McGrady: If traded from Orlando, Rockets are first choice

The problem is we dont have anything of value to package w/ Cat. If we had a good lotto pick like the Suns, then its a different story. Cat + a top 10 pick to go along w/ the trade exception might be good. This way Orlando is not stuck w/ any long term max contracts, and they can rebuild w/ at least some decent talent. But w/o picks, its gonna be super hard to get TMac w/o sending Steve.....But I do believe we can get him for just Francis and filler, not both Francis and Cat....

However, if we can get a good pick from someone w/ a trade, it might be a different story.....

 

No freakin way! You don't get sth great by trading scrubs. Orlando isn't that stupid. A team needs some star power to feel good and to attract fans.

Plus, TMac might think twice if Francis stays. He wants to play with Yao, not Francis. W/ Francis staying, there is gonna be chemistry issues and too much egos. And are there gonna be enough shots for three of them? I don't think so.

 

Exactly.

 

I haven't posted here in about eight months but I am glad they kept my account alive so I can reply to this post.

If CD is shrewd? SHREWD? No, that would be if CD is a bloody mother ****ing magician. The only players Orlando would even consider trading TMac for would be Francis or Yao. Since we aren't trading Yao, Francis is the only option. It will either be for Francis or it won't be. There will be some fodder but if this trade happens it will be McGrady/Francis. Otherwise it isn't happening so don't speculate to any other ending.

My bet is it happens. When CD and JVG see that the whole Francis/Yao connection isn't working they will have no option but to try something else. Let me fix what I said. It will happen if Orlando lets it.

Honestly I am more interested in who we try to pick up in the off season to make this team look more like a JVG bruiser team. That is what Yao really needs, some bodyguards.

 

that's great except. in 2 years Yao needs to be re-signed for the max. i beleive the maximum contract is something like 25% of the team's cap value.

you would therefore have 3 players making 75% or more of the cap.

you can't do that.

 

Uh yeah, and, if we had T-mac, Steve would be shooting even less which would make worse of a player than this past season. And we'd be paying a player a lot of money so he can be Allen Iverson at the point without the constant jacking up shots.

 

Welcome back... You left around when I started to post. Good to see ya around again.

 

I think everyone is looking at Shaq/Kobe as the comparison but I think you overestimate both Yao and TMac in that regard.

First, Yao is by no means a dominant player yet. I'm am the biggest fan, but until he can start playing like he did once every three weeks (Atlanta triple overtime game, Phoenix game we lost where he dominated the fourth quarter, etc.) only a daily basis, he won't be there. I know it's not just about the numbers, but a lot of people put up 18/9. Who knows if Yao will take the next step toward domination (which means having a dominating performace every 3-4 games at a minimum) next year?

As for TMac, I have every confidence that if you switched him and Kobe these last 5 years their tales would be reversed...but they aren't. He hasn't been able to play off a dominating center yet, to develope a deadly outside shot (look at his shooting stats, not all that impressive - but he certainly is a scorer) or to learn to take over a game when it counts in the 4th quarter and in the playoffs.

Finally, dominating players don't win by themselves. Kobe and Shaq are just as dominating every year but got beat last year, and before Phil as well. You still have to have a well manufactured team with good chemistry. Heck, the Lakers have 4 potential all-star, hall of fame players, three who will be classified as top 1 or 2 of their generation, and it still isn't a cakewalk for them.

My argument isn't that we wouldn't eventually be great, but that we wouldn't immediately be so and unless you lock TMac up, he would just walk to a SA or elsewhere.

 

1. Cuttino's contract is similar to McGrady's except that he makes $8mill/yr less. He can opt out next summer. Cuttino Mobley's not going to stay on a team where he and Emeke Okafor are the only decent players. Even if Orlando were dumb enough to trade T-Mac without receiving Francis in return, they'de think twice about Mobley's incentive to stay in Orlando without Steve around.

2. If we were getting McGrady, I'm not sure I'de want Francis over Mobley. We'de already have our two primary playmakers in Yao and T-Mac. Mobley is a greatly superior defender and and set shooter to Francis. Francis becomes obsolete with McGrady here. I think the key for CD is getting T-Mac without giving up Mobley. If he can do that, we're in business. I think Mobley would be the ultimate 3rd scorer on a Yao-TMac team. I'll discuss that later if/when talks progress. Don't want to get my hopes up.

 

i do agree that we should not ship cat off in a trade for tmac. if a tmac deal is done, we should look to ship cat and the TE for a for a PF or a PG.

 

I wouldn't have a problem with shipping Cat with Steve.

Why?

First we have Jim Jackson. I want Jimmy to still have 35min+ for the next two years. He plays better D than Cat and makes less stupid mistakes when the game is in crunch time.

Two he isn't a point anyway so we need a point guard.

Three If we send Cat we could ask for Gooden in return. It won't make sense for the Magic to draft Okafor and keep Gooden. Although Gooden is not anyones favorite here at Clutch. I remeber Gooden when he played in Kansas. He is just going through a little bit of adjusting but that guy has way too much skill to flounder in the NBA. He can shoot with either hand, he has great run jump skills and he is a great rebounder. He needs time and a couple of cycles during the offseason to become a Rasheed Wallace or Zach Randolf.

Four. We can use a MLE to get a Payton or Troy Hudson or Brent Barry.

 

ok, I've seen some bad posts, but come on.....JJ plays better D than Cat?????

Then you want a selfish undersized tweener like Gooden to match up w/ Yao

And you want a washed up Payton or Hudson over B. Barry?

 

JJ barely survived playing marathon minutes this year, and it showed. His game dropped off noticeably in the playoffs, it seemed like his legs were gone and he stopped hitting as many big shots. That's asking a hell of a lot from player in his mid 30's.

JJ's defense, especially against shooting guards, was not better than Cat. He got toasted out on the perimeter with regularityl. Cat at least had the quickness to make Kobe, etc work for it and to get the occasional strip.

 

I agree....you're on crack.

 

This thread is still open?

 

Low blow, lame azz.

 

Can we fast forward to July please?

I'd be very surprised if we land T-Mac. Outside of Yao, there is no one on our roster Orlando would possibly want. I think we are going to have much better luck with the FA market.

 

dont flame but just think...if somehow we do keep steve and get tmac...then who said we had to keep steve? we could trade him after getting tmac for a....rashard lewis? or any other solid sf, and pf

 

doesn't work that way

 

Tracy McGrady in... Steve Francis out

Yeah !!!!!!!