McGrady: If traded from Orlando, Rockets are first choice

Not to mention the pillar of your screename.

 

As much as i don't like Cato, We have a starting center named Yao that can only play around 30 minutes and get in early foul trouble. IMO, we still need the big guy because he does have a presence in the paint and plays great D.

I don't see why everyone is so big on Al Harrington. But i'm sure the Pacers would trade him straight up for Cat in a heartbeat.

As said before by someone else, "The only thing wrong with Mobley is that he plays with Steve."

 

Karma is biaaatch. Just watch. By trading Steve, it would cause some life altering changes in his life, and he will finally be able harness all of his potential. You are creating a Rocket killer for life,

 

If we can trade away Olajuwon, then trading Francis ain't hard.

 

Perhaps I didn't make my point very well. Any team can trade for TM and Hill, but in almost every situation, the Magic would have to take back equal salary. This is why a trade exception is so important. They wouldn't have to take some bum who's contract expires in a year. They get a reasonable player and TE that equal Hill's salary. If he's vocal about wanting to leave, at least they can get some value from him (Francis) and use it as an excuse to get rid of an unfortunate problem (Hill) and pick up a serviceable center (Cato).

I don't believe anyone else has the ability to match this trade. At least from this perspective. Now, if Orlando decides they want max value for McGrady and could care less about rebuilding, then we can't compete. But I doubt anyone believes that they are in that situation.

Lastly, for those of you that think we can do this deal without losing Francis, PUT THE PIPE DOWN. Even if the Magic don't want him, he has the most value of anyone we would offer and they could always include a third team that does.

 

Either McGrady 'makes' the deal, or there is no deal. He has to agree to a deal to the point of agreeing to an extension.

Where better for him to move, if move he decides, than here to RocketLand?

BTW - why is this Board so convinced Hill will get moved?

 

While you're basically right in practice, I think you do need to allow a possibility of a trade without McGrady's consent. The Magic don't want to hold him going into free agency without an extension. But, it is possible that another team will be willing to take that chance. Someone may want to trade for McGrady against his wishes hoping that they'll be able to convince him to stay in the end, by holding his Bird Rights and showing him that they have a future. It would be a very dangerous move, considering how much a team would have to surrender to match McGrady's contract in trade (both in dollars and in value). But, it isn't completely beyond the realm of possibility.

 

i think he has a no trade clause in his contract that he can exercise if they were to trade him to a team that he didnt want to go to.

 

No team, none, will trade for TMac without an greement in place.

 

This is just an assumption that most people are making. The Magic are slated to pay him around $15m over the next 3 years. Even if they pay him to opt out, this is still a huge burden. If they were a great team, they might be able to deal with it, but they need to rebuild and this is preventing them from doing so. Hill may never be able to play again and even if he does, he will be little more than end of the bench role player. It makes no sense to keep him if you can get someone else to take him. Orlando is not a big market team with rich owners. $15m for nothing is a huge problem.

That being said, it would be an issue for us as well. I'm not sure how this would aeffect us, but I'm curious to find out.

 

You mean 15 per for three years.

I have not heard Orlando or Hill talk about leaving. Of course there's the new sherriff in central Florida and he may make waves -- but what if Hill returns to form, and I am rooting for him to do so...but for some other team? That could be a disaster for the magic.

 

No such thing as a no trade clause in the NBA.

 

Kinda like no one would trade for Sheed in similar circumstances.

But wait - 2 teams did ... without getting any assurances before hand that Sheed would resign.

 

Both trading teams came out for the better even without him signing there.

This is apples and oranges. It started with 'sheed blowing down the special relationship with the fans that the Blazers have had for a quarter century. It finished with a bad trade for everyone else, but particularly Boston.

No, definitely a very different situation than McGrady and the mgic.

 

Completely different situations though, CK. Atlanta wanted to get out from under the contracts of Rahim and Ratliff, and they were lucky that Portland found them valuable. Rahim is now rotting away in Portland. The Pistons didn't really care if Rasheed resigned, they traded for him with the intent of making him a one year rental. They went in to that trade with the plan of extending Okur over Wallace. Fortunately for them, things have changed and Wallace is likely to stay. They also barely gave up anything - Atkins and Rebraca.

McGrady on the other hand is not a rental. A team would have to move heaven and earth to get him so I can't see anyone taking such a great risk unless he agreed to sign an extension.

And Rocketsauce is correct when he says that no team can offer a better bundle to the Magic than the ability to unload Hill's contract and not have to take on an albatross in return. No other team can offer $30 million in quality [without gutting their entire team, ie: Dallas would not trade Nowitzki+Jamison+a resigned Nash]. McGrady stated Houston as his first choice. If the Rockets, want him, he is their's. I repeat, if the Rockets want McGrady, he is theirs. No other team can put together a more lucrative offer than Houston. My hunch is that for the next month you will see Orlando hold on as long as they can with hopes that he'll decide to stay. They'll explore trading the #1 pick. If he still wants out, Orlando loses a great deal of leverage. That's when CD can try to sweeten the deal by not having to take back Hill, knowing that he has all the leverage. It's all up to the Rockets. I still believe that Tracy McGrady will be wearing a Rockets uniform next season.

 

thacabbage, I wish I shared your optimism with getting McGrady. You make good points. And it looks good on paper. But it is tough for me to get too excited. I am hoping. We'll see.

 

tcab and xiki,

yes they are different situations right now, but if McGrady backs the Magic into a wall, I don't think you can totally dismiss the Magic trading him to a team off his list. It's unlikely, but I still don't think you can lay it out as blanket statement that it wont.

Unlikely things have happened before.

 

Yes, unlikely as it is, it might. OK?

 

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#84

He has no no-trade clause. He can be traded to a team he doesn't want. But, the stars would have to align themselves just right to induce a team to want to risk it.

 

Guarded optimism on my part. But I like your assessment.

Anyone know the answer to this question (maybe it has already been raised in this Olympian thread):

If we take on Grant Hill's contract (and this better involve us getting more than just McGrady and Hill and giving up too much in return), and it turns out Hill is, indeed, still unable to play...

...would we get a medical exception for his salary, and if so, does that medical exception count on the salary cap IN REGARDS TO THE LUXURY TAX? (i.e., yes, the contract would count on the books for another 3 years, but would it count against the luxury tax?)