What are you talking about? If we trade for Hill, we need to trade them 15M back. Mobley and Cato make as much as Grant Hill does this upcoming season. We're not pushing the cap up at all. We're trading 15M (mobley and cato) for 15M (grant hill). Also, no one knows if there will be a luxury tax. If there isn't one next season, there won't be one after that. Grant Hill doesn't make 30M a season. According to GATER, he will make around 15M, and he will opt out if he is unable to play. If he is able to play, woop-dee-doo, we would've been payign that amount to Mobley and Cato anyway.
If this is true, I think it is a ploy to generate a trade or exposal to the expansion draft. Think about it. Does Hill really want to walk away from that much money? But if he gets traded, he can fool around with another comeback attempt and play about 4 games, before he has to go out for surgery and rehab. Then he can say that he will be able to play after the surgery and take his player option. The new team is hoping for his return, they haven't got 4 years into his contract with him not playing. So, it isn't nearly as much pressure on Hill to retire or opt out. He can then ride out his contract. If Hill indeed walks away from that money, I will be amazed and he is a much better man than I give him credit for. I think he is going to keep fooling around and trying to comeback until he exercises his option. Just my humble opinion.
I never mentioned that Hill would be back at his natural level and even playing at 70% for 25mpg would be too little for his price tag and there absolutely no guarantee that he could even get that far. I know the deal isn't about Grant Hill, but he is just as big as a part as the #1 pick. I would take Hill for McGrady, just because its T-Mac, but I don't see Les taking the chance of Hill opting out, because a lot of players wouldn't. Its human nature for people not to walk away from 30M when it is guaranteed to you. I understand a lot of your points and reasoning, but Hill has only played an average of 15 games the last 3 seasons. I want the guy to make a solid come back, even at 70%, but it has been the same story for the last couple years. He feels good but the ankle just won't hold up and its still a lot to pay for.
You have to have basketball players to play basketball. Grant Hill (who I happen to like very much when he plays) doesn't play basketball. Mobley and Cato are starters on a western conference playoff team. Trading starters for nothing plus a good college player with back problems is a bad idea. There is a reason the magic are picking first in the draft... Grant Hill and his 15 million in wasted cap space. I am willing to trade for TMac just to see if he and Yao can play together but there is no good trade that gives us Grant Hill and his HUGE!!!! cap hit.
I'll let you draw your own conclusion. Here's a quote from the 09.07.2003 Orlando Sentinel: Q: Obviously, the Magic put forth the case to the league that you couldn't play this season. John Weisbrod [team chief operating officer] has publicly said he doesn't want you to play, just rest and rehab. How do you weigh your desire to play against the team's ultra- cautious approach? A: I want to be cautious, too. It's their franchise, it's their investment, and for me, it's my ankle, my career. So I think we both have a lot weighing on it. At this time last year, I was already on the court for a month- and-a-half. We're being methodical with this. We are being more cautious. Maybe that's sitting out the year, maybe it's coming back at the end. I don't know what will happen. I'm just taking it swimming stroke by swimming stroke. One stroke after another. Q: Then it's sink or swim after this season, right? A: This is it. No more surgical procedures on this ankle. I think everyone hates to say it, but everyone agrees that it's probably it. We got to get it right. This is the last hurdle. After this, man, if it doesn't work, I'm going to be delivering Sentinels in the neighborhood every morning. Q: Let's say you don't have to take up a paper route and are sound enough to play. After three false starts, who will make the call? A: The doctor who did the surgery [Dr. James Nunley of the Duke University Medical Center]. We'll confer with the people here, the doctors and the team. I'm sure any decision will be a team decision. Hopefully, I'll have some say. We all want the same thing. We want me to have a long career and beat this. If it was a best-case scenario, I say it's still a long ways from now. Q: Did the thought of retirement enter your mind? A: Uh, no. Not really. Probably the worst time was post-surgery. I'm following my team in the playoffs, having to watch [the Magic blow a 3-1 lead against Detroit]. If retirement was an option, I wouldn't have had this last surgery. It's still in me. I still want to play. And I hope to be able to play this year. Retirement? No. Even though I use some Just For Men occasionally for my hair. I still have it in me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Link for the complete interview: http://www.justbball.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6019 IMHO, one more go round for Hill in 2004-05 or retire. Definitely no more surgeries. Regarding what type of man Hill is, see for yourself: http://www.granthill.com/ Collecting art and working on his wife's CD. Not exactly destitute.
And he's run it into the ground. Enjoy your steak dinner with Uncle Les while you both watch the Laker & Pistons in the NBA Championships on TV.
