TMac for Francis completed and announced tomorrow after the expansion draft

[sunsfn]

I do not want to trade both JJ & Marion for McGrady.......

Am I the only one here that feels that way?

That is two much to give.

McGrady will not do more for this team than those two can.

 

[slinslin]

But McGrady is much better than Marion and Johnson individually and we have enough capspace or the draft pick to replace one of them.

McGrady plus the #7 pick should be a better combo than Marion and Johnson.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

You got beat up by an Angel?

Halo unit. It is a big metal thing you have to wear when you have a spinal/neck injury.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Wasn't there another bad exchange between Gray and a big-name athlete on TV a year or two ago? Bryant, maybe? Does anyone else remember this?

Gray had a well documented altercation with Pete Rose a few years ago...
Here's a link regarding it....if you're interested...

http://www.armchairqb.com/nbc_rose.html

Thats the ultimate question. I don't remember im Gray as having a record with something like this as an "NBA Insider", he's just been a sideline reporter for as long as I can remember.

Well, at least ESPN News has generated better ratings and an interest today than they usually do.....

 

[slinslin]

They have the writer of the Houston Chron on the phone.

He says they need a 3rd team that is under the cap to make that deal otherwise they need to wait until Francis BYC expires.

Which team under the cap will compensate that trade? Definately not us.

 

[slinslin]

They are also saying they expect Shaq to stay if Rudy T is the new Lakers coach.

 

[Evil Ash]

Houston Chronicle reporter Jonathan Fiegen on ESPNews reports...

-3rd team is to help with cap situation and not for Steve Francis to go to
-Will not confirm the rumor, it was just his opinion on the rumor (Will Francis fit in Orlando, McGrady in Houston, etc)

To me that seems incredibly strange that a local reporter wouldn't confirm this rumor. I really think this is a negotiating ploy by the Magic and nothing more at this point

He also talked about Rudy T possibly going to the Lakers

 

[Cheesebeef]

But McGrady is much better than Marion and Johnson individually and we have enough capspace or the draft pick to replace one of them.

McGrady plus the #7 pick should be a better combo than Marion and Johnson.

I agree completely - McGrady, the 7th pick and tons of caproom is a better combo than Johnson, Marion and a ton of cap room IMO.

 

[elindholm]

McGrady plus the #7 pick should be a better combo than Marion and Johnson.

That's probably true.

Marion plus Johnson for McGrady is a tough call. It's Johnson's erratic play that makes it so difficult to judge. On his good days, you think, "Wow, this is someone the Suns definitely have to keep!" It would be a shame to trade him and have him become that player on a consistent basis. But most of the time, he's solid but expendable. Maybe the Suns should try to trade him while his stock is relatively high.

He says they need a 3rd team that is under the cap to make that deal otherwise they need to wait until Francis BYC expires.

That's July 1, right? So if the report was that the trade would be announced after the expansion draft, something fishy is going on.

What would the third team get? Presumably not Francis or McGrady. But it's hard to imagine any of the other players having much trade value to a team under the cap.

It sounds to me like the deal is being discussed, maybe even tentatively agreed to, but the details haven't been worked out. Someone got excited and jumped the gun in leaking the news.

 

[slinslin]

Who is going to compensate for Francis BYC?

Except for Atlanta and Detroit all teams under the cap are in the West and will certainly not help out Houston.

Detroit needs all their capspace.

And would Atlanta be interessted in anything in that trade?!
Well Charlotte might be a possibility as well.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

I found this on the Houston Chronicle site.....

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2639475

No longer "The Franchise," a clearly disappointed Steve Francis braced himself today to no longer be the Houston Rockets' point guard. Francis' agent, Jeff Fried, said today that Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson had told him the trade to the Orlando Magic for Tracy McGrady was not complete but was close. The deal could also include Kelvin Cato and Cuttino Mobley and bring forward Juwan Howard, but other than Francis and McGrady, players involved could change depending on salary-cap requirements that were still uncertain.

"I spoke to Carroll and it was not a done deal," Fried said. "It's close. It's subject to a few contingencies."

Fried said some maneuvering involving Tuesday's expansion draft was necessary to make the deal work. Because Steve Francis is considered a "base-year" player, by using a team such as the Bobcats that are under the salary cap, the Rockets could deal him without waiting until July 1 when his "base-year" status expires.

Francis, however, left little doubt that he wanted to remain in Houston.

"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 would not comment about going to the Magic, but Fried said Francis was not happy about playing for the Magic in an obvious rebuilding situation.

"Steve's preference is to not go to Orlando," Fried said. "Steve's tasted the playoffs. (The Rockets) got a series under their belts. He was looking forward to going further with the same Rockets team but with another year of experience together. This is certainly not his preference. He loves Houston.

"Steve loved the fans and his teammates. He's very friendly with Cuttino, but also pretty friendly with Yao. Many of us thought the beginnings of something there big with a great center and great point guard."

McGrady, a two-time All-NBA first-team selection, led the NBA in scoring the past two seasons, averaging 28 points per game last season.

Francis has averaged 19.3 points, 6.4 assists and 6.1 rebounds in his five seasons with the Rockets. He averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 7.6 assists in the Rockets' first-round playoff loss to the Rockets.

Only Francis, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson and Grant Hill have averaged 15 points, five assists and five rebounds in each of their first five seasons.

Francis was acquired in a three-team, 11 player trade, then the largest in NBA history, in which the Rockets brought in Orlando to make the cap numbers work much as a third team might be needed now.

Francis said he would is better prepared to handle trade talk than he was several years ago. But when asked if Francis could return to Houston if the trade falls apart, Fried said that Francis would certainly be scarred.

"He's such a young man of conviction I'm sure it would have some effect on him," Fried said. "He also understands the NBA is a business. On balance, he would be able to be a professional and play for the team. We would be kidding ourselves to think it would not have some effect."

 

[Joe Mama]

Halo unit. It is a big metal thing you have to wear when you have a spinal/neck injury.

Nothing like spending three months of a Phoenix summer in one of those things lined with the wool! I still have the six scars around my head to show from mine. If I could have I might have thrown mine at somebody.

I hope you are okay.

I love days like this--it's really exciting and you can pad your post count!!

Man, you aren't kidding. I got started kind of late, so I spent half the afternoon trying to catch up on all of the posts. I still haven't even touched that thread about not trading for anyone. I have the feeling it's going to take a while.

If this is a leak from the Magic to drive McGrady's price up, the Suns shouldn't get conned.

Marion and Johnson is too much, unless it's only those two and not any other decent prospect. And even if it's just those two, I'm not positive it's a good deal.

Don't let the Magic's scare tactics work! If someone's going to overpay for McGrady, let it be someone else.

I don't even know why I'm still listening to Gambo and Ash after hearing some of the nonsense statements viewing for the last few hours. Anyhow Gambo just said that one of his great sources confirmed that it is basically a done deal. I think at least he means that the deal has been agreed upon even if they have to wait until July 1 to finalize it.

I've been bouncing all around with my feelings on a possible trade for McGrady. I actually feel relieved that he is not coming to the Phoenix Suns at this point. I still feel this team is a point guard, a decent center, and some depth away from being a very, very good team.

Joe Mama

 

[sunsfn]

I agree completely - McGrady, the 7th pick and tons of caproom is a better combo than Johnson, Marion and a ton of cap room IMO.

Wait a minute,

How about Marion, JJ, 7th pick, and a ton of cap room???

 

[devilalum]

The SUns might consider helping out if they get a big reward for doing so. That is how it usually works.

Look at what Utah go to help the SUns out financially.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Wait a minute,

How about Marion, JJ, 7th pick, and a ton of cap room???

yeah - I believe T-Mac, the 7th pick and a ton of Cap room is better than the above as well - I just value T-Mac SO much more than Marion and think we could replace JJ with the 7th pick and still have cap room to go out and get a center. I like JJ's game - I just don't completely trust his head yet - and Marion - well - I think Marion's got a solid game - but for the contract he has - he's never gone live up to it nor do I think he has the mental make-up to be a big playoff performer - JMO.

 

[Cheesebeef]

oh - and by the way - if the Suns for some ungodly reason traded Amare for Shaq - I would disown them forever - just had to say that.

 

[Alan]

oh - and by the way - if the Suns for some ungodly reason traded Amare for Shaq - I would disown them forever - just had to say that.

Well, Shaq is a better player...

 

[Chaplin]

oh - and by the way - if the Suns for some ungodly reason traded Amare for Shaq - I would disown them forever - just had to say that.

I wouldn't disown them, but I'd be pretty darn angry.

 

[AmareFan]

I would be pissed...all indication in the Suns front office is that Amare is off limits...please hold to that.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It just sucks when another team in our conference gets a superstar when it doesn't look like they could even offer close to what we could.

Now if we end up with Steve Nash and Mehmet Okur I want to kick Colangelo in his ass.

i'll join that kick bc's ass club if that happens.

 

[Alan]

May I ask why? (re: Amare)

 

[devilalum]

Given what I see on the court I would never trade Amare for Shaq.

The only thing that worries me about Amare is his psycho mom. If the Suns think she will talk Amare into leaving Phoenix in a few years or something like that?

 

[scotsman13]

Man if we don't get TMac because Colangelo isn't willing to package Marion and JJ and we don't get Kobe (or even Shaq) somehow something is wrong here.

man slin, i understand that you are a fan, but for christs sake dont blast someone who knows more basketball then you can ever hope of knowing. BC would have looked at this deal with kerr, and JC and maybe even server and come up with what they believe would have been a fair deal for the team. (if they even wanted him). i think that it says something that the magic ended up taking all this garbage for tmac. if there had been a better deal out there then dont you think they would have taken it?

the suns are building a team that they want to be successful not only here and now but into the future and all you want is for them to get the "names". the names dont win games, teams do. tmac quit on his team at the end of the season, he is so good that he lead his team to 18 wins. heck he has never even taken his team out of the first round of the playoffs in the east.

 

[Cheesebeef]

May I ask why? (re: Amare)

You're obviously not kidding here so I'll state my reasons. Amare is going to be THE Dominant Big Man in this league - He' sgot more power, heart and confidence than Jermaine O'Neal, KG and yes, even Tim Duncan - he just doesn't have the polish - yet. I mean the guy came into what was essentially his second year out of high school - got injured and came back to average 24 points and 10 boards - he added to his game over the summer showing some sort of jump shot from 10 out - which he didn't have at all his first year and this summer I assume he will continue on that trend of working on his game, adding some moves and learning to beat a man off the dribble.

Then there's Shaq - who's 32, 50 pounds overweight, plays in only 65 games a season - and only plays hard and is active in those that don't come on back-to-back or without three days rest. How do I know so much about him you ask - well I've had the displeasure of watching the wretched Lakers for the last 8 years living in Southern California - he's one year from being done - and when I say doen, I mean just another player. The man doesn't play defense and would be a one man wrecking crew to the entire squad if traded for. Shaq is also a baby and his contract alone would cripple this squad.

That's basically it - Would you include Amare in a package for Shaq? And what do you think the ramifications of such a deal would be if it did go down?

 

[Chaplin]

the suns are building a team that they want to be successful not only here and now but into the future and all you want is for them to get the "names". the names dont win games, teams do. tmac quit on his team at the end of the season, he is so good that he lead his team to 18 wins. heck he has never even taken his team out of the first round of the playoffs in the east.

Do you have any clue at how little talent there actually is on the Magic? It's no wonder that Francis doesn't want to go. As for not getting out of the first round, until this season, Kevin Garnett never got his team out of the first round, did that mean you didn't want him either?