Bidding on McGrady Down to Two Teams
It is being reported that the bidding for Tracy McGrady’s expiring contract has been whittled down to two teams in the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls with the Knicks having the inside track to land him. What the Rockets need to decide is whether they want talent that will help them make a playoff run or do they want pieces to build around for the future.
The Bulls are willing to give the Rockets pieces that would help solidify their chances at a deep playoff run. Chicago is reportedly offering Brad Miller, Tyrus Thomas and either John Salmons or Kirk Hinrich. Miller would give the Rockets some front court scoring while Thomas gives them a shot blocker and some rebounding depth.
The catch for the Rockets is they have no interest in Hinrich or Salmons who still have at least one year remaining on their respective contracts after this season. Neither player meets their criteria of being a young player to build around or a veteran with an expiring contract. It is thought that the Bulls are seeking third team willing to get in on the deal that would be willing to take Hinrich or Salmons off their hands.
The Knicks, on the other hand, appear to be desperate to land McGrady. They are offering a package featuring Jordan Hill, Larry Hughes, and Jordan Jeffries, however, as an incentive to take Jeffries remaining contract off the Knicks hands they are seeking the option to swap first round picks with them in 2011 and the Knicks first round pick in 2012 as well.
The Knicks are hesitant to surrender any first round picks after getting burned in the Eddy Curry deal, which makes sense given there is no guarantee McGrady is even in a Knicks uniform following this season. What gets me about the Knicks interest in McGrady is the following paragraph from a Marc Stein story on ESPN:
Tellem initiated talks with the Knicks, who believe McGrady still can help New York make a bid for a playoff spot in the East and help persuade James to come to New York in July. But even if McGrady achieves neither, New York’s ability to recruit multiple top-tier free agents — as envisioned when Walsh first arrived in 2008 — would be cemented.
To be honest it boggles the mind that the Knicks are interested in McGrady because he thinks he can get them into the playoffs. While I so still believe McGrady has something left in the tank the notion that he is still a front line player is laughable. Secondly, what it prove to make the playoffs given they would likely play the Cavs or Magic and get run off the court anyway. The Knicks are 14 games under .500 and seven games out of the playoffs as it is right now to begin with. For them to even make the playoffs would be a pretty amazing feat and McGrady is not that much of a difference maker any more to help the Knicks get there.
The most laughable part, however, is the Knicks reportedly believe that McGrady’s presence would actually entice a player like LeBron to come play for them. Are they serious? Why would LeBron want to go play alongside an aging broken down McGrady on a team whose best players next year are shaping up to be Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, and possibly Al Harrington or David Lee. How is their roster shaping up to be any better than what he has in Cleveland right now.
The Knicks seem to be deluding themselves into believing that playing in New York actually matters to guys like Dwyane Wade and LeBron. The stark reality is that it really doesn’t. Guys like Wade and LeBron are going to be globally recognized wherever they play. How many more endorsement opportunities are they really going to land by playing in New York. Basketball fans around the world already know who they are and they are not going to gain any more exposure playing in New York than they will in Cleveland or Miami.
If the Knicks pull the trigger on this deal with the notion that McGrady is going to lead them to the playoffs and help attract a big name free agent in the off season it is just further proof that nobody knows what they are doing in the front office there.
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