I never thought I would have a Reece Gaines theory, but I also never thought the Rockets could get Tracy McGrady. Here it goes: I think the Magic are intentionally leaking this information about the Bobcats high-jacking the McGrady deal so they can draft the player they really want, Dwight Howard, without the public backlash. Thoughts?
Reece Gaines was left unprotected in the expansion draft. The Bobcats could take him and mess up the deal. In order to get the Bobcats to pass on Gaines, the Magic switch spots with the Bobcats in the draft, letting the Bobcats pick Emeka Okafor with the top pick. The Magic take Dwight Howard second. But that means the TMac-Francis trade goes through.
ahh thanks for the clearing up. i seriously hope that this trade doesn't hinder on one reece gaines though. but yea i see what you're saying and if that was the magic's ulterior motive...touche.
But that's a pretty strained conspiracy theory that I don't buy. What I don't understand is how the Rockets left Cato and Mobley unprotected in the expansion draft, as some news reports suggest. Are those just wrong? Who wouldn't take Mobley with his below-market contract?
Let me clarify my not-so-amazing conspiracy theory: The Magic want to draft Howard, who has greater upside than Okafur. However, Okafur has a bigger name than the high school player they really want to draft. The Magic brass don't want to further alientate an Orlando fan base that is upset about losing yet another marquee player in McGrady. By floating the Reece Gaines issue with the Bobcats publicly, the Magic can say to the fans, "look, we did not want to take the chance of losing McGrady for nothing, so we had to sacrifice drafting Okafur in order to make the trade for McGrady go through." It makes the Bobcats and, to a lesser extent, the Rockets look like the bad guys.
i dont think there is a conspiracy. the bobcats want to get something out of our deal (draft picks), and are willing to take gains hostage. so let them take him and we will throw in someone else...big deal.
Exactly. I am positive that this will not be a deal breaker. Gaines might be part of package 1, but if chosen, there will be another package of players in place.
