http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1824945 For those worried that Shaq may head to Orlando and convince McGrady to stay, fear no more. Weisbrod apparently put an end to that rumor. I thought this would add more fuel to McGrady trade scenarios. So now there is no chance of McGrady staying put.
You didn't read my entire argument. I said there is something to be said for certainty, and outlined that point, offering reasons why I disagree with it. So, to say that I'm not even considering the point shows that you didn't read the post closely enough. Marion and Okafor in the frontcourt is better than Cato and Okafor (replace Okafor in either scenario with Howard if you like), despite being undersized. Miami proved you can win with such a frontcourt, and these two players top any combination Miami has. It's about drawing in players with talent and motivation, not players who have done little but be overpaid in their entire NBA careers. Kelvin Cato is nothing more than a big body and a big contract who succeeded last only only because he had Yao Ming to draw any attention off of him. The top of this draft is not a weak one. It may not have superstar potential, but it has starting depth through about pick 8 or 9. I did not say that I thought either player is better than Francis; instead, I said that having such a player allows the Magic to mold them to their style of player much more easily than trying to assimilate Francis and Mobley into the system. Gordon does have those questions about him, yes, but he's also much younger than Francis. Again, allure of the unknown versus certainty of the known. Teams have typically done best when they've taken a chance on the unknown as opposed to the known. They've also traditionally had a higher failure rate (worst teams in the league), but if you aren't in contention to win a title, isn't every season a failure? Phoenix's offer, if true, offers the greater potential to both be in contention as well as to be in the lottery every year. When you are the worst team in the league, you aspire to be great, not aspire to be 41-41. The Magic had been stuck at 41-41 for several years before this season, and that gets you nowhere. That is why I feel the Phoenix offer surpasses anything Houston can put out there. Well, that and the fact that Marion is a more talented player than Francis, a year younger, and a top-notch rebounder and defender from his position...all fitting with what the stated goals of the Magic - especially the latter - are looking to do with the team, not just in a McGrady deal.
I'm not trying to convince anyone it isn't possible, I'm trying to tell you that there are other feasible opportunities out there that may make more sense for the Magic. Houston is not the only possible destination here, and I think some are forgetting that other teams can make attractive offers that make sense for all parties involved. And yes, I am from Orlando - check the profile.
Good comeback on those points mfclark. Bottom line I keep seeing is that TMac still has the most say in who Orlando deals with, regardless of what deal Orlando likes best or is most beneficial to them, because of the need to secure his guarantee to not opt out with his new team. Based on what you see and hear locally, would you agree that's the case? Also any idea what TMac's "real" #1 destination is? Has anyone managed to pin him down on that?
Channel 13 "Extra Points" didnt say anything different than has already been rumored. Nothing about a deal close to being done
The read I got from everything I've read and everyone I've spoken to is that the Magic want Stoudamire and the Suns are willing to give up Marion and Jacobsen plus the #7. One thing I heard was that the Suns don't want to give up both Marion and Johnson and won't give up Stoudamire. They have a lot of room under the cap to pursue a lot of options and they don't want to give up the farm for McGrady.
I have heard the same thing too Jeff. So is Marion, Jacobson and #7 better than Francis, Mobley and Cato? And Jacobson is pretty much filler here.
I bet there are alot more feasable options other then the rockets out there that appeal to magic, but you have to take into account that they have to appeal to Tmac also. If Tmac was traded to the clippers for Magette or wtv they have to offer Tmac would just opt out at the end of next seasion. Without an assurance Tmac will void his opt-out clause, no team is going to give up a significant amount of talent to rent tmac for a year. All parties involved includes Tmac which is quite unusual since the player has an influence to where he wants to be traded.
exactly, which is why i think its between Indiana and Houston. McGrady wants to win and playing with either Jermaine O'Neal or Yao Ming will definitely have a sway in his decision. If he goes to phoenix he won't even be guaranteed a playoff spot.
Agreed completley... its amazing how so many people in here became experts on what Orlando will want, and what they'll accept, and how they'll gladly take a Marion over a Francis. It all becomes moot if McGrady sees Phoenix, without Marion or Johnson, no better (esp. in the west) than the situation he had in Orlando. And... we're still not discussing the most important aspect. Is this the best deal in Houston's interests (not Orlando's).
Let's just say -- TMac does not go to the desert. Kobe stays in LA. Then what does Phx do with 'all that cap room'?
wrong forum... We could care less with what phoenix does... maybe colangelo can use the extra money to free his everlasting debt in the diamondbacks. who cares. It shouldn't make the Magic/T-Mac more likely to accept their trade, nor would it make them deny it.
good question, i think a lot of depends on the aftermath. If the rockets are able to get a PG like Brent Barry with the mid level exception then it might be worth the gamble. On the other hand the rockets will lose quite a bit of depth and lose a little on the defensive end. I've been saying that the rockets should keep Francis but i believe this is the one deal if given the opportunity we have to make. It's not everyday you can have your 23 year old 7'6 center paired with a 25 year old superstar. Very had to pass something like this up.
Good... I'm glad there's still some common sense in what has become a very very diluted forum (I guess the season was so long ago, I forgot). To me, this whole thing is a no-lose situation for the Rockets. If the trade goes thru, they get one of the 5 best players in the league now, who btw is ONLY 25!, and they get a true championship nucleus with another guy who they hope will be a top 5 player in the next few years (who is only 23... and is someone who could leave for more exposure if we don't have a great nucleus in place) If it doesn't go thru, no big deal... we can go back to getting a decent PF, and continue building on the big things we accomplished last season. Hell... maybe this trade talk further lights a fire under Mobely/Francis/Cato and makes them work that much harder to prove everybody wrong. I'm not hinging this team's future success on whether or not we make this deal. It would be amazing if we do, but we still have a pretty good team if we don't. Bottom line... the future of this team lies in Yao's development, regardless of T-Mac or not. The fact that he still has that great upside makes OPTIMISM the key word of the day when discussing the Rockets.
Remember folks, if TM doesn't work out, the Rockets can always trade him. You don't think other teams would be interested? This is maddening. It's tough waiting this out, because the Rockets are very close to getting a top 10 player. It's deja vu all over again. Very similar to the Rockets having that chance to pair up Jordan and Dream. This could be almost as special.
