McGrady trade plans on hold
BY JOHN DENTON
FLORIDA TODAY
NEW YORK -- Wanting to fix their focus solely on tonight's NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic have suspended all trade talks involving star guard Tracy McGrady.
But that temporary break isn't expected to slow down the soaring interest among teams anxious to get into the running for the services of the league's scoring champion of the past two seasons.
In his first public comments in three days, Magic general manager John Weisbrod admitted Wednesday there were still "seven teams under consideration" in the McGrady sweepstakes. Weisbrod also said that a deal between Houston and Orlando that was leaked earlier in the week by the agent for Steve Francis was no longer imminent.
"I would say that right now, drawing everything up on the board and reevaluating . . . I would say there are at least seven teams that are still under consideration," Weisbrod said.
When word leaked out Monday that the Magic and Rockets might be close to a deal that would have sent McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines to Houston for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato, the Magic were flooded with calls from other teams. The request was that they be given a chance to make offers of their own, ones likely more advantageous to the Magic than the one Houston was offering.
Among the teams thought to be back in the hunt are Phoenix, Indiana, Miami and Portland. Phoenix has reportedly offered Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson and the seventh pick in tonight's draft, but Suns general manager Bryan Colangelo said last month that he would be unwilling to make that trade.
Indiana could be offering a package of three players, while the Heat might be willing to give up small forward Caron Butler if the Magic would assume the contracts of Brian Grant or Eddie Jones. Both were left unprotected by the Heat, but they were not claimed by the Charlotte Bobcats. Weisbrod confirmed that the Rockets were hardly a lock to pull off the trade.
"I don't really read the papers or follow the media, but I've just heard because of all the GMs that are calling in that it has been reported or the assumption is out there that it is done, or Houston is the team," he said. "That is certainly not the case. We are still weighing all of our options."
Weisbrod said a trade will not happen today as the Magic focus on the draft. Orlando owns the top pick and will take either Dwight Howard or Emeka Okafor. Howard's camp told FLORIDA TODAY on Wednesday night that it believes Howard will be the Magic's choice.
Francis is considered a "base-year compensation" player, meaning the Magic can't get full value for him in a trade until after July 15. But the Magic and Rockets have discussed several deals, including some that would allow the trade to happen before July 15.
Francis' agent, Jeff Fried, said earlier this week that Francis had no desire to play in Orlando if the Magic were going to be in a rebuilding mode. Weisbrod downplayed the idea that Francis might ultimately reject a trade to the Magic.
"That is not a major factor in it at all," he said. "I think, after taking a couple calls from Steve's people, that his main issue is frustration with Houston over how he has perceived they handled it or commitments they made to him in the past. His emotion about the situation, his emotion about leaving Houston, it's not about coming here.
"He doesn't have any aversion to coming to Orlando, from what I understand. He has an aversion to leaving Houston, based on everything he has been through with them.
Nate Peake, Francis' business manager, confirmed that Francis would indeed report to Orlando if a trade ultimately goes through.
"He is not saying he would not go to Orlando," Peake said. "He is not saying that at all. Steve should have been treated the same way as T-Mac. T-Mac knew what was going on. The first Steve knew was when (the trade) was almost done (earlier this week). He just wanted to know more about the situation, what's going on there and what their plans are."
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