McGrady To Houston Thread (Update: Francis will visit Orlando)

If SF flys to Orlando TODAY and
IF Orlando is intro-ing Jameer this MORNING then
Hockey Guy cannot see the whites in Stevie's eyes before afternoon thus
Deal may be done today but not likely announced before the morrow.

 

And a 100,000 views.

 

You have cemented your place in ClutchFans history. Congratulations.

 

This better go down soon...I'm 17 years old and I think I'm already getting grey hairs over this.

 

keep your fingers crossed!

 

If Doc Rockets' thread had been merged with this one, this would be one super-mega long thread.

 

You cannot resist! I'm sure this T-Mac ordeal has decreased productiveness for all those who employ members of the bbs.

 

hahaha thats funney

 

I think this is already a Super-Mega thread!

 

Whats the record for most replies in a thread?

 

As far as I can tell, this thread.

 

Let the spin begin...

Am I crazy? Or am I so sane that you blew your mind?


NBA CONFIDENTIAL
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Schmitz
Weisbrod developing hard-nosed reputation
Published June 28, 2004



Magic General Manager John Weisbrod is just doing what he did when he played hockey. He's getting people's noses out of joint.

Apparently, the Houston Rockets and some league execs are upset about how Weisbrod is doing business, particularly with his poker playing in trading or not trading Tracy McGrady.

I just have one word for those league execs: Awwwwww.

Some of these execs are acting as if Weisbrod is the first GM to play so tough. Spare me.

When it comes to getting down and dirty in negotiations, most league brass would sell their mothers down the Mississippi to make trades.

So what's bugging them?

They've found that Weisbrod, the hockey guy, is no rookie pushover.

Now that the league has learned he's figured out their game so fast -- and ruffled some feathers -- they're squawking.

Take the McGrady deal (will somebody, please?).

When news broke that the Magic were working to ship him to the Rockets, everybody assumed it was done. Everybody but Weisbrod.

Steve Francis' agent broke the news before the trade was finished, accomplishing, publicly, what also might have been Weisbrod's intent: To smoke out other T-Mac suitors into stepping up their offers.

Is that brilliant or deceptive? Let's call it boldly shrewd, because Weisbrod says other teams are back in the T-Mac sweepstakes.

Weisbrod has the Rockets' offer in one hand, for sure. With the other, he's weighing more offers. He handled the No.1 draft pick much the same way.

Weisbrod knew the value of the pick. And knows that T-Mac has enduring superstar value whether he swings the deal now or on "August 10," an arbitrary date he chose to make his point. Why rush it?

He's asking a lot for McGrady, and he should. You think some team is going to back off T-Mac because it is agitated by Weisbrod's delay tactics? No, they pull out because they don't like the deal (see the Phoenix Suns).

Weisbrod has charmed Francis, who balked at coming to Orlando in a T-Mac trade. Does that mean the deal's done? Weisbrod called it an encouraging "first step," and his hard-nosed, methodical negotiating is driving the Rockets crazy.

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes that Weisbrod is "the guy who left the Rockets and seven players twisting in the wind."

Feigen adds that "many around the league have already said that the first time they deal with Weisbrod, they will watch their backs. Trust but verify."

Weisbrod has quickly proven one thing: He may have inherited the worst team, but it won't be a pushover.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...804,1,755578.column?coll=orl-sports-headlines

 

Memphis was apparently also in talks with the Magic.

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/other_sports/article/0,1406,KNS_304_2996388,00.html (registration required)

West, Grizzlies fly under the radar
By RONALD TILLERY
June 28, 2004


Now that the warm and fuzzy NBA draft is history, it's time for the Memphis Grizzlies to answer the difficult questions.


Advertisement



Confused about where team president Jerry West is headed as he maneuvers through another momentous offseason?

Keep wondering, and in the words of Rev. Jesse Jackson: "Keep hope alive."

Sure, West has been silent lately - so much that more than a few NBA executives wonder what he's up to.

This, you should know, is how West loves to operate.

Flying undetected. Pulling off the unexpected. Requiring covert operations with other general managers, player agents and his staff.

By contrast, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban may be getting his fans riled up for the big letdown as it relates to trading for Shaquille O'Neal.

"The less said, the better for us," West said, responding to direct questions about his intentions last Friday.

No one saw Earl Watson two summers ago, and no one picked up on Bo Outlaw and Jake Tsakalidis during last season's training camp.

Who called the Bonzi Wells deal before it was done?

So here we go again.

Grizzly fans may as well put on their WWJD wristbands.

What will Jerry do?

Acquiring Antonio Burks and Andre Emmett during last Thursday's draft created more questions than answers.

For starters, what are the Griz going to do with four point guards and four shooting guards?

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," the Logo said. "How many players did we carry last year? We just like the fact that we added two unbelievable players who are going to pay great dividends."

It's fairly obvious what's happening in the early stages of this off-season. West plays the NBA like poker. He guards his hand well and steadily gathers chips.

"I think Jerry West is a master at collecting chips," Miami Heat president Pat Riley told the Miami Herald in Saturday's edition. "When he made the Bonzi Wells trade, everybody said, 'What for? They had enough perimeter guys.' But probably this summer you'll see what kind of value that has.

"The teams that have great depth, that have backups at each position and can afford to move something and move somebody into a spot and bring in something they really need is where you want to get to."

What's the next deal for Memphis?

"I'd rather not talk," West said. "I'd rather do."

And so the questions about West's summer vocation will swirl the drain, and many figure to meet the teeth of a garbage disposal.

Right now, all that exist are random musings such as these:

How much stock should we put into speculation that the Griz are pursuing Ron Artest?

Is majority owner's Michael Heisley's past yearning for Artest enough to give the rumor credence?

If the Griz are indeed in position to acquire Kenyon Martin, should they?

Signing free-agent-to-be center Erick Dampier sounds easy, doesn't it?

Could Dampier hiring arguably the most difficult-to-deal-with agent, Dan Fegan, present roadblocks?

Who in their right mind - other than Fegan - seriously believes that Dampier is worth the $10 million per year he reportedly is seeking?

Would signing the cerebral and point guard-able Brent Barry as a free agent make sense for the Griz, who are looking for an upgrade?

Would you believe (based on Magic insiders) that West, reportedly disinterested, talked to Magic brass during the past month about Tracy McGrady?

Isn't it safe to say that Wells, Jason Williams, Stromile Swift, Shane Battier and Lorenzen Wright are available in deals?

And what's the deal with O'Neal?

Are we looking stupid by putting Shaq in the same sentence with the Grizzlies? "Yes, you are looking stupid," West said, flatly. "There are a lot of lies out there about us."

Enough said.

With West, expect more of the same.

You'll know the real deal when it happens.

 

Can T-Mac rock the Rockets?

By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider


If you're the Rockets, how do you counter the dynamic duo of the best center and best two guard in the league -- Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant?

You get the league's second-best at each position and hope like hell the Lakers implode. Sometime before Wednesday, it looks like the Rockets could be set on both fronts.

Summer Blueprints
What will your team be up to this summer? NBA Insider Chad Ford breaks it down

# Charlotte Bobcats
# L.A. Lakers
# Sacramento Kings
# Utah Jazz
# Philadelphia 76ers
# Atlanta Hawks
# Washington Wizards
# Phoenix Suns
# Cleveland Cavaliers
# Seattle SuperSonics
# Chicago Bulls
# Golden State Warriors
# Los Angeles Clippers
# Orlando Magic
# Boston Celtics
# Portland Trail Blazers

Sources continue to insist the Rockets and Magic are inching closer to a deal that would send Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines to the Rockets in return for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato.

The two sides have until Wednesday to make things work before a two-week player movement moratorium kicks in, leaving both teams up in the air about how to approach free agency.

Francis is expected to arrive in Orlando today or tomorrow for a face-to-face meeting with GM John Weisbrod. If all goes well? McGrady and Howard will be wearing Rockets uniforms by the end of the week.

With L.A. appearing to be on the verge of implosion, could the inside-outside combo of Yao Ming and T-Mac be the new dominating power in the West? As Insider continues its summer blueprint series, here's a look at what to expect if the T-Mac-for-Francis trade goes down.

Rockets Summer Blueprint

DRAFT: The Rockets had only a second-round pick in last week's draft and used it to select Manhattan G Luis Flores. They then turned around and sent Flores to the Mavericks in return for Greek point guard Vassiliss Spanoulis, considered one of the top young point guards in Europe. The plan is to leave him overseas for another year or two.

FREE AGENCY: If the McGrady trade goes through, the Rockets will be left with a gaping hole at point guard. Lue, if he is included in the trade, likely will opt out of his contract in search of bigger money either with the Rockets or elsewhere. Gaines couldn't get off the bench on the worst team in the league last season. Don't expect Jeff Van Gundy to do him any favors either.

The Rockets will comb the free-agent market looking for a veteran point guard to run the team. Van Gundy has never used or needed star point guards, so anyone who can play mistake-free basketball will do, especially with the firepower McGrady brings to the backcourt.

Van Gundy's old buddy Charlie Ward is on the market and available. Sonics free agent Brent Barry also would be a nice addition. He played the point in Seattle for part of the last two seasons and did a solid job. The Jazz's Carlos Arroyo, a restricted free agent, also might fit the bill. Veterans like Jacque Vaughn and Rafer Alston might work, as well.

The Rockets won't break the bank just to land a point guard, especially when one or two might be available via trade. But considering the team needs depth, at least one of these players likely will find a job in Houston next season. The Rockets also need to replace Kelvin Cato as Yao's backup in the middle and are said to be enamored with Adonal Foyle. However, the Rockets can expect steep competition for Foyle this summer.

TRADES: Houston's best chance at landing a starting point guard probably will be via trade. Several players, including the Sixers' Eric Snow, the Grizzlies' Earl Watson, the Celtics' Chucky Atkins and the Warriors' Speedy Claxton make a lot of sense.

What are the Rockets offering? They have several things going for them. One, the team owns at $6.9 million trade exception. That means it can take a salary as high as $6.9 million without sending back a player in return. This might be especially attractive to a team like the Sixers, who have been trying to find a taker for Snow's contract for months. Snow's mistake-free, slow-it-down style would be a perfect fit for Van Gundy.

The team also is dangling Bostjan Nachbar and Eric Piatkowski as trade bait. Neither player makes much money, and both have just two years remaining on their contracts and could be enticing to a team like the Grizzlies or Warriors.

Howard also could be used in a trade, as long as he isn't packaged along with other players. The Bulls might be willing to work out a deal with Rockets for Howard. Ditto for the T-Wolves. Both teams tried hard to land him in free agency last summer.

COACHING: Van Gundy gets the best of all worlds if the T-Mac trade goes down -- a new point, two and four. Van Gundy complained throughout the season about how Steve Francis ran the offense, and most believed it was a foregone conclusion Francis would be traded this summer. After such a terrible season, though, everyone also believed Francis' trade value was at an all-time low.

Van Gundy also wanted to upgrade the two and four positions. Mobley was undersized to play the two guard and, combined with Francis, took too many shots for the coach's taste. Cato started at power forward all season.

Moving Francis allows VG to hand pick his new point guard. T-Mac is a major upgrade over Mobley. And Howard, despite all of his faults, is a good fit at the four. If Van Gundy can't win with this team, he's going to be in trouble quickly.

FRONT OFFICE: Hand it to Carrol Dawson. A month ago it looked like the Rockets might have to give Francis away. Now? It looks like they've landed a top-five player for him. The T-Mac deal, if it goes through, is a home run for the Rockets. It's the type of deal that turns the fortunes of a franchise around overnight.

As long as both McGrady (who has a history of back problems) and Yao (who will be overworked this summer because of Chinese national team duty) stay healthy, the Rockets are poised to move up in the West, regardless of the additional pieces they add.

However, with the right move or two in free agency and trade, the Rockets could be on the verge of huge jump into the upper echelon of the West. With the Lakers crumbling, the Kings facing free-agency defections and the Spurs still trying to find a missing piece or two -- there's an opening. One or two nice free agents or trades and the Rockets could be the team to beat in the West next year.

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.




didn't know if anyone wanted this, but figured I'd post it anyway, posted today in nba insider

 

Wow, that's the most sensible article Ford has ever written. For once he got it right.

 

Ford is such a flip-flopper...

 

The people I wish weren't saying anything-like Chad Ford are talking up how bad Orlando is getting shafted.

The people I wish were talking- Orlando, say nothing is done yet.

The media leaks, including Doc Rocket are saying it is done.

This is growing into the worse soap opera in Houston sports history.

If this deal fails............

Never mind.

Let's get the final result up and posted here asap.

I've never got so little done due to checking this board every couple minutes.

 

here here lol :[

 

\

I've got the exactly same idea!

 

Rule0001, Chad Ford wrote that? Noo wayy u have to be lieing!