March 18, Should the Magic dump McGrady
Should the Magic dump McGrady?
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Last year around this time, Insider was making a case why Tracy McGrady should be the MVP of the NBA. In our opinion, there wasn't a more versatile or devastating basketball player in the NBA than McGrady.
Tracy McGrady
Shooting Guard
Orlando Magic
Shaq was more dominant. Tim Duncan was steadier. Kevin Garnett might have been the most complete. But no one was more valuable to a team, or a franchise, than McGrady was to the Magic.
When he was on, he single handedly could carry the Magic on his sore, tired back. On most nights, he did just that.
With Grant Hill on permanent disability, the most help T-Mac could count on last season was an occasional double-double by rookie Drew Gooden, an impressive scoring spree now and again by Darrell Armstrong or maybe a hot-shooting night by Pat Garrity.
The Magic have never made it out of the first round of the playoffs with McGrady running the show, but when you looked at the rest of their team, it was pretty amazing they were in the playoffs at all.
Juwan Howard
Forward
Orlando Magic
This was supposed to be the season McGrady, with additional help from Juwan Howard and Tyronn Lue, took the Magic to the next level. Howard gave the Magic a solid, veteran post presence. Gooden looked very good toward the end of last season. Gordan Giricek was emerging as another perimeter scorer, and Lue was billed as a younger, healthier version of Armstrong.
A few months later, the state of the Magic couldn't be more different. The team is an absolute disaster. Popular head coach Doc Rivers got tossed to the curb just a month into the season. Long-time GM and former executive of the year John Gabriel has been demoted. A former minor league hockey executive is now running the show. Hill has suffered yet another setback in his rehab and is, once again, out for the year.
The fans are fleeing, and, depending on the day and mood, McGrady sounds like he's ready to follow them. McGrady can opt out of his contract after the 2004-05 season, and everyone in the league (including Orlando) believes he'll bolt the first chance he gets, unless something dramatic happens to the team in the offseason.
New GM John Weisbrod is promising fans he's going to dramatically alter the make-up of the team next season. He believes the Magic need to get tougher, especially in the front court, and he knows the team needs more consistent play at point guard. Weisbrod also is insisting management is willing to pay whatever it takes to make that happen.
Of course, if you've followed the Magic at all this season, you know even a hockey fan could tell you what's wrong. In fact, Gabriel said the same thing last summer and in the pre-season.
Everyone has a pretty good feel for what's wrong with the Magic. How to fix it is the real question. The team is capped out and has precious few tradeable assets that could bring back a dominant big man or top-notch point guard.
As long as Hill remains on the books, the Magic are stuck. He and McGrady earn so much money ($29 million combined next season) that Weisbrod has little flexibility to make the type of impact deals he needs to field a competitive team.
Can Weisbrod save T-Mac and the Magic?
Magic Summer Blueprint
Orlando will have a high first-round draft pick, a mid-level exception and possibly Howard or Gooden as trade bait. It's hard to imagine a scenario where that brings back the players the Magic need to turn the franchise around overnight.
UConn's Emeka Okafor is among the top prizes for the NBA's lottery teams.
DRAFT: Right now the Magic are looking at the second pick in the draft. Though the lottery makes this in an inexact science, chances are they end up with one of the top four picks. That means their first-round pick will either be a high school kid who needs two to three years to develop, or it could be UConn's Emeka Okafor -- a guy who would help the team immensely but plays the same position as Howard and Gooden.
If it looks like Okafor will be off the board when the Magic pick, they're probably better off shopping the pick to a team with the patience to wait for a high school kid like Dwight Howard or Shaun Livingston or a big international player like Pavel Podkolzine or Andris Biedrins. There's been a lot of talk about Gabriel's infatuation with Podkolzine, but now that he's not running the show, expect that to end. There will be interest in the pick (especially if the pick is top 2), but not as much as in normal years.
FREE AGENCY: The Magic have two semi-significant restricted free agents in DeShawn Stevenson and Steven Hunter. The team would like to hang onto Stevenson. Hunter is likely gone. Neither player will command a huge amount of cap space.
The Magic are looking at a payroll of $50 million next season. That's far enough over the projected $47 million cap to take away any chance of signing a free agent straight out.
The mid-level exception could land a decent free agent, but it's unlikely to be a big man or a point guard. There are very few of them in the free agent market this year, and they'll all likely go for more than the mid-level.
Their best bets may be someone like Boston's Mark Blount or the Warriors' Adonal Foyle.
Hill
There is another scenario out there that few people are talking about but could save the Magic. With Hill suffering yet another set back in his rehab, will Orlando start putting pressure on him to retire this summer? If Hill retires, he would come off the books immediately and create a whopping $12 million in cap room.
The scenario is unlikely, because Hill continues to insist he'll be healthy enough to play and contribute next season. Some have speculated he may be willing to do it out of the kindness of his heart, but one league source close to Hill has told Insider that Hill has no intention of retiring unless doctors tell him he has no chance to play again.
TRADES: The team could try to package either Howard or Gooden with their No. 1 pick, or, if the Magic nab Okafor, try to trade one or both of them straight up for some backcourt help. Before February's trade deadline, there was interest in Howard from the Timberwolves and in Gooden from the Warriors and Sonics. If the team could turn one or both of them into some backcourt help or a more rugged four, it could help things a little bit.
Reece Gaines
Point Guard
Orlando Magic
After that, the Magic have few assets to deal. Rookie Reece Gaines was just the latest in a long line of draft screw-ups for the Magic. The other players on the roster -- Lue, Garrity and Andrew DeClerq -- won't have much value.
The Magic's dire situation (especially if they fall out of the top two spots in the draft) has led many to a pretty obvious conclusion. The Magic must either trade McGrady this summer or prepare to lose him in 2005, when he can opt out of his contrac and become a free agent. The Magic have a pretty sore history of losing their stars with little or no compensation. Shaq bolted to the Lakers, leaving a gaping hole in the middle. Penny Hardaway left for the Suns and garnered the Magic just a draft pick in return. Can the team survive another defection?
It depends. If Weisbrod can't turn McGrady into a couple of up-and-coming players and cap space, the team would be better off taking the cap space next year. It would be crazy to trade T-Mac unless Orlando got an awesome deal in return.
However, Weisbrod should be able to get something significant for McGrady. What are some scenarios that might make sense? Here are five worth pondering:
The Lakers could offer Kobe Bryant in a sign-and-trade. Shaq loves T-Mac, and Bryant, if acquitted, is probably as close to equal value as the Magic could get for McGrady. However, Bryant would have to agree to the trade, and given the Magic's problems ... why would he?
The Celtics might be willing to part with Paul Pierce and a couple of first-round picks. Pierce may be a notch below McGrady, but he's locked into a long-term deal and sounds like he's looking for a new home.
Pau Gasol
Power Forward
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies might have the goods to get it done. They're one of the deepest teams in the league and a team searching for a superstar to complement their plethora of role players. If the Grizzlies offered Pau Gasol, Shane Battier, Earl Watson and either James Posey or Bonzi Wells, the Magic essentially would be getting four-for-one and nabbing a young 7-footer with star potential in Gasol.
Would McGrady sign on long-term in a place like Memphis? With best friend Mike Miller now locked into a long-term contract there, you bet he would. The Grizzlies still would be deep; the team still would have an impressive power forward with upside in Stromile Swift, a solid starting point guard in Jason Williams, and two serviceable big men in Lorenzen Wright and Jake Tsakalidis.
The Bulls could offer Eddy Curry, Jamal Crawford (sign-and-trade), their first rounder (right now slated to be No. 1 overall) and one contract like Jerome Williams' for filler. While the Magic wouldn't be getting the star power some other deals might bring, the chance to have two of the top picks in the draft, plus a promising center and big point guard in Curry and Crawford could be tempting -- especially if the Magic could turn around and trade Howard and/or Gooden for a young dynamic two guard.
An Allen Iverson for McGrady swap only happens if the Magic get very, very desperate at the end. Iverson has the ability to sell out the arena and has more heart than McGrady, but he brings so much baggage I can't see the Magic pulling the trigger.
And while we're on the subject ... no, Knicks fans, the Magic wouldn't be willing to swap T-Mac for Allan Houston. Mavs fans, a Michael Finley, Antawn Jamison or Antoine Walker for T-Mac swap does not work either (though a Dirk Nowitzki deal might). Rockets fans, forget about a straight-up Steve Francis for T-Mac swap. If the Rockets had more assets, maybe, but they don't. Everyone else, the Magic doesn't want your crap unless you're offering Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Jermaine O'Neal or Amare Stoudemire as part of your package.
Should the Magic dump McGrady?
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Last year around this time, Insider was making a case why Tracy McGrady should be the MVP of the NBA. In our opinion, there wasn't a more versatile or devastating basketball player in the NBA than McGrady.
Tracy McGrady
Shooting Guard
Orlando Magic
Shaq was more dominant. Tim Duncan was steadier. Kevin Garnett might have been the most complete. But no one was more valuable to a team, or a franchise, than McGrady was to the Magic.
When he was on, he single handedly could carry the Magic on his sore, tired back. On most nights, he did just that.
With Grant Hill on permanent disability, the most help T-Mac could count on last season was an occasional double-double by rookie Drew Gooden, an impressive scoring spree now and again by Darrell Armstrong or maybe a hot-shooting night by Pat Garrity.
The Magic have never made it out of the first round of the playoffs with McGrady running the show, but when you looked at the rest of their team, it was pretty amazing they were in the playoffs at all.
Juwan Howard
Forward
Orlando Magic
This was supposed to be the season McGrady, with additional help from Juwan Howard and Tyronn Lue, took the Magic to the next level. Howard gave the Magic a solid, veteran post presence. Gooden looked very good toward the end of last season. Gordan Giricek was emerging as another perimeter scorer, and Lue was billed as a younger, healthier version of Armstrong.
A few months later, the state of the Magic couldn't be more different. The team is an absolute disaster. Popular head coach Doc Rivers got tossed to the curb just a month into the season. Long-time GM and former executive of the year John Gabriel has been demoted. A former minor league hockey executive is now running the show. Hill has suffered yet another setback in his rehab and is, once again, out for the year.
The fans are fleeing, and, depending on the day and mood, McGrady sounds like he's ready to follow them. McGrady can opt out of his contract after the 2004-05 season, and everyone in the league (including Orlando) believes he'll bolt the first chance he gets, unless something dramatic happens to the team in the offseason.
New GM John Weisbrod is promising fans he's going to dramatically alter the make-up of the team next season. He believes the Magic need to get tougher, especially in the front court, and he knows the team needs more consistent play at point guard. Weisbrod also is insisting management is willing to pay whatever it takes to make that happen.
Of course, if you've followed the Magic at all this season, you know even a hockey fan could tell you what's wrong. In fact, Gabriel said the same thing last summer and in the pre-season.
Everyone has a pretty good feel for what's wrong with the Magic. How to fix it is the real question. The team is capped out and has precious few tradeable assets that could bring back a dominant big man or top-notch point guard.
As long as Hill remains on the books, the Magic are stuck. He and McGrady earn so much money ($29 million combined next season) that Weisbrod has little flexibility to make the type of impact deals he needs to field a competitive team.
Can Weisbrod save T-Mac and the Magic?
Magic Summer Blueprint
Orlando will have a high first-round draft pick, a mid-level exception and possibly Howard or Gooden as trade bait. It's hard to imagine a scenario where that brings back the players the Magic need to turn the franchise around overnight.
UConn's Emeka Okafor is among the top prizes for the NBA's lottery teams.
DRAFT: Right now the Magic are looking at the second pick in the draft. Though the lottery makes this in an inexact science, chances are they end up with one of the top four picks. That means their first-round pick will either be a high school kid who needs two to three years to develop, or it could be UConn's Emeka Okafor -- a guy who would help the team immensely but plays the same position as Howard and Gooden.
If it looks like Okafor will be off the board when the Magic pick, they're probably better off shopping the pick to a team with the patience to wait for a high school kid like Dwight Howard or Shaun Livingston or a big international player like Pavel Podkolzine or Andris Biedrins. There's been a lot of talk about Gabriel's infatuation with Podkolzine, but now that he's not running the show, expect that to end. There will be interest in the pick (especially if the pick is top 2), but not as much as in normal years.
FREE AGENCY: The Magic have two semi-significant restricted free agents in DeShawn Stevenson and Steven Hunter. The team would like to hang onto Stevenson. Hunter is likely gone. Neither player will command a huge amount of cap space.
The Magic are looking at a payroll of $50 million next season. That's far enough over the projected $47 million cap to take away any chance of signing a free agent straight out.
The mid-level exception could land a decent free agent, but it's unlikely to be a big man or a point guard. There are very few of them in the free agent market this year, and they'll all likely go for more than the mid-level.
Their best bets may be someone like Boston's Mark Blount or the Warriors' Adonal Foyle.
Hill
There is another scenario out there that few people are talking about but could save the Magic. With Hill suffering yet another set back in his rehab, will Orlando start putting pressure on him to retire this summer? If Hill retires, he would come off the books immediately and create a whopping $12 million in cap room.
The scenario is unlikely, because Hill continues to insist he'll be healthy enough to play and contribute next season. Some have speculated he may be willing to do it out of the kindness of his heart, but one league source close to Hill has told Insider that Hill has no intention of retiring unless doctors tell him he has no chance to play again.
TRADES: The team could try to package either Howard or Gooden with their No. 1 pick, or, if the Magic nab Okafor, try to trade one or both of them straight up for some backcourt help. Before February's trade deadline, there was interest in Howard from the Timberwolves and in Gooden from the Warriors and Sonics. If the team could turn one or both of them into some backcourt help or a more rugged four, it could help things a little bit.
Reece Gaines
Point Guard
Orlando Magic
After that, the Magic have few assets to deal. Rookie Reece Gaines was just the latest in a long line of draft screw-ups for the Magic. The other players on the roster -- Lue, Garrity and Andrew DeClerq -- won't have much value.
The Magic's dire situation (especially if they fall out of the top two spots in the draft) has led many to a pretty obvious conclusion. The Magic must either trade McGrady this summer or prepare to lose him in 2005, when he can opt out of his contrac and become a free agent. The Magic have a pretty sore history of losing their stars with little or no compensation. Shaq bolted to the Lakers, leaving a gaping hole in the middle. Penny Hardaway left for the Suns and garnered the Magic just a draft pick in return. Can the team survive another defection?
It depends. If Weisbrod can't turn McGrady into a couple of up-and-coming players and cap space, the team would be better off taking the cap space next year. It would be crazy to trade T-Mac unless Orlando got an awesome deal in return.
However, Weisbrod should be able to get something significant for McGrady. What are some scenarios that might make sense? Here are five worth pondering:
The Lakers could offer Kobe Bryant in a sign-and-trade. Shaq loves T-Mac, and Bryant, if acquitted, is probably as close to equal value as the Magic could get for McGrady. However, Bryant would have to agree to the trade, and given the Magic's problems ... why would he?
The Celtics might be willing to part with Paul Pierce and a couple of first-round picks. Pierce may be a notch below McGrady, but he's locked into a long-term deal and sounds like he's looking for a new home.
Pau Gasol
Power Forward
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies might have the goods to get it done. They're one of the deepest teams in the league and a team searching for a superstar to complement their plethora of role players. If the Grizzlies offered Pau Gasol, Shane Battier, Earl Watson and either James Posey or Bonzi Wells, the Magic essentially would be getting four-for-one and nabbing a young 7-footer with star potential in Gasol.
Would McGrady sign on long-term in a place like Memphis? With best friend Mike Miller now locked into a long-term contract there, you bet he would. The Grizzlies still would be deep; the team still would have an impressive power forward with upside in Stromile Swift, a solid starting point guard in Jason Williams, and two serviceable big men in Lorenzen Wright and Jake Tsakalidis.
The Bulls could offer Eddy Curry, Jamal Crawford (sign-and-trade), their first rounder (right now slated to be No. 1 overall) and one contract like Jerome Williams' for filler. While the Magic wouldn't be getting the star power some other deals might bring, the chance to have two of the top picks in the draft, plus a promising center and big point guard in Curry and Crawford could be tempting -- especially if the Magic could turn around and trade Howard and/or Gooden for a young dynamic two guard.
An Allen Iverson for McGrady swap only happens if the Magic get very, very desperate at the end. Iverson has the ability to sell out the arena and has more heart than McGrady, but he brings so much baggage I can't see the Magic pulling the trigger.
And while we're on the subject ... no, Knicks fans, the Magic wouldn't be willing to swap T-Mac for Allan Houston. Mavs fans, a Michael Finley, Antawn Jamison or Antoine Walker for T-Mac swap does not work either (though a Dirk Nowitzki deal might). Rockets fans, forget about a straight-up Steve Francis for T-Mac swap. If the Rockets had more assets, maybe, but they don't. Everyone else, the Magic doesn't want your crap unless you're offering Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Jermaine O'Neal or Amare Stoudemire as part of your package.
Last edited:
