translate smoothly to the court.

In any case, what if McGrady is right and James stays in Cleveland? I know there is a lot of animosity towards McGrady around here, but the bigger story here is how this will impact the future of the Knicks, and for Rockets fans, how will that effect the Rockets. I do not have any inside information, but McGrady's statements about James staying in Cleveland do not sound far fetched to me at all. In fact, based on the Knicks history of mismanagement and foolish decision making, it might be wise for Lebron to think twice before moving to New York.

If James does not go to New York, and if McGrady does not retrun, that could make it more difficult for the Knicks to land even one max FA, unless they just feel the need to indiscriminately throw money at someone who does not deserve it. Which of course the Knicks have an unfortunate history of doing.