BatiGOOOOOOL
Member
Yes, please. That would give the Spurs around $20 millions in cap space to resign Manu and others.
NBA Offseason Thread! All offseason NBA talk in THIS thread!
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Yes, please. That would give the Spurs around $20 millions in cap space to resign Manu and others.
"I thought we were really building something, something very good in Houston," Francis said. "Obviously that's not the direction they want to go. I still think we could be a very good team.
"I'm not crying. Like I told you before, I know this is a business. Things like that happen. I'm not mad. I'm not upset. This is what they're trying to do. But like I said, I still think we could be something."
Francis wouldn't comment about the possibility of going to the Magic.
Somewhere in Canada, a big black man is laughing.
"I'm not crying. Like I told you before, I know this is a business. Things like that happen. I'm not mad. I'm not upset. This is what they're trying to do. But like I said, I still think we could be something."
Francis wouldn't comment about the possibility of going to the Magic.
Somewhere in Canada, a big black man is laughing.
Matrix
LeBron loves his girlfriend. There is no other woman in the world hed rather have. The problem is, Dwyanes not a woman.
Good news Laker fans *chuckle*
From Espn.com..
With Phil Jackson and his triangle gone from L.A. Gary Payton has exercised his player option and will play for the Lakers again next season. The declining star would have had difficulty finding a team on the open market to pay him the $5.4 million salary Dr. Buss will owe him.**
From Espn.com..
With Phil Jackson and his triangle gone from L.A. Gary Payton has exercised his player option and will play for the Lakers again next season. The declining star would have had difficulty finding a team on the open market to pay him the $5.4 million salary Dr. Buss will owe him.**
Some beat writer from Orlando reported on the Dan Patrick Show today that the Bobcats are threatening to take Reece Gaines (part of the T-Mac trade) if the Magic don't agree to select Howard instead of Okafor.
But apparently Rick Bonnell from the Charlotte Observer (who was also on the Dan Patrick Show) reported that that's not the case and Charlotte wasn't taking Gaines.
So, um, I dunno.
But apparently Rick Bonnell from the Charlotte Observer (who was also on the Dan Patrick Show) reported that that's not the case and Charlotte wasn't taking Gaines.
So, um, I dunno.
Bowser said:
Johnathan Feigan was also on the DP show. Like I said earlier in this thread....
Miguel said:
The Magic may be using the Reece Gaines thing as making the Rockets/Bobcats the bad guys in this.
"Well, we couldn't get anything in return for TMac, and Tmac wouldn't sign anywhere outside of Houston. Charlotte would take Gaines and screw up the deal, so we had to trade the #1 pick for the #2 pick in order to get something in return for TMac"
Magic want Howard. Fans want Okafor. If they were to take Howard with the #2 pick...they'd piss off a bunch of fans. Like I said...a lot like the Chargers/Giants/Elisha Manning/Rivers thing
RobotChant
Member
Ninja Scooter said:
What you thought the Wizards were a west coast team?
All Hail C-Webb
Hailing from the Chill-Web
Wow, watching the Bobcats draft, they are building what might become the least recognizable team in NBA history.
Haven't heard of the majority of guys they drafted, and they skipped on Juan Dixon, who is goign to be real good.
Haven't heard of the majority of guys they drafted, and they skipped on Juan Dixon, who is goign to be real good.
All Hail C-Webb
Hailing from the Chill-Web
Bobcats just took Wallace. He's going to become at least an averege player in Charlotte. Good choice for them.
He would have never had playing time in Sacramento, and I don't think he would ever have become a good player if he stayed in Sacramento.
He would have never had playing time in Sacramento, and I don't think he would ever have become a good player if he stayed in Sacramento.
:lol
Sactown, about 75% of those guys are no longer even on the team. They were restricted free agents that become unrestricted free agents. No cap hit to Charlotte. No Juan Dixon though, that's odd. I would have thought they'd use him as their starting PG. I was ready to buy a Dixon/Bobcats jersey.
Sactown, about 75% of those guys are no longer even on the team. They were restricted free agents that become unrestricted free agents. No cap hit to Charlotte. No Juan Dixon though, that's odd. I would have thought they'd use him as their starting PG. I was ready to buy a Dixon/Bobcats jersey.
Damnit, I think we took too many RFA 
I think these will be the ones we keep:
C: Primoz Brezec, Jamal Sampson
F: Brandon Hunter, Gerald Wallace, Jason Kapono, Theron Smith
G: Richie Frahm, Tamar Slay
And we might resign Marcus Fizer. I don't think anyone else will be playing for the Bobcats.
I think these will be the ones we keep:
C: Primoz Brezec, Jamal Sampson
F: Brandon Hunter, Gerald Wallace, Jason Kapono, Theron Smith
G: Richie Frahm, Tamar Slay
And we might resign Marcus Fizer. I don't think anyone else will be playing for the Bobcats.
Matrix
LeBron loves his girlfriend. There is no other woman in the world hed rather have. The problem is, Dwyanes not a woman.
WOW according to Espn's Marc Stein...Yao totally gave his blessing on this trade.
Yao's all about the winning and he knows that will never get done with Slippy Francis.
Yao's all about the winning and he knows that will never get done with Slippy Francis.
Matrix
LeBron loves his girlfriend. There is no other woman in the world hed rather have. The problem is, Dwyanes not a woman.
Pat Williams on Orlando radio...
Regarding the McGrady deal:
"At this point, no other team's offers would derail the Houston deal. It's Houston or we'll keep McGrady."
Yea I'm sure you will keep him..roofles unless Tmac changes his mind and stays with that shit team,which I find highly unlikely.
Regarding the McGrady deal:
"At this point, no other team's offers would derail the Houston deal. It's Houston or we'll keep McGrady."
Yea I'm sure you will keep him..roofles unless Tmac changes his mind and stays with that shit team,which I find highly unlikely.
All Hail C-Webb
Hailing from the Chill-Web
Peja and Christie are a better combination for Orlando than Francis Mobley, the Kings could even throw in Songaila. The Kings would be favorites if they pulled off that trade, and Orlando would be in a better position too, why is Petrie too stubborn to do this.
Matrix
LeBron loves his girlfriend. There is no other woman in the world hed rather have. The problem is, Dwyanes not a woman.
"Latest from ESPN is that the trade should be done within 24 hours and then Orlando will probably ship Francis to either Seattle for Ray Allen and also Washington has been mentioned with Gilbert Arenas"
If he goes to Washington I will laugh my ass off,steve's bitching might just get him home and with a team that would be worse than the Magic.
I could see the Allen deal happening,the Rockets almost traded Steve last year for Ray.
If he goes to Washington I will laugh my ass off,steve's bitching might just get him home and with a team that would be worse than the Magic.
I could see the Allen deal happening,the Rockets almost traded Steve last year for Ray.
Matrix
LeBron loves his girlfriend. There is no other woman in the world hed rather have. The problem is, Dwyanes not a woman.
Bat said:
Not sure,but can you really call Steve a pg
I think once the first trade goes down both the Rockets and Magic will move on to more trades.My gut tells me that Steve will be stuck in Orlando,he will get over it and have a solid year....the stupid bitch still has $75 million coming his way *sigh* so no matter what,he will play for them if the Magic dont ship him out.
AirBrian said:
You forgot Duncan and Kobe!!
Fifty said:Hah! No shit he wants to stay in Houston. T Mac, Yao.....and Francis dribbling all over the place. He'd love it. Nope, he's going to the team that stars who want their own team go to...
bionic77 said:
He looks like a smaller Wallace, or maybe a Rodman...small in size, but tenacious on the boards. In the east the size really doesn't matter, except when you play Detroit with that huge front line.
bionic77 said:
They could always sign Troy Hudson, or Derek Fisher. Or hell, even Steve Nash (that's unlikely though).
Matrix said:
To be fair, how is T-Mac any better? First he leaves the Raptors so he could be the man, then when he gets that opportunity and has one lousy year, he wants to leave so he can play with some help. The only difference is that T-Mac at least went to the Magic as a free agent instead of forcing a trade, but T-Mac apparantely gave the Raptors an indication that they'd be given a chance to resign him, then never heard from him in the summer of 2000. Fact is, both Francis and T-Mac are incredibly immature (not that they're the only two)...but when you've got talent, you're allowed to be in this league.
BatiGOOOOOOL said:
Cloudy said:
WTF should Orlando care? All they should be concerned about is getting the best possible deal for them. If the other teams still want to deal, that's their problem. Instead they're gonna get another player who wants nothing to do with them, and a package that's apparantely the worst of the bunch. What a fucked up franchise.
Ninja Scooter said:
bionic77 said:
"Fucking right."
BatiGOOOOOOL said:Yes, please. That would give the Spurs around $20 millions in cap space to resign Manu and others.
"You rang?"
Matrix said:Check out htown....
Matrix
LeBron loves his girlfriend. There is no other woman in the world hed rather have. The problem is, Dwyanes not a woman.
Shinobi said:
Tmac is a better player so it doesnt bother me if he bitchs and moans
Shinobi said:
Imo you really cant fault Orlando...
The deal is no team will take Tmac if he doesnt resign with them and like Konex and I said before,it doesnt matter how good a trade is if the player can opt out the next year.He wants to play for htown unlike the other teams.None of the teams wants to rent Tmac,they want him for years.Orlando doesnt want to go through the whole Shaq thing again and get nothing in return,so at this point its Houston or bust unless....
T-Mac's unquestionably a better player...all I'm saying is that if the Rockets go through a freak year when say, Yao is gone for the year with a broken leg and the Rockets struggle to win 30 games (and that isn't a stretch in that division and conference), the precedent has been set that he'd sooner bolt then wait around to fix things. I don't take that as a very good sign.
And I agree with Bat about the resigning thing...personally I've yet to hear T-Mac say he'd only sign an extension with Houston (this is the same guy who's on record in saying he'd love to go to Dallas BTW), so the idea that he wouldn't sign an extension elsewhere is just speculation in my view. If he got traded to the Pacers and they got back to the conference finals or got to the finals, he'd resign...no reason not to. Then again, who really knows with him...he has a history of talking out of both sides of his mouth.
Anyway, time for me to get some VC talk in...
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...22,1,1875417.column?coll=orl-sports-headlines
Knowing the way some people up here hate on Vince, they'll probably say him wanting to stay here proves he's not interested in winning.
VC is easily the Raptors' most tradable asset despite his lowered value, but I think he's too talented to just give up on considering he's played on a team with no real big man and no real point guard the last few years. I'd like to at least see him play with those pieces in place with a coach who knows how to run an offense that best uses his skills before the team gives up on him. Having said that, a change of scenery probably wouldn't hurt him either, as much as I wouldn't want to see him leave.
BTW, forget about the VC/AI trade rumour...for starters that rumour has been around for a few years, and from most accounts there simply isn't any truth to it this time around. I wouldn't want AI anyway...his body is pretty beaten up, and he might be on the downside of his career already. Plus his shooting precentages aren't much better then Kobe Bryant's during the finals.
And I agree with Bat about the resigning thing...personally I've yet to hear T-Mac say he'd only sign an extension with Houston (this is the same guy who's on record in saying he'd love to go to Dallas BTW), so the idea that he wouldn't sign an extension elsewhere is just speculation in my view. If he got traded to the Pacers and they got back to the conference finals or got to the finals, he'd resign...no reason not to. Then again, who really knows with him...he has a history of talking out of both sides of his mouth.
Anyway, time for me to get some VC talk in...
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...22,1,1875417.column?coll=orl-sports-headlines
Knowing the way some people up here hate on Vince, they'll probably say him wanting to stay here proves he's not interested in winning.
BTW, forget about the VC/AI trade rumour...for starters that rumour has been around for a few years, and from most accounts there simply isn't any truth to it this time around. I wouldn't want AI anyway...his body is pretty beaten up, and he might be on the downside of his career already. Plus his shooting precentages aren't much better then Kobe Bryant's during the finals.
Shinobi said:T-Mac's unquestionably a better player...all I'm saying is that if the Rockets go through a freak year when say, Yao is gone for the year with a broken leg and the Rockets struggle to win 30 games (and that isn't a stretch in that division and conference), the precedent has been set that he'd sooner bolt then wait around to fix things. I don't take that as a very good sign.
And I agree with Bat about the resigning thing...personally I've yet to hear T-Mac say he'd only sign an extension with Houston (this is the same guy who's on record in saying he'd love to go to Dallas BTW), so the idea that he wouldn't sign an extension elsewhere is just speculation in my view. If he got traded to the Pacers and they got back to the conference finals or got to the finals, he'd resign...no reason not to. Then again, who really knows with him...he has a history of talking out of both sides of his mouth.
Anyway, time for me to get some VC talk in...
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...22,1,1875417.column?coll=orl-sports-headlines
Knowing the way some people up here hate on Vince, they'll probably say him wanting to stay here proves he's not interested in winning.VC is easily the Raptors' most tradable asset despite his lowered value, but I think he's too talented to just give up on considering he's played on a team with no real big man and no real point guard the last few years. I'd like to at least see him play with those pieces in place with a coach who knows how to run an offense that best uses his skills before the team gives up on him. Having said that, a change of scenery probably wouldn't hurt him either, as much as I wouldn't want to see him.
BTW, forget about the VC/AI trade rumour...for starters that rumour has been around for a few years, and from most accounts there simply isn't any truth to it this time around. I wouldn't want AI anyway...his body is pretty beaten up, and he might be on the downside of his career already. Plus his shooting precentages aren't much better then Kobe Bryant's during the finals.
Props to Vince, most guys in the NBA are babies who won't stick around when things get rough. I totally agree with what you said about TMac being a baby. When things go wrong and you blame everyone else it says you are clearly not a leader of the team. Leaders are willing to take chances and then shoulder the blame when things go wrong, not give up 15 games into the season and blame everything on everyone else. Shaq is pretty similar actually so they would have been a perfect fit. When they win rings it was 100% Shaq, but when they lose it is never his fault that he can't last for 48 minutes or that his contract is too big that they can't have a backup for his fat ass, then it is the GM's fault, or somehow it is Buss's fault for not giving him enough money, or it is Kobe's fault because he doesn't give him the ball, etc. I really don't blame Kobe personally for demanding to make the choice or either Phil or him, because Phil was clearly married to Shaq (though this was the first year he actually criticized Shaq more then Kobe, but I think that had to do with Kobe's legal problems and Phil worrying that Kobe would go insane on the court). Still, I somehow hope that Shaq can come to his senses and resign for LESS money with the Lakers and put them right back into contention. They are not that far away from winning again, but it will be almost impossible with both of Kobe and Shaq's contracts because if they lose a single starter they have no shot to beat anyone.
Matrix
LeBron loves his girlfriend. There is no other woman in the world hed rather have. The problem is, Dwyanes not a woman.
Shinobi said:
Tmac has gone on the record of saying he wants to play with either Shaq or Yao.The Dallas shit was a pipe dream.He said if he had to be traded he would want Houston as his first choice and would resign with them,he did say all of this before Shaq wanted to be traded.This whole Shaq thing came about just cause he wanted to throw that out to Cuban,players around the league most likely think he's some sorta God,cause of the way he pampers his players.Trust be in that Tmac wants to play with a dominate center,which is either Yao or Shaq.I cant find one article where Tmac mentions playing for the Pacers/Suns long term,shit last year he said he would dream to play with a center like Yao.
If Houston doesnt end up getting Tmac I will personally ask Bish to give me the tag
" A retard among NBA fans"
Matrix said:
LOL, Shaq is trying to find a replacement for Kobe, doesn't he have the confidence to think he can do it by himself? Same goes with TMac, I mean Kobe can be insane on the court, but obviously these guys are showing they don't have the confidence level of Kobe. Kobe probably thinks he can be traded to the Bobcats and they would automatically make it to the NBA finals, once again showing what a fine line it is between insanity and genius.
Yeah, it's funny...I don't think Vince Carter is a prototypical leader by any stretch, certainly not in a vocal sense like a Kevin Garnett is. Vince does seem to take nights off, and a leader shouldn't do that either. But I've seen him take responsibility when the team doesn't play well, though for some reason that's missed by the vultures up here. Bottom line is that he's willing to ride things out, and I think that's pretty commendable considering he could easily get shipped out at his request considering all the other blockbuster changes that seem likely to happen this summer.
BTW, that Skillz dis track on Shaq is a scream...just loved the Reebok line. Didn't sound like he was even trying either.
BTW, that Skillz dis track on Shaq is a scream...just loved the Reebok line. Didn't sound like he was even trying either.
Matrix
LeBron loves his girlfriend. There is no other woman in the world hed rather have. The problem is, Dwyanes not a woman.
Kobe thinks he's Jordan,I truly cant wait to see what happens to him if Shaq really is traded.All I can say is triple team him *if he sticks with the Fakers* and leave Payton open
"edit: BTW, the Bobcats roster is COMPLETE SHIT!"
Thank you captain Obvious. You fool, there's maybe 3 players that they'll keep. They'll get a few draft picks I think as compensation for guys they took/or didn't take. They'll build through the draft. I have faith in Bernie. He knows what he's doing. There was no one really worth takin in the expansion draft to keep (maybe a Dixon or Gaines would have been good though)
But anyway, they'll build through the draft and leftover freeagents. Plus in the division they'll be in, they may beat up on washington 4 times a year, although Miami/Orlando/New Orleans aren't as bad now as they should be.
Thank you captain Obvious. You fool, there's maybe 3 players that they'll keep. They'll get a few draft picks I think as compensation for guys they took/or didn't take. They'll build through the draft. I have faith in Bernie. He knows what he's doing. There was no one really worth takin in the expansion draft to keep (maybe a Dixon or Gaines would have been good though)
But anyway, they'll build through the draft and leftover freeagents. Plus in the division they'll be in, they may beat up on washington 4 times a year, although Miami/Orlando/New Orleans aren't as bad now as they should be.
Matrix said:Kobe thinks he's Jordan,I truly cant wait to see what happens to him if Shaq really is traded.All I can say is triple team him *if he sticks with the Fakers* and leave Payton open
Brian Cook has an offensive game so he can open things up, but the guy can't pass or play any defense and doesn't rebound very well. Btw, if the Lakers don't get any big men to help out Kobe they won't make the playoffs in the West BUT I do predict they will be a .500 team and he will have ridiculous numbers that will mean nothing because his team will be at home during the playoffs (ie Jordaneseque
).Matrix
LeBron loves his girlfriend. There is no other woman in the world hed rather have. The problem is, Dwyanes not a woman.
On front page of Clutchfans.com..
"The expansion draft went off without a hitch, so the Rockets and Magic should have a deal in place... if not for Steve Francis. According to a New York Times report Tuesday night, the Magic are getting cold feet because Francis continues to tell them that he refuses to play for them, despite being under contract and not having a no-trade clause. The deal to bring Tracy McGrady to Houston is still on hold."
HOLY FUCKING A I HATE YOU STEVE..IF THIS SHIT DIES CAUSE OF YOU DONT SHOW YOUR FACE EVER IN HOUSTON AGIN! I WILL PAY FOR BISH TO FLY DOWN AND WHOOP YOUR ASS!!!!!!!
*starts crying*
"The expansion draft went off without a hitch, so the Rockets and Magic should have a deal in place... if not for Steve Francis. According to a New York Times report Tuesday night, the Magic are getting cold feet because Francis continues to tell them that he refuses to play for them, despite being under contract and not having a no-trade clause. The deal to bring Tracy McGrady to Houston is still on hold."
HOLY FUCKING A I HATE YOU STEVE..IF THIS SHIT DIES CAUSE OF YOU DONT SHOW YOUR FACE EVER IN HOUSTON AGIN! I WILL PAY FOR BISH TO FLY DOWN AND WHOOP YOUR ASS!!!!!!!
*starts crying*
Matrix
LeBron loves his girlfriend. There is no other woman in the world hed rather have. The problem is, Dwyanes not a woman.
OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD >_< I HEREBY DECLARE STEVE FRANSISSY MY MOST HATED ROCKET EVER AFTER SCOTTIE QUITTEN!
From Houston Chronicle...
On a day when the Charlotte Bobcats fleshed out their inaugural roster through the expansion draft, the buzz around the NBA continued to revolve around Tracy McGrady and Shaquille O'Neal , the two superstars who have asked their teams for trades.
It was widely believed that McGrady would be headed to Houston on Wednesday morning in a trade for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato. But that deal hit a snag on Tuesday. Though he is under contract for several years and has no veto power over trades, Francis made it clear that he does not want to play in Orlando, causing the Magic to reconsider the trade.
Several league executives and player agents were baffled by Orlando's hesitation since Francis would have no choice but to play for the Magic.
"John Weisbrod is setting a bad precedent by caving in to this guy," one agent said, referring to Orlando's general manager and speaking on condition of anonymity.
Looking elsewhere, the Magic entered into serious discussions with Phoenix on Tuesday, and the Suns are offering Shawn Marion, the up-and-coming Joe Johnson and this year's first-round pick (seventh overall), for McGrady. That would give Orlando an all-star small forward in Marion, a potential All-Star shooting guard in Johnson and the first and seventh picks in tomorrow's draft.
Indiana, which is willing to trade anyone on its roster besides Jermaine O'Neal, has been trying to engage Orlando in talks for McGrady, but the Magic has not been moved by any of its offers.
In the end, several league executives believe the trade with Houston, which would also send Tyronn Lue, Juwan Howard, Reece Gaines and possibly Andrew DeClerq to the Rockets, will eventually be made because McGrady is saying Houston is the only team he will stay with long-term.
McGrady, who is able to opt out of his contract after next season, has great leverage because he can threaten to leave any team that trades for him after just one year. If the trade happens, it is believed the Magic might turn around and trade Francis.
More than 20 of the league's 30 teams have called the Los Angeles Lakers, inquiring about O'Neal, according to an Eastern Conference executive. Though Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers' general manager, has recently suggested that he wants to keep O'Neal, the club is entertaining several possible trades, most notably with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks are one of the more realistic landing spots for O'Neal, who will make $27.7 million next season, because they have the high-salaried stars necessary to make such a deal, and their owner, Mark Cuban, is a big spender. According to the Eastern Conference executive, Dallas is offering Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash for O'Neal. The New Jersey Nets, who would be willing to part with Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles, are among the clubs pursuing O'Neal.
The Nets' initial thoughts were that they would stay out of the bidding for him because they did not think they had realistic chances of obtaining O'Neal. But the club's new ownership group, headed by Bruce Ratner, is willing to spend big for O'Neal, who would turn the team into a major box-office draw and enable it to recoup some of the losses that have piled up in recent years.
"Ratner would give up the bank to get Shaquille or Kobe, but has been thwarted by the pessimism of his basketball people," a person close to ownership said.
The pessimism is based in reality. The Nets are not willing to include Jason Kidd or Richard Jefferson in a trade, according to one club official, and a package headlined by Martin, Kittles and Nenad Krstic, their 7-foot forward from Croatia, is not likely to bring O'Neal to the Meadowlands. A couple of factors potentially working in the Nets' favor are that O'Neal was born and raised in Newark, N.J., and that the Nets might be willing to give O'Neal the contract extension he wants (two years, $60 million) because his presence would be a boon when the team moves to Brooklyn, according to a member of ownership.
Still, their chances appear slim.
From Houston Chronicle...
On a day when the Charlotte Bobcats fleshed out their inaugural roster through the expansion draft, the buzz around the NBA continued to revolve around Tracy McGrady and Shaquille O'Neal , the two superstars who have asked their teams for trades.
It was widely believed that McGrady would be headed to Houston on Wednesday morning in a trade for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato. But that deal hit a snag on Tuesday. Though he is under contract for several years and has no veto power over trades, Francis made it clear that he does not want to play in Orlando, causing the Magic to reconsider the trade.
Several league executives and player agents were baffled by Orlando's hesitation since Francis would have no choice but to play for the Magic.
"John Weisbrod is setting a bad precedent by caving in to this guy," one agent said, referring to Orlando's general manager and speaking on condition of anonymity.
Looking elsewhere, the Magic entered into serious discussions with Phoenix on Tuesday, and the Suns are offering Shawn Marion, the up-and-coming Joe Johnson and this year's first-round pick (seventh overall), for McGrady. That would give Orlando an all-star small forward in Marion, a potential All-Star shooting guard in Johnson and the first and seventh picks in tomorrow's draft.
Indiana, which is willing to trade anyone on its roster besides Jermaine O'Neal, has been trying to engage Orlando in talks for McGrady, but the Magic has not been moved by any of its offers.
In the end, several league executives believe the trade with Houston, which would also send Tyronn Lue, Juwan Howard, Reece Gaines and possibly Andrew DeClerq to the Rockets, will eventually be made because McGrady is saying Houston is the only team he will stay with long-term.
McGrady, who is able to opt out of his contract after next season, has great leverage because he can threaten to leave any team that trades for him after just one year. If the trade happens, it is believed the Magic might turn around and trade Francis.
More than 20 of the league's 30 teams have called the Los Angeles Lakers, inquiring about O'Neal, according to an Eastern Conference executive. Though Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers' general manager, has recently suggested that he wants to keep O'Neal, the club is entertaining several possible trades, most notably with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks are one of the more realistic landing spots for O'Neal, who will make $27.7 million next season, because they have the high-salaried stars necessary to make such a deal, and their owner, Mark Cuban, is a big spender. According to the Eastern Conference executive, Dallas is offering Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash for O'Neal. The New Jersey Nets, who would be willing to part with Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles, are among the clubs pursuing O'Neal.
The Nets' initial thoughts were that they would stay out of the bidding for him because they did not think they had realistic chances of obtaining O'Neal. But the club's new ownership group, headed by Bruce Ratner, is willing to spend big for O'Neal, who would turn the team into a major box-office draw and enable it to recoup some of the losses that have piled up in recent years.
"Ratner would give up the bank to get Shaquille or Kobe, but has been thwarted by the pessimism of his basketball people," a person close to ownership said.
The pessimism is based in reality. The Nets are not willing to include Jason Kidd or Richard Jefferson in a trade, according to one club official, and a package headlined by Martin, Kittles and Nenad Krstic, their 7-foot forward from Croatia, is not likely to bring O'Neal to the Meadowlands. A couple of factors potentially working in the Nets' favor are that O'Neal was born and raised in Newark, N.J., and that the Nets might be willing to give O'Neal the contract extension he wants (two years, $60 million) because his presence would be a boon when the team moves to Brooklyn, according to a member of ownership.
Still, their chances appear slim.
- Status