Will McGrady be traded?

[nextnba]

McGrady is the highest currently paid player in the NBA! Now that Rockets has no chance of winning next season w/ Yao on injury, will rockets trade McGrady?

[Lamrock]

Probably not. After RLEC was wasted, I am inclined to believe teams prefer to hold on to their expirings these days.

[Andrew]

There's probably a slight possibility, but not unless someone's willing to forego a lottery pick or a rising star for the cap relief so it seems highly unlikely.

[Lamrock]

McGrady isn't a star any more. Lets just get that out of the way. He is an expiring contract, so should he be traded, it would either be for another expiring (Jermaine O'Neal would make sense, because they wouldn't have a 6'4" Center, though JO is even more washed up than T-Mac), or for an overpaid fringe all-star or two. However, letting his 20+ million off the books would be a better idea than both of those.

[benji]

Morey's not going to trade him unless he's offered LeBron or Wade probably. He knows as well as anyone that it's a no lose situation. McGrady comes back and returns to his All-Star status, or he's diminished, his contract expires and if you really want to keep him you control any market for him in 2010.

I doubt we even see Jermaine, Boozer and the like move for similar reasons. Unless a team comes along seeing one of them as the piece to put them over and is willing to take the chance and punt the contract after the year if not. (See: The Perfect Team) And right now the big ones look like they'd be uninterested in importing one of these big contracts. (I mean, Orlando did the Carter trade because as we now know they had already decided Turk wasn't coming back at anywhere near the price he wanted and got.)

[Modifly]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/ ... ite_status

McGrady had microfracture surgery five months ago on his left knee and there is speculation he would miss most of, if not all of the upcoming season, and that his career could be in jeopardy.

McGrady spoke with FOX 26 Sports from Chicago where he is working out.

"It's really no comparison to how I feel now and I how felt trying to play all of last season," McGrady said. "My knee is feeling extremely strong. The most important thing is I'm confident in it. You guys just stay tuned. I'm out here grinding in Chicago, trying to get back right, but yes I will be playing for the Rockets in the '09-10 season.

"I will be in uniform for the Rockets this upcoming season, I guarantee you that, and I will be a lot better than I was last year. I will be back to the player that I once was.

"I will guarantee you that."

McGrady doesn't know when he will rejoin the Rockets, but he believes it'll be sooner rather than later.

"I'm not really worrying about a target date right now," McGrady said. The most important thing is just to get myself healthy, which I'm confident that I will be for this upcoming season.

"I feel that if I go out there right now I could get somebody 30 (points)."

McGrady truly believes that because of the surgery, combined with his workout regimen, he can be better than ever.

"You define a guy's character when something goes bad for that player and you can really tell if he really wants it or not," McGrady said. "This could have been a make or break year for me.

"I could have easily laid it down and called it a career, but no I'm not finished. I've got some unfinished business. I will not go out like this.

"I'm just eager to get back and show my fans that I will come back as the T-Mac that they are used to seeing."

To reach those goals McGrady has hired trainer Tim Grover of Chicago-based Attack Athletics. Grover, who is affiliated with many athletes, also works with the Lakers Kobe Bryant. He has also worked extensively with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

"Tim has done a great job motivating me," McGrady said. "Keeping me in the gym and getting my knee stronger, doing all the right things and taking all the right steps forward to get me back to where I need to be."

And here is the interesting part.

Grover is thrilled at McGrady's progress.

"He has all the components to come back from this type of injury and to be extremely successful, not just partially successful," Grover said. "Our goal isn't just to get him back wearing a Rockets' uniform. Our goal is for him to be again one of the elite players in the league."

McGrady has heard the speculation he could be traded and could care less.

"It's just been rumors," McGrady said. "I've been contacting (Rockets General Manager) Daryl (Morey) and those guys over at the Rockets organization. When things are bad everybody wants to speculate and throw rumors out there.

"I've been in this league too long to know that it's all BS. As long as I'm in contact with those guys upstairs I know what's going on. I don't even worry about what the media puts out there.

"My job is to get myself back together and stay true to the Rockets organization and have that line of great communication. We really know what's going on."

Now McGrady's guarantee doesn't mean anything, but Grover's guarantee does. He's not going to put his reputation on the line by saying things he knows nothing about. Obviously Grover knows what he's talking about, and he confirmed that McGrady " has all the components to come back from this type of injury and to be extremely successful, not just partially successful".

McGrady had microfracture surgery in the non weight bearing area, so he has a high chance of successful recovery despite his age which is considered high for a full recovery to take place.

So as of now, McGrady is not going anywhere. It is safer for the Rockets to wait and see how he performs when he returns rather than trade him now and regret later. There's always the chance that he can come back strong. And in case he doesn't, the Rockets will still have until trade deadline to shift him. That gives them plenty of time to decide whether it's worth keeping him or not.

[benji]

Grover didn't make any guarantees. He stated a "goal" and said he had the "components" which is a non-answer. He's talking about just this injury, not the bad back that's destroyed the career of someone who just six years ago put up Jordan type numbers.

[Modifly]

True, but McGrady's back hasn't bother him for one and a half season now. Last season it was all about his knee, and the season before that his shoulder and knee. It seems like his back has finally healed up to the point where it's not bothering him any more. With his back bothering him McGrady still managed to put up 22 points per game, but with his knee bothering him he only managed 15 points a game.

As for Grover, you're right but what he said still means a lot. In the video Grover also said that he's going to have McGrady jump like his toronto days, and that gives us plenty of reasons to believe.

[benji]

Give me enough shots and I could average 22ppg in the NBA.

I don't think his back will ever clear up, last I knew it was a permanent problem that will bother him for life at certain times. It's nothing from playing, it's just his body.

[Modifly]

Off-topic but congrats on 5K benji.

Anyone could average 22 ppg in the NBA if given enough shots. The thing is, you must be good before you're in the NBA and allowed that many shots.
What I'm trying to say though is with the back injury McGrady can put up 22 ppg, but with the knee injury he can only put up 15 ppg so for him the knee injury is worse than the back injury.

Maybe McGrady's back will never be 100% healthy, but as far as I'm concern it didn't bother him last season so it shouldn't be too much of a problem next season as well.

[benji]

In 2008-09 Mcgrady shot 49%. In 2007-08 McGrady shot 49%.

[Modifly]

49%? Wasn't it 42% in 07-08, and 39% in 08-09? If not then I apologize in advance.

[Lamrock]

His true shooting percentage, rounded up/down was 49%, a couple points below his career average. Its a shame his career has been plagued by so many injuries. His 2002-03 season was arguably better than any of Kobe Bryant's. Its hard to criticize that contract when the guy had as good a season at 23 as Michael Jordan.

[Modifly]

Oh I see. Thanks Lamrock!

[Andrew]

McGrady isn't a star any more. Lets just get that out of the way. He is an expiring contract, so should he be traded, it would either be for another expiring (Jermaine O'Neal would make sense, because they wouldn't have a 6'4" Center, though JO is even more washed up than T-Mac), or for an overpaid fringe all-star or two. However, letting his 20+ million off the books would be a better idea than both of those.

Absolutely, but with the free agent frenzy next year and a shrinking salary cap he's probably got a bit more value as an expiring contract than one would normally expect in a situation like this. That said, I doubt any offers that would be better for the Rockets than his expiring contract will come along so I agree it seems the best course of action. If he does return and he's productive, great. Perhaps he could even be retained beyond the season at a more reasonable price. Otherwise his contract's off the books, as you said.

[Angelo]

I just hope that he gets traded

[shadowgrin]

From the same link posted by Modifly:

The venture is a new website called skillzlab.com which launches Monday where McGrady will be referred to as Professor McGrady.

"I'm Professor McGrady in my lab," McGrady said. "What I do I teach mental preparation, strength and conditioning, things that I know about the game of basketball and what it takes to be a professional athlete.

Mental preparation on how to advance to the second round? Strength and conditioning for the back? Being professional like ignoring the team and padding your stats to get a bigger contract, or having no faith in your teammates and picking their current playoff opponent to win it all?

[Modifly]

Oh give him a break shadow.

[Fcuk Orlando]

From the same link posted by Modifly:

The venture is a new website called skillzlab.com which launches Monday where McGrady will be referred to as Professor McGrady.

"I'm Professor McGrady in my lab," McGrady said. "What I do I teach mental preparation, strength and conditioning, things that I know about the game of basketball and what it takes to be a professional athlete.

Mental preparation on how to advance to the second round? Strength and conditioning for the back? Being professional like ignoring the team and padding your stats to get a bigger contract, or having no faith in your teammates and picking their current playoff opponent to win it all?

He's still a 7 time all star and 2 time scoring champion, with or without the attidtude and injuries

[benji]

Kareem Adbul-Jabbar is the all-time scoring leader, all-time minutes played leader, 19 time all-star, has six MVPs and two Finals MVPs.

Clearly the Rockets should give him $20 million to play center for them this year.

[Fcuk Orlando]

Thats unfair assesment because if you sign KAJ right now you know what you're getting out of him. The Rockets didn't know McGrady (and Yao) would keep getting injured, they just saw the potential to change their team for the long term and all they had to make that abstraction was looking at his past accolades. Do you think any GM would sign a player a fat long term contract that looked great face value, but would seriously decline over time?

[benji]

That has little to do with my point.

[NovU]

Is McGrady a second Iverson in making? He seriously needs to prove that he can play at a high level otherwise no team will want him next year. I think the Rockets won't get much in return for McGrady at this moment anyways, and it seems like the team will wait it out and see how he plays. Then decides what to do with him.

[Dramacydal]

What's that to do with AI?

[Andrew]

Is McGrady a second Iverson in making?

Not really. I suppose their situations are kind of similar in a way (Iverson not being under contract being a noteworthy difference) but the circumstances that brought them to this point in their careers are different.