Are the Rockets acutally willing to give Cato, Francis, and Mobley for Tracy McGrady? For some reason, I think that teams are offering less to the Magic. I just don't see teams knowing the situation, handing out their best players! Early on, I remember reading that McGrady said he wanted to play with the Rockets because they have a great Center and point guard. What are the chances of the Rockets getting McGrady without trading Steve Francis? Is there any light anyone out there can share on this topic.
I think were talking samantics here. Technically speaking T-Mac can't force Orlando to take less he can only effect what others may offer by refusing to resign with him. I think we are meaning the same thing though.
Here is the scary part. What if Dallas was willing to part with Dirk in order to get T-Mac? They are about the same age but T-Mac has defense. No one could offer as much as Dirk...certainly not us.
Shaq/McGrady/Jamison/Finley would be a very potent lineup as well, but Shaq/McGrady/Nowitski/Finley is scary.
Shaq/T-Mac/DIRK/Finley will never, ever, EVER be in the same lineup. You can count on that. This Shaq/T-Mac conspiracy with it's signing small contracts and forcing trades to Dallas for lesser talent is completely illogical and borderline illegal according to the CBA. Shaq and especially T-Mac aren't going to opt out of huge paydays in order to sign 2 year deals because you can't have an opt out in the second season unless it's a two year deal. One blown knee and T-Mac would be out like $80 million And Orlando has better choices above Jamison right now. I'd take the Pacers, Suns, or Rox deal before I touch Jamison and filler. If they add Nash to that deal then you have something, but how exactly are they going to trade for Shaq then. These deals may not be chopped liver but there are other teams in the league that are offering much more and I don't see any GM giving Cuban a break for the sake of it.
You're missing the point. I'm not saying it will happen, I'm saying it could happen. You're also making a lot of assumptions about what Shaq & T-Mac will do, when you can't possibly know what's going on in their minds (unless you are included in their personal conversations or, you are one of them). Both T-Mac & Shaq are wealthy beyond their wildest dreams, so even if they blew out a knee, they'd still be wealthy. You're right about the length of contract. So instead, they could sign a 2 year deal with a player option after the first year. By the way, when I say that they'd sign a lesser contract, it'll still be in the $12-13 million per year range. As for the other offers on the table, I'm talking about Shaq/McGrady forcing their respective teams to trade with Dallas. If they both refuse to resign with the team they're being traded to, it's not real likely that those "better choices" would still be on the table. The only choices would be to let them walk, or accept the players I mentioned.
I hope we get McGrady, and Dallas gets Shaq! That would make the rivalry lots of fun. And the Texas triangle will be the most feared road trip for any team in the league
Source: McGrady expects trade but didn't ask for one By Brian Schmitz Sentinel Staff Writer June 20, 2004 Tracy McGrady expects to be traded soon by the Orlando Magic, league sources said Saturday, despite the club's refusal to confirm a deal is imminent. They also say that it was the Magic who have wanted McGrady to leave the franchise, not that he wanted out. A deal could be struck within days, but not announced until after the NBA draft on Thursday night. Reached at his home in south Orlando, McGrady said he could not talk about the situation, "until it's official . . . after the draft. "I can't let my tricks out of the bag. I don't have any comment." Sources told the Sentinel on Friday that McGrady informed the Magic he wanted to leave as far back as December, and the club might trade him before the draft. Neither the Magic nor McGrady is saying that the four-time all-star is staying in Orlando, though. Magic General Manager John Weisbrod was not upset by the reports, and McGrady did not sound surprised. Weisbrod on Saturday said, "I certainly will not confirm that T-Mac is going to be traded. "I'm going to continue to say on T-Mac what I have said for the last month, which is that Arn [Tellem, McGrady's agent] and I are in discussions, and we were in discussions late [Friday night] and we were in discussions early [Saturday] morning, and we'll be in discussions [Saturday] afternoon." It is thought that what Weisbrod and Tellem are discussing -- and have been discussing for perhaps a month -- is how to work a trade that would benefit McGrady and the Magic. Owner Rich DeVos met with McGrady on Friday, but, apparently, the owner simply wanted to meet with McGrady one last time and part professionally. Weisbrod even called the meeting "sort of window dressing in the interest of doing things the right way." He said "while it was good the family and Tracy were able to get together, nothing came out of it that in any way affects the process that is going on with Arn." McGrady had said that he would seek a trade if it didn't appear the Magic would make significant progress after finishing with the league's worst record last season. He has an escape clause in his seven-year deal that allows him to walk away after next season. While it's open to debate just how the star and the team arrived at a divorce, it is clear that McGrady has been on the trading block. Donnie Walsh, the Indiana Pacers' chief operating officer, said last week that he spoke with Orlando about trading for McGrady. A general manager in the Western Conference confirmed to the Sentinel that he also has talked with the Magic. McGrady had said if he were to be traded that the Houston Rockets appeal to him. Other sources link him to the Pacers. But other teams have jumped into the bidding. The Magic are looking to make a blockbuster deal, acquiring two or three players for McGrady or draft picks. A source said Friday that several other Magic players also could be traded before the draft. Story Link
I haven't seen this posted: Lots of teams can envision T-Mac wearing their uniform By Jerry Brewer | Sentinel Staff Writer Posted June 20, 2004 So T-Mac is on the tarmac, pretty much, ready to flee to more fertile land. The Orlando Magic are about to trade a superstar, and in all likelihood, some contender is about to gain the player it hopes can propel it to a championship. For Tracy McGrady, the future seems delightful. But there's still the complicated little matter of which team snags him and whether McGrady, at 25 and having shown significant flaws, is truly prepared to win like he never has. Plenty of teams are willing to take that chance. The Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns are among the teams with the best chance to get McGrady. Even the Lakers are interested. But knowing General Manager John Weisbrod, who is crafty and secretive, he is negotiating with more teams. Several NBA sources believe Portland, which asked about McGrady's availability in February, has tried its luck. The Blazers' roster is among the deepest in the NBA, and it will take a deep team to meet the Magic's asking price. Since the possibility of dealing McGrady became a whisper, teams have bombarded the Magic with inquiries. Now that it is a certainty, Weisbrod has several deals to consider. The Magic intend to trade McGrady, not toss him to a team of his choice. Weisbrod is determined to make as good a deal as possible. McGrady has considerable say in this -- he has the card of an opt-out clause in his contract after next season -- but it's not as simple as the Magic will trade McGrady wherever he wants to go. Indiana is trying to consider how much it needs to change to go from an Eastern Conference finalist to a champion. The Pacers again are frustrated with defensive player of the year Ron Artest, according to The Indianapolis Star, and it's likely the Pacers would include the all-star in a deal with the Magic, which could be a deal-maker. McGrady likes Houston because of the good weather and Yao Ming, but the Magic must wonder whether point guard Steve Francis, who'd be included in that deal, is too much of a headache. Phoenix has much good young talent, but it appears the Magic won't be able to get Amare Stoudemire or Joe Johnson. Another NBA source said the Detroit Pistons could have some interest, though they wouldn't want to do too much to change a championship team. McGrady, who attended the Los Angeles leg of the NBA Finals, was spotted hanging out in Detroit's L.A. hotel. Regardless of where McGrady goes, he will arrive there at a critical point in his career. He is 25 and close to entering his prime. He's done the wide-eyed high-schooler thing in Toronto. He's done the superstar, spread-your-wings thing in Orlando. If he wants to become one of the best players of all time, he must win at his next stop. It's something he has talked about constantly the past three years. Yet after a year of frustration -- and after a year of being perceived as acting spoiled, disinterested and problematic -- there are questions about whether McGrady can complete a championship team. "I think he can," said Boston Celtics Coach Doc Rivers, who tutored McGrady in Orlando for more than three years. Rivers said he was aware of the belief that some think McGrady never will change and become a legendary player, just a very good one in this era. In fact, Rivers' Orlando staff used to debate it. "If you polled a bunch of guys, including my staff, the vote would be split," Rivers said. "You know what I always say? I'd like to find out. I'd like to take that chance." If McGrady goes to Houston or Indiana, or if the San Antonio Spurs choose to play this game and win, he would be playing for coaches notorious for not accepting nonsense. Could McGrady coexist with the likes of Jeff Van Gundy, Rick Carlisle or Gregg Popovich? It's a fair question. The source of the feud between the Magic and McGrady involves how the organization went from coddling him to trying to punish him after Weisbrod took over as general manager. There is a sense that McGrady got everything he wanted, and then Weisbrod wanted him to fold into an all-together-now concept. Weisbrod was hard on him, as was Johnny Davis, the new coach. McGrady didn't understand why he was being singled out, and the relationship worsened. Now the Magic publicly are questioning McGrady's work ethic. His appointment as team leader was a mistake. And people wonder about his game, whether he has become just a shooter instead of an all-around offensive treasure and whether he will learn to play with intensity on defense. "The issues are legit," one source said. "I don't know if he'll ever change." Rivers said a better team could cure some of McGrady's problems. "You can get on Tracy," Rivers said. "What you can't do is get on him every day. It's very difficult to lose five games in a row and get on Tracy McGrady, and you know he scored 40 points the night before. A lot of times I would push Tracy to do something, and he would be like, 'What do you want me to do? I'm carrying the team.' To have to carry the offense and be the team's best defensive player is a load. I feel like if we would have had better talent, you would have seen a better Tracy McGrady." Rivers recalled a time in 2002, when Grant Hill looked healthy and performed well, and McGrady played his best. This makes him believe that putting McGrady with another star, preferably a big man, will help. "I've seen him when he plays with great intensity and energy in practice and games," Rivers said. "As good as we've seen in the NBA, you can count that times two. He's that good." A trade could inspire McGrady to reach his full potential. As a rookie in Toronto, former Coach Darrell Walker once said that, if McGrady remained on the same lazy path, he'd be out of the league in three years. McGrady made Walker sound silly. "The best thing about me is the unknown," McGrady once said. "You just never know what I'll do." Jerry Brewer can be reached at jbrewer2@orlandosentinel.com.
hmm...i hope others dont think this. So we can get a good deal for steve if the tmac deal dont go down, but it better.
But you're making even bigger assumptions into the minds and actions of many GM's in the league. Why wouldn't there be any "better choices" still on the table. If T-Mac opts out next year, you better believe that many teams will once again put some substantial offers on the table. No players in the NBA have ever held a team hostage as bad as in your scenario to unite Shaq/Dirk/T-Mac/Finley. Nowitski cannot possibly still be on the Mavs if they get both Shaq and T-Mac. Yeah this COULD happen. But it COULD happen in the sense that 1 in a billion is still a chance. T-Mac signing a 2 year deal at $12-$13 million per is still jeopradizing $60 to $70 million over 7 years. And Shaq will take a $20 million pay cut the day pigs fly out of Mike Meyer's ass. Oh and T-Mac is not wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. Like most superstar atheletes, I'm sure his dreams are pretty wild.
I've been wondering about this myself. Even though McGrady is a much better shooter than Francis, they've always played a free individual-style of basketball. Steve's numbers dropped with JVGs controlled offense, its not impossible that it could happen with T-Mac. If it did: Would T-Mac be happy if he was only scoring about 21-22 ppg? What if the Rox don't meet expectations (ex: mediocre season, early exit in playoffs)? What if T-Mac doesn't like JVG? It could happen, Doc said it. I read that T-Mac can only agree to sign an extension, that there is no contract or legal way to guarantee him next year. I will take the trade, no doubt. But are we considering the other things? How far are we willing to keep McGrady happy, since he seems to get unhappy pretty quick, and show it.
Crazy?!?!?! Are you kidding me. This team needs some of Sam's Antics. Like that business of yo-yoing by his crotch to show that he has big...well let's just say that Yao for example could use some of those Sam Antics.
Why I'm even bothering to respond to your last post is beyond me. First off, the only assumptions that I'm making, are that neither LA, nor Orlando, would want to lose their respective Superstars for nothing & that they'd be willing to take the players I mentioned in lieu of nothing at all. As for why there wouldn't be any better offers on the table, perhaps it would be because both players would be unrestricted free agents. That means they can go anywhere they want to. If (& I'm making another assumption here), both players had gone this far, I'd have to assume that they already had a team (Dallas) in mind that they wanted to play for. The only reason they'd even let their respective teams do a S&T, would be to get as much money as they could, which in turn, would allow LA & Orlando to get some compensation for losing their Superstars. On the other hand, either one of those teams could decide to not do a S&T. However, I would find it highly unlikely that they'd pass on the players I mentioned earlier. My original post was in response to your "That's why I think this T-Mac and Shaq to Dallas thing is bogus." post, & was intended to show you that Shaq & McGrady could end up in Dallas together next year. Not that they would, just that they could. It would all depend upon how badly they wanted to play on the same team. Yes, one, or both, of them would have to make financial sacrafices to make it happen, but if it was something they really wanted to happen, I have to believe that they would make those sacrafices (Damn, another assumption ).
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...vs/stories/062104dnspomavslede.280415ad7.html "The Magic appears to have several other trade offers on the table, including one with Houston that would send Steve Francis and Kelvin Cato to Orlando." Interesting, this is the first article in which Cuttino isn't mentioned as part of the deal. Could Eddie Sefko actually know something others don't? I'm hoping he's right.
