I think Houston is about to trade McGrady

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Mods . . . go ahead and move this, if you don't think this is relevent to the Hawks ( although I'll try to make it relevant )

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4772672

It's almost like the Houston organization wants to make McGrady mad enough to ask for a trade request, so that they could work out a deal to get rid of him before the trade deadline

McGrady is an expiring contract at the end of the season, that is going to free up a ton of cap room for Houston in the summer ( although maybe not enough to sign a max player ). Houston OBVIOUSLY likes their team without McGrady ( and even without Yao ). They've opted to "bring back McGrady slowly", by bringing him off the bench in limited minutes. And that article states that he won't play at all this weekend. I think they're trying to deal him. The may take a combination of expiring contracts and a decent player, in exchange for McGrady.

Now I don't think Boston or Orlando will bring a guy like that in. We obviously wouldn't do it. So that leaves 2 teams in the East that would possibly do it. Cleveland and Miami.

Cleveland could send Big Z, Daniel Gibson, and Jamario Moon to Houston for T-Mac. If McGrady isn anywhere close to what he used to be, he'd be the perfect sidekick to Lebron, and would give the Cavs a chance to play LeBron more off the ball.

Miami could do one better though. They could simply do a lateral trade of expiriing contracts. McGrady for Jermaine O'Neal . . straight up.

In either case, the acquisition of T-Mac by either of those teams could just give us an another headache to deal with, in our quest to get the highest playoff seed possible. At this stage in his career, he would be a perfect complimentary player to Lebron or Wade. He would also be a possible worse case scenario type insurance policy for either team, if they happened to lose their superstar.

[dakast]

I don't see anyone willing to take on McGrady and all of his injury problems......but I could be wrong.

[Gray Mule]

Ego. I am great. Make the team fit me.

Not just him. It's all those high priced, super stars or former super stars. This was the problem

for AI and McGrady falls right into this catagory.

Houston is building a team and running a team is what management is doing. Fitting into the

team and contributing to the team goes against being "The Man' and being the star. It's hard

for some players to realise that the world doesn't revolve around them personally.

:write a letter:

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Told you.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6789894.html

I DO NOT want to see this guy in the Eastern Conference, especially on Miami or Cleveland. The last thing we need is for them to add a guy who can occasionally play at a real high level on occasion, to compliment either Wade or Lebron. His contract situation is going to make the guy REAL ATTRACTIVE, especially if the Rockets are willing to take back a decent player with a few years still left on his deal. The team taking McGrady would simply be renting him for one year ( if they like ), and let his 23 million fall off the books.

What I'm thinking, is that Houston may take back a contract(s) that still have years on them, to upgrade the team. They may take some expiring contracts as well, to balance out the deal.

I hate to say this, but I think it may be CHARLOTTE. Would they part with Tyson Chandler and Boris Diaw, to bring in McGrady. Houston could use a center, seeing that Chuck Hayes currently starts at center. He still has one more year on his deal after this year. He'd also represent a worst case scenario player, if Yao can't come back. Larry Brown doesn't like Diaw, so he'd gladly get rid of him. If T-Mac didn't work out for them, they could simply let him go, while ridding themselves of 20+ million in contracts. ( which would all of a sudden make them a player in 2010 free agency )

Question is . . . does Houston basically want to re-add 20 million back onto their payroll for next year. And do they see any potential value with Chandler and especially Diaw, seeing that he'd have 2 more years on his deal. The Diaw of 2005 that played for Phoenix, would be a real good fit in Houston. I don't know about the Diaw of 2009 - 10 though.

The other team may be the Knicks, believe it or not. Once again, this is based off of Houston's possible need for a center. Would it hurt to bring in an Eddy Curry to that team, along with an expiring contract, in exchange for McGrady? Yeah, Eddie sucks, and he still has a player option on his deal in 2010 that will pay him 11 million next year. But if the Rockets are a playoff team, and they could use a big guy in the middle for added offense ( even if it's for 10 - 15 minutes a game in spot minutes off the bench ), do you bring in a guy like that, plus say a Cuttino Mobley ( who has been out all year ), in exchange for T-Mac?

The move for the Knicks would simply give them a marquee type player to play in D'Antoni's system to see if he can function in it, plus allow them to shed Curry's contract. If they choose not to re-sign T-Mac, they'd REALLY be under the cap, and could easily offer 2 guys near max level deals.

Just keep that dude out West. I don't want to see him in the East.