Yao wants T-Mac gone ...so says CNN-SI: McGrady's contract runs out in 2010, so I don't see why he shouldn't be attractive. He earns $20M, so we'd need to add about $8M in contracts to Raef to get him. I'd do this, or possibly this, or some variant. I'd also add a swap of Bayless for Aaron Brooks if the Rockets wanted. And if they want us to take Shane Battier off their hands too, I wouldn't be averse. (Not to mention Carl Landry.) I don't like this comment: But if he can't play, the league will grant us a medical retirement exception, right?
Re: Tmac to PDX? Agree and disagree. The lack of talent there was huge. But some of those teams he was facing were not so good either. The Bucks team he faced was good. It had several all stars on it. The same with Detroit. But the Charlotte Hornets team? um, yea.
Re: Tmac to PDX? Wafer was a free agent. Would he have even signed here with Martell, Outlaw, and then Batum?
Re: Yao wants T-Mac gone Brooks is one of the fastest players and best penetrators in the league already. He's pushing Alston hard for PT at this point. Plus, I'm a Duck! That said, Bayless could be a larger version of Brooks, at least in terms of getting to the rim, and can guard larger opponents. I wouldn't do that deal without seeing all of what Bayless will be able to do. Remember, Brooks had 4 years in college and is in his 2nd year. Bayless would be a college sophomore.
Re: Yao wants T-Mac gone Here's what I can tell you from first-hand observation. 1 -- I have frequently heard McGrady tell all of us in the media that he would like to see Yao shoot the ball and take over games. What he might have said to a friend privately, I can't say. But I have seen no evidence of jealousy. 2 -- The statement that Yao and McGrady do not speak is just not true. Here's what I saw on Saturday night prior to the Knicks game: McGrady, who was not playing, stopped by his locker to pick up a few things. He then walked to the other side of the room, where leaned down and to Dikembe Mutombo and said, "Hello, Papa." After exchanging a few other words, McGrady walked to where Yao was sitting in front of his locker, talking to reporters, and he leaned in and tapped him on the shoulder. He asked Yao how he was feeling. They chatted briefly and then McGrady left. With all of that, as I posted in the blog on Saturday, there are many -- likely a majority -- of players in the locker room who have not been happy wtih McGrady's play-or-not-play, in-and-out-of-the-lineup status for much of the season. And there were many who were furious with his "effort" in the Toronto game. I think the entire team is happier now that a decision has been made to keep both McGrady and Ron Artest out of the lineup in order to rehab and get healthy. They want consistency. They want to know who is in the lineup every night and they want to know that the players who play are physically capable and ready to go all-out. --Fran] http://blogs.chron.com/franblinebury..._lakers_1.html
Re: Tmac to PDX? All three teams were higher seeds. The Hornets weren't a great team, but had more overall talent than that Magic team, which was basically McGrady and nothing.
I hope this talk dies soon. T-Pain's injuries have caught up with him and is not the player he once was. Not even close. He's only 29 but he runs/moves much older than that.
I wouldn't mind it. He is injured all the time, so when he is gone, our youngsters can play. When he is there, he can prolly help us. But what do we give up? RLEC? Thats fine with me too. Cuz T-Mac is expiring HUGE next year. If the experiment doesn't work out just let him go.
Red flags? Outside of being hurt constantly, having declined a lot due to those injuries and having a huge salary, what could possibly drive his trade value down? I don't think you have to dig very far to find the red flags.
