JayZ750 - A couple of issues. 1) Francis loses his BYC status in July 2004. Using 2004-05 values, Francis plus Cato = $19.3m or $14.7m using the assigned player exception (+/- 15% + 100k). McGrady makes $14.5m. It doesn't work without another player. 2) Given that T-Mac is arguably better than Francis, the Magic would not give up Hunter who is arguably better than Cato. They'd probably prefer to deal Howard who has 5 years @ $32m remaining. If I were ORL, that's the deal I would force on Houston. Since Francis and Cato nearly equal T-Mac %wise, this is pure cap relief for the Magic. If I were the Magic, I'd keep both Lue and Strickland around until Gaines was polished enough to be Francis's other guard. 3) Embedded in any T-Mac scenario is whether or not Grant Hill does the right thing. The Magic have been very patient, but if he would do the right thing and take a buyout, ORL could be players in the Kobe sweepstakes this summer. So when they daydream, would they rather have T-Mac and Kobe or Francis and Kobe?
Nice input. I have to agree with Gater. If we are capable of making some noise in the playoffs, allowing Les to make more money because of the post season, I don't think Francis will be traded. He has had a down year so far, it happens.
Hunter plays 13 mpg, averages 3.1 ppg and 2.7 bpg. Maybe he is underplayed, but it's the freaking east...but if they'd prefer to give us Howard, overpaid or not, he still averages 15 points and 7 boards a game. CLearly, he's not the defensive player Cato is, but you gain something and lose something. I think you have to at least get back Lue, though, as we'd have no other PG, other than forcing that role on Jim Jackson (who wouldn't be too bad at it). TMac and Kobe would be a little repetitive, but then again, so would Francis and Kobe, and if the argument is that TMac is better than Francis, which is certainly the case, I guess anyone in their right mind would prefer TMac and Kobe. That said, I see no reason why Kobe would want to play with TMac...I mean he doesn't want to play with Shaq because of the "spotlight" being taken away, and Shaq certainly is the better choice to pair up with, regardless of age.
Why would Kobe want to play with Tmac? I get this sense they have an underlying rivalry going on, maybe perpetuated by the media but I hear it in certain quotes. I also think Kobe and Tmac together is redundant.. that still doesnt help them solve their lack of size. J
