New Orlando GM Interview - Talks about Francis & McGrady

Agreed Codell and Clutch,

I just don't like that all of this is out in the open, and we are the one with our privates exposed. We have a stellar rep. as an organization, and I would hate to see that jepordized by the fact that this deal is so public, and clearly NOT DONE.

 

This is all public posturing and damage/image control.

TMac holds the trump card in that he can designate whom he'll sign a long term deal with. Somehow I doubt there are 7 teams in the mix!

D R

 

Damn right. It's pure posturing on Weisbrod's part.

TMac will only agree to an extension with Houston. He did not come public with this, so Weisbrod's just trying to save face, and play a little hardball. This is small time negotiation, and hopefully Les and CD see right through it.

 

j/k

There is no way we can still keep Cat, Steve maybe even Cato if this deal is off. I agree it never should have been made public

 

Well, essentially, Weisbrod just left CD out in the open with his **** hanging out of his pants.

1) He said that Steve is mad that the Rockets went back against the word

2) He said that no deal was ever imminent when CD basically already told SF"s agent that there was.

I wonder how thats going to go over with the Rockets............I am sure they don't appreciate Weisbrod making CD look so bad.

 

Just to play Devil's Advocate here, it is entirely possible that his talking up Steve was for OUR benefit. If Weisbrod were to accept another deal, he might be trying to smooth things over for Steve's return BACK to the Rockets, by painting him as a loyal Houstonian and victim.

Hey... Just a thought (although I do agree with your take, Deuce)...

 

And why is everyone so sure that T-Mac will only agree on a deal with Houston? He has never said publically that Houston is the only team he would play for. It's been reported, but that's not something you can take to the back. I'm not trying to preach doom; however, I'm holding my breath until all of this is over. Seems to me that this is not over.

 

codell,

you'll not see the Rox brass fire back. they'll get their prize and then say something subtle.

i honestly think that people know what is going on here. Weisbrod is not going to screw over the Rox reputation. furthermore, once we get tmac, who is going to care. free agents will be lining up to play with tmac and yao.

 

This guy talks like a car salesman.

Deuce, kudo for scraping the Net for us these few days.

 

I'll tell you what I am worried about. It's not the fact that we pretty much agreed to trade for Damon Stoudamire in 1998 and then the Toronto GM backed out. It's the fact we did agreed to Trade Hakeem to Toronto before the 1999 draft for their two 1st rounders. Word got out and Houston was in an uproar. The Rockets pulled the plug and tried to do damage control. I'm hoping that history does not repeat.

From the interview though, it does sound like the Harvard grad is putting on a public spin through a controled medium like the Magic website. It looks like he is either selling Francis to Magic fans or trying to package Francis in another deal. I think it is more of the latter, especially when you try to read through his mumbo jumbo about his thought process in regards to the trade and the draft.

 

This will be a terrible, terrible thing if this all falls through.

I am starting to feel worse and worse about the situation.

 

Agree, it seems like Weisbrod was just using CD and the Rockets to get better offers.

Trying to blame Steve's feelings on the Rockets is just wrong. Why would anyone, especially a star, want to play for the worst team in the league? Even though they could improve much, they are still the worst team in the league.

I just don't see CD telling the guys they were going to be traded if no deal was imminent, that wouldn't help the trade at all.

 

This whole situation feels dirty

 

Time to explore other options.

Let's play the poker.

 

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/2643925

Orlando GM: McGrady won't be traded before draft
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tracy McGrady isn't leaving Orlando any time soon.

Although at least seven teams are serious about acquiring the two-time NBA scoring champion, there won't be a trade before Thursday night's draft.

"We're certainly not going to rush anything," Magic general manager John Weisbrod said Wednesday.

McGrady's seven-year, $93 million contract has an opt-out clause that can be exercised after next season, and he has said he will leave unless the team dramatically improves. But the Magic have vowed to trade the four-time All-Star rather than let him go without receiving compensation.

That happened to the Magic in 1996 when Shaquille O'Neal signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

If McGrady is traded, he would be the fourth defending scoring champion in NBA history to be dealt, and the first since the Buffalo Braves sent Bob McAdoo to the New York Knicks in 1976.

The Magic also own the No. 1 draft pick, and Weisbrod is patiently sifting through offers for that as well.

"These are the two biggest chips he have to use to improve a team that was pretty bad last year," Weisbrod said. "There's no time pressure. We're going about it as methodically as we can."

Orlando is coming off a 21-61 season, its worst in 12 years. That was the season before the Magic selected O'Neal with the first pick in the 1992 draft.

Earlier this week, many league sources said McGrady was very close to being sent to Houston in a multiplayer trade. The Rockets also would have received Juwan Howard and Reece Gaines while shipping out Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato.

But Weisbrod said that deal is far from certain and Orlando is still weighing its options.

He also dismissed reports that the Magic-Rockets trade was derailed by Francis' dismay about going to the team with the NBA's worst record.

"Taking a couple of calls from Steve's people, his main issue is frustration with Houston over, I guess, how he perceives they've handled it or commitments they've made to him in the past," Weisbrod said. "It was unfortunate the kid was put in this position because he is asked all these questions that there was some deal immediately pending and he was in it.

"That wasn't fair to him (because) that certainly wasn't the case."

Francis' agent, Jeff Fried, did not return repeated calls for comment today.

 

If Weisbrod just wanted to generate more trade offers, he would have just mentioned that the Magic are still entertaining all trade offers. Why throw in the conjecture about Stevie unless he wanted to make something work involving Steve? It doesn't make sense to rub it in to one of your potential trade partners unless he wanted to facilitate another deal with Steve in it.

The hell with it! I'm tired of being skeptical.

THIS DEAL IS GOING TO HAPPEN! MARK MY WORDS!

 

My translation of Weisbrod. I'm starting to hate him more by the minute.

damn, i don't know how to break up the quotes. but you guys get my point . ..

the sad fact is that we have no power at all. Tmac could neuter us at any minute if he lets his "tricks" out of the bag. But for now, I'll say there are seven teams that are interested. Seven. That's a good number. I'll just say seven.


the more i think about it, the more this seems ridiculous.