Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at 10:30 am  |  63 responses

Will the Rockets Find a Taker for McGrady?

Everyone seems to understand that Houston is showcasing Tracy; it’s now just a matter of finding a willing trade partner: “McGrady’s comeback is only part of a larger plan to increase his minutes and prove his worth to a team willing to take a chance on his once-breathtaking ability to score and benefit from his $23 million expiring contract at the same time. The Rockets were 14-10 this season without Yao Ming and McGrady, and now the only question is how long they’ll have to keep up the charade until McGrady is in good enough condition to help another team. ‘The plan is to increase his minutes because they’re gonna trade him,’ said a person familiar with the Rockets’ plans. ‘I know they are. It doesn’t do them any good to have him playing eight minutes a game on that contract. They’ll find somebody, and there are plenty of teams that are interested, in spite of the contract.’ In fact, there will be plenty of teams interested because of that contract. McGrady’s $23 million salary comes with two built-in perks: It comes off the books on July 1, 2010, making it a vehicle for clearing cap space for the highly anticipated free-agent signing period, and it’s 80 percent insurance-protected. The insurance provision already has kicked in, since McGrady missed 41 consecutive games during his recovery from microfracture knee surgery. The Rockets, or McGrady’s new team, would receive 80 percent of his per-game salary for any games he misses the rest of this season.”

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  • MikeC.

    Until he proves his health, McGrady isn’t going to any team that has legit playoff aspirations. No way they give up the players required to match up salaries. McGrady will either stay in Houston, or he’ll go to a bad team looking to dump salary. Right now, Donnie Walsh is trying to figure out how to land McGrady’s expiring contract without having to give up David Lee, the rookies, or Gallo. McGrady would be wise to push for a trade to Phoenix. That training staff will make him an MVP candidate again.

  • http://sevendeu2u.wordpress.com/ Seven Duece

    As a former Orlando resident and witness to some of his exceptional performances, it’s sad to see TMac reduced to this. He was truly a phenomenal (and completely conceited) player who absolutely dominated. Just looking at his body is depressing, he used to be long, lithe and athletic. Hopefully he doesn’t duplicate Penny’s sad descent. He needs to get to Phoenix or Chicago ASAP! Both areas have medical facilities renowned for rehabbing athletes back to great shape.

  • http://www.broy7.com nate the great

    at TADOne.
    you saying the pistions have to many guards and forwards. isnt tmac either a shooting guard or small forward?
    it still doesnt make any sense to me.
    i just dont see how this helps the pistions in anyway possible besides clearing up cap space.

  • http://www.broy7.com nate the great

    now i can see orlando in away. because he will kinda take hedo’s spot at the 3. and lewis will move to the 4 where he peforms better. and everyone would love the reunion of carter and mac.
    but that will only happen if houston buys out his contract. and im sure they will either hold him to where his contract expires, or trade.

  • http://www.sixers.com, 360vue

    If we could get rid of Brand’s retarded 5year near max contract I’d happily have TMAC for a season

  • Kyle

    Clearing up cap space is a big deal, because of all the free agents in the upcoming season. Sure, most teams are going to be crushed and stuck with horrible teams(cause most these guys don’t want to go to a team that wins 25 games a year.)

    McGrady actually does need to get to Phoenix or Chicago. Seriously… (Phoenix is the best place to get healthy and back to what you were.) He could play the position Marion did. I’ve seen Marion enough for Dallas this season to see that there was a definite Jason Kidd/Steve Nash affect on his game. More so Nash and D’Antoni probably.

  • http://www.triplejunearthed.com/dacre Dacre

    I just don’t see how the Suns can give up so much for an expiring contract in TMac. No one realistically see’s TMac as a bonafide star in the league again do they?? (Allstar game votes not withstanding…) – There is not enough depth off the Suns bench to withstand a trade (because of the value it’s going to have to include Amar`e if not Richardson AND Barbosa plus future picks) of this magnitude – unless it clears a whole lot of room for say…LeBron. But that would just be utter rediculous. I’m not going to entertain that thought any further – Steve Kerr is not shrewd enough to pull that move…….is he? Clear room for LeBron to come to the West?

  • MJ is the Real #23

    I think the Knicks will try their best to showcase Curry and/or Jeffries within the next few months so they can trade one (or both) of those guys to the Rockets for TMac’s contract. Rockets are in desperate need for a center and if D’Antoni can pad Curry’s stats enough, the Rockets may pull the trigger. I certainly hope not though….

  • RV

    rockets would never take back tayshaun with ariza, budinger, and battier. Although thye can all three play SG too, they arent true SGs and a true SG is what Houston really needs. Ariza, prince, and battier are too similar, would end up playing limited mins to make room for everyone and therefore would be making too much money for the minute they play. I could see them being interested in Rip as a player, but i’m not sure morey would like his contract of 12m per year, since on the rockets he would be doing less, scoring a lot less…

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    RV, the Rockets are fine with the two point-guard tandem. They’re the closers every night anyways. If the Rockets needed a shooting guard THAT desperately, Morey would have re-signed Von Wafer.

  • Buschfiya

    send him back to T dot…maybe he’ll be rejuvenated haha

  • jrb

    Buschifiya, that was hilarious. Tmac 4 nate rockets-knicks trade so NY can finally make the playoffs

  • RV

    teddy, wafer wasnt re-signed because they wanted to see what tmac could do and wafer wanted more than he was worth, which was evident by him having no other option than to go overseas. Morey’s not going to overpay anyone like that just to fill a position. The two gaurd tandem is usually in response to the opposing team’s lineup, not so much because the team prefers it, a true SG would be more capable of playing small than Ariza/bud/battier in those situations.

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