McGrady: If traded from Orlando, Rockets are first choice

The way I understand it, we would not get a medical exception, which are given out only in extraordinary circumstances like when Zo was initially diagnosed with his kidney problem. Note that New Jersey did not get a medical exception for Zo this year, mostly because the problem was known to everyone and New Jersey signed him anyway.

We would know about Hill's past problems and would not qualify for an exception, IMO.

However, insurance will pay about 80% of his salary, so in REAL dollars, Les would save, but the TEAM wouldn't get anything.

 

Why is the Magic so hard pressed to unload Grant Hill? Doesn't he have the insurance to pay (big chunk of) his salary? They should just waive him if he indeed can't make it back.

Maybe we don't need to worry about taking on his enormous contract.

 

He still impacts the salary cap and will even if he is waived. Their position is that IF he can help at ANY point, either as a player or trade bait, they might as well keep him around.

 

Thanks, didn't know that. But he said he'd retire if he can't make it back next season so his contract will come off the books.

 

The interview I saw quoted him as saying that he WAS going to return next year AND play. I don't know if that claim is based in reality, but he claimed that had the Magic been in the playoff hunt, he would have played at the end of the year.

 

Somebody should simulate our season with McGrady and see what happens.

 

He has said he has been playing, working out. Doing well. What would it be like if he were traded and succeeded for some other team? (Ask MJ about the Rip - Stack trade and gauge the Hill answer!)

 

I think Hill will recover fully myself. He could easily play a low flying game before the injury too. I think he's still going to get you 10-7-7 when healthy. Everything will come back to him if you ask me. We'll see.

 

The one leverage that the Rockets have is that they don't have to trade Steve, he's here for a long time with his contract. And based on his performance in the playoffs, he excelled.

He plays well with Yao. I think Steve is starting to realize that this team will only go as far as Yao can take it. Of course without a calibur player like Steve Francis, Yao may never even make it to the finals in todays NBA.


But, if the opportunity to get McGrady came up, then I say do it. McGrady cause matchup problems and is a taller version of Steve. Tall talented guys win championships, or at least get you there year after year.

Yao and McGrady would be on the same par with Shaq and Kobe. The only exception is that Yao would be 24 and McGrady 25 or so as well. They'd have to set up odds in Vegas to see how many championships they'd win in the next 10 years. Over or Under 5 rings in 10 years sounds good to me. Something like that.

 

It's not important that YM and TM be as good as Shaq and KB were, it's only important that they're better than everyone else in the league.

And as I've pointed out before, having TM cushions the Rockets in case YM pulls a TM/SF year after next.

As long as you have one top 5 player you have a chance.

Getting TM is a no brainer. It would be inexcusable for the Rockets not to pursue this trade, and if TM wants it to happen, it just might.

 

I think last night proved that great players win championships, not teams. I'm not saying Tracy McGrady is as good as Kobe Bryant - he's not half the player Bryant is mentally. But then again he's never had the chance to perform on a big stage like Bryant has. I do believe that he is every bit as gifted as Kobe is physically - maybe even more. He's alot bigger and a better penetrator than is Bryant. Kobe is a better shooter though.

 

I agree. We need to get him here....he needs motivation. He certainty wont get it playing alone in Orlando. He needs Yao.

TMac just needs that chance. The Bucks vs Orlando a few years ago was one of the most incredible performances I've seen. McGrady vs Glen "big dog" Robinson. It was awesome! McGrady was on fire that series. He could not be stopped.

But it was a one man show; Hill was still gimpy.

 

He completely obliterated Robinson who he referred to as the "Puppy Dog" averaging 36ppg through the first 3 games and holding Big Dog to about 14. I don't know what the final numbers were, but he completely obliterated a fellow All-Star. Whoever said T-Mac doesn't show up in the playoffs? He just needs a chance to do it at the highest level.

 

I'm not sure anyone pointed this out yet, but Yao is not that far from Okafor, in fact they almost played on the same team, so it's quite a compliment from Tracy that he would play with Yao and not with Okafor. They are both just kids.

 

Agreed. Yao Ming is maybe the most overrated player in the game today. However, it's quite easy to see that he has more potential than anyone in the league. He was flat out dominant in short stretches last season - if he can improve his conditioning he will be the most unstoppable force in basketball. It's pretty easy to see that he has it all.

 

JJ's poor play sort of valadated why he's been on 10 teams. He's a very good journeyman player but not the answer at the 3. Cat may indeed have the quickness to keep up Kobe, but Kobe plays at an entirely different level - one that Mobley has never reached. Mobley, too, was toasted thoroughly during the Laker series by Kobe because Mobley's hot-and-cold offensive game is simply not good enough to allow him to match up with the better 2 guards in the league.

 

'advancing' the Hill 'attachment' to a TMac trade:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...c10061004jun10,1,6912457.story?coll=orl-magic

Several teams showing interest in Hill

The former all-star is a huge question mark but the Magic have been fielding some calls.

By Brian Schmitz | Sentinel Staff Writer Posted June 10, 2004

CHICAGO -- The Orlando Magic have been approached by at least five teams interested in acquiring Grant Hill, the six-time all-star who has battled a career-threatening ankle injury the past four years.

"I've had four or five teams call about Grant," Magic General Manager John Weisbrod told the Sentinel on Wednesday during the second day of the Chicago predraft camp.

"It's a little surprising."

Weisbrod says teams could be gambling that Hill is healthy enough to play or that he will reinjure himself and be forced to retire, creating enormous salary-cap room.

If Hill cannot play this season -- or does not play in more than 10 games -- and has to quit playing, his cap number comes off the books next January for the team that has him under contract. Hill would still be owed the remaining money on his original seven-year, $93 million deal.

Some teams also could be seeking to take the remaining $47 million in Hill's salary off the Magic's books, although there could be some large caveats: In exchange for relieving Orlando's cap burden, they might want the Magic's No. 1 pick in the June 24 draft or demand the club take players with unfavorable contracts.

Hill could be exposed in the June 22 expansion draft, which is designed to stock the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Bobcats are not expected to want Hill, considering his $14 million salary next season would eat up about half of their cap. But they could, acting as a conduit in a prearranged trade, select him and ship him to another team.

Last summer, the Atlanta Hawks acquired injured Minnesota Timberwolves guard Terrell Brandon for salary-cap purposes. Brandon realized he'd have to retire after a serious knee injury.

He had $11 million left on his contract, but it came off the Hawks' cap in February, giving Atlanta more money to use in free agency and trades.

By dumping Brandon's contract, the Timberwolves cleared enough space to make a four-team trade and sign Latrell Sprewell.

"It excites me that teams still want me and are willing to take a risk," Hill said. "The bottom line is that I want to play and I want to play here."

While the interest in Hill comes as a surprise, it's most likely a fishing expedition for teams.

They probably won't take the risk to trade for him, lest they end up like the Magic and be stuck in limbo with Hill.

The Magic expect to start the 2004-05 season with Hill in camp.

And, hopefully, as their starting point guard.

Teams must submit to the league office by Friday the lists of the eight players they are protecting in the expansion draft.

Weisbrod would not say whether Hill's name would be on the list. Hill said Thursday that he "gets the feeling he is not" on it.

Hill said he doesn't know for certain if he will be protected, but adds, "I think they [the Magic] worry about what would happen if I do get right and I play well somewhere else. And maybe they're saying, 'We know he's healthy, but we want to get the cap space and go in a different direction.'"

Hill has had four surgeries on his left ankle, and only Michael Jackson's operations have been more documented. He missed all last season and has played in just 47 games since joining the Magic in the summer of 2000.

CAMP NOTES: NBA hopefuls -- mostly projected second-round picks at best -- started playing games Wednesday. The Magic, who will have two second-round choices in the June 24 draft, have been impressed with 6 foot-5 shooting guard Romain Sato of Xavier; 6-1 point guard Chris Duhon of Duke; 6-0 point guard Antonio Burks of Memphis; 6-5 shooting guard Desmon Farmer of USC; and 6-9 forward Deng Gai of Fairfield. The camp concludes Friday.

 

Yep, I saw that article on Grant Hill, too.

Maybe they're floating the fact (or inventing it) to see what teams will offer to take Hill along with T-Mac.

Such a big question mark, though. If he were healthy, why would Orlando even need to trade T-Mac? Unless T-Mac flat-out gave them an ultimatum: Look, guys, I can't afford to wait around to see if Grant is healthy, I've been doing that for three years already.

 

It smells to me like TMac wants to be 'forced' out of Orlando, and Orlando wants TMac to look like he's 'forcing' the team to trade him.

Both sides worried about the PR fallout of moving TMac to another clime.

If GH comes back he takes the sting out of Orlando's fans' venom about a TMac trade.

 

I've taken a break from this board since the playoff debacle, and I live in San Francisco, so I haven't been following the news. But this is very, very interesting.

About a month and a half ago (am I the only one who feels like the playoffs have been longer than the regular season), I was at a club in Los Angeles. TMac and his girl were there, too. He noticed me looking over at him a couple times so he did that head nod where you invite someone over. I went over there and talked to him about basketball, and how I hoped that John Gabriel would trade him to the Rockets, and how he and Yao could roll through Kobe and Shaq and be the next dynasty. I thought he was just being polite, but he said, "Thanks, man. I'm doing my best. I really hope so."

Then later, he saw me on the dance floor with my friend (this hot little blonde chick with fake boobs), and he came over and told me he and his girl were heading out. And then I introduced him to my friend (who he had been checking out), and then he invited us to a party the next night. I wish I'd have gone, but I had a flight back to San Francisco the next day.