T-Mac: "Dwight's going to Dallas in free agency - you heard it from me 1st"

[30Assists 342]

T-Mac didn't ask to be traded because we drafted Dwight over Okafor.

 

That said, T-Mac is a punk beyond all belief, and I really don't give half a crap about what he thinks, nor do I lend him any credibility.

Granted I wasn't living in Orlando, but from what I remember, that's exactly what T-Mac did. T-Mac wanted to play with a "Legit Big Man" and he saw Yao as the best in the league.

 

He felt that Okafor was better than Dwight, as Okafor had just come off a dominating performance in college. Dwight was an unknown quantity and there was a lot of questions about his maturity, footwork, offense skills, and so on. Many felt Dwight was kind of a poor-man's Kevin Garnett, whereas Okafor was something akin to Tim Duncan (cerebral player with very solid basketball skills) with the ability to block shots.

 

When we drafted Dwight, we did so knowing that Tracy was as good as gone when we did so.

 

That's how I remember it, at least.

[Hanaway 15]

Granted I wasn't living in Orlando, but from what I remember, that's exactly what T-Mac did. T-Mac wanted to play with a "Legit Big Man" and he saw Yao as the best in the league.

 

He felt that Okafor was better than Dwight, as Okafor had just come off a dominating performance in college. Dwight was an unknown quantity and there was a lot of questions about his maturity, footwork, offense skills, and so on. Many felt Dwight was kind of a poor-man's Kevin Garnett, whereas Okafor was something akin to Tim Duncan (cerebral player with very solid basketball skills) with the ability to block shots.

 

When we drafted Dwight, we did so knowing that Tracy was as good as gone when we did so.

 

That's how I remember it, at least.

That is exactly how I remembered it as well.

 

T-Mac really wanted Orlando to trade the 1st pick for real help now. Either that or at least get a more proven big guy in the draft and that was Emeka Okafor at that time.

 

It got so ridiculous that Dwight Howard's camp was confident they were going to be drafted #1 that they even had open communications with McGrady's agent to convince T-Mac to stay in Orlando.

[Hanaway 15]

That is exactly how I remembered it as well.

 

T-Mac really wanted Orlando to trade the 1st pick for real help now. Either that or at least get a more proven big guy in the draft and that was Emeka Okafor at that time.

 

It got so ridiculous that Dwight Howard's camp was confident they were going to be drafted #1 that they even had open communications with McGrady's agent to convince T-Mac to stay in Orlando.

And here are some articles I dugged up:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1824663

 

Although Tracy McGrady could not be reached for comment on Friday, he has said he would opt to leave if he didn't think the Magic could improve quickly. Orlando fell to a league-worst 21-61 record next season and has the No. 1 pick in the draft.

 

McGrady had hoped the team would trade the pick for veteran help, but the club wants to keep the selection. On Friday, the team worked out UConn's Emeka Okafor, and plans to do the same with high schooler Dwight Howard on Saturday. The Magic is expected to use the No. 1 pick on one of those two players.

 

Magic general manager John Weisbrod did say, however, he has received trade bids that are intriguing and getting better by the day.

 

"There are teams offering three guys and their first-round pick. Three established players and a lottery pick is certainly a respectable offer for a team that has a lot of holes to fill," Weisbrod said. "It comes down to making a judgment of how special you think one of these two kids can be."

 

McGrady had been pressured by Weisbrod to make a decision about his long-range future in Orlando. Weisbrod does not want to go into the 2004-05 season uncertain about McGrady's status.

 

McGrady's seven-year, $93 million contract runs through the 2006-07 season. But he can opt out of the deal after next season.

 

Here's another article:

 

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2004-06-04/sports/0406040305_1_dwight-howard-tracy-mcgrady-magic

 

Atlanta high school star Dwight Howard believes he can help persuade Tracy McGrady to stay in Orlando if the Magic -- and T-Mac -- just give him the chance before the NBA draft, then select him with the No. 1 overall pick.

 

Howard told the Sentinel on Thursday he should be the Magic's choice over Connecticut center Emeka Okafor and that he'd "love" for McGrady to watch him work out in Orlando for the Magic.

 

Howard, speaking by phone from Atlanta, says he believes he's a better player than Okafor, describing himself as a "a young Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan mixed together. That's me."

 

McGrady has said he doesn't think a player in this draft can dramatically improve the team enough to make him want to stay. McGrady, who can opt out of his contract after next season, has been pushing the Magic to trade the pick and acquire proven players. The Howard camp feels it can change his mind.

 

Magic General Manager John Weisbrod says the club could deal the No. 1 pick and has fielded at least a dozen calls from teams interested in trading for the selection, presumably Okafor or Howard, a 6-11 forward from Southwest Christian High School in Atlanta.

 

Howard's agent, Aaron Goodwin, said he will try to arrange for McGrady to attend Howard's workout with Orlando.

 

"We want Tracy to see Dwight work out. We'd like to have Tracy there. I think he'll see this is an opportunity to have someone special," Goodwin said. "I think it would be useful just to have T-Mac see Dwight. Tracy has been in this situation before himself."

 

McGrady also made the leap from high school to the NBA, selected by the Toronto Raptors with the ninth pick in the 1997 draft.

 

"I think Tracy would love to play with me," Howard said. "I know I'd love to play with him."

 

Most experts say Okafor is the top pick and the most NBA-ready, and Howard generally has been listed as the second-best player. But Howard and his camp are not shy about selling themselves.

Lol, at Dwight saying that he's a mix between Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.

 

But McGrady back then wanted nothing to do with Dwight, nothing.

[Berto 338]

Anyone who *****es about T-Mac leaving Orlando is an idiot. Do yourself a favor and look up the rosters he played with in his time here. Go ahead and do it, then get back to me.

 

Those teams make Dwight's supporting cast look like the 92 Dream Team.

[Penny Hardaway's Ghost 260]

Anyone who *****es about T-Mac leaving Orlando is an idiot. Do yourself a favor and look up the rosters he played with in his time here. Go ahead and do it, then get back to me.

 

Those teams make Dwight's supporting cast look like the 92 Dream Team.

 

Tyronn Lue, Olumide Oyedeji & Shammond Williams are rolling over in their graves right now.

[Berto 338]

Tyronn Lue, Olumide Oyedeji & Shammond Williams are rolling over in their graves right now.

 

The 03-04 team is still one of my favorites. The sheer ridiculousness of putting that squad on the floor is the thing of legends.

[30Assists 342]

Anyone who *****es about T-Mac leaving Orlando is an idiot. Do yourself a favor and look up the rosters he played with in his time here. Go ahead and do it, then get back to me.

 

Those teams make Dwight's supporting cast look like the 92 Dream Team.

He played with GRANT FREAKING HILL. How can you say that roster wasn't loaded? Hill looked AMAZING in that suit....awe inspiring...

[Marc Acres 3:16 418]

You know, if I was Tracy and I was reflecting on my career I would think long and hard about how I said I wanted to leave to go play with a dominent big and ended up with a guy that was breaking down after leaving a team that ended having the only dominent big guy. I don't blame the guy for being frustrated with the crap we had here but we also had some really bad luck with Grant.

 

It would be nice if these guys would finish what they start. He wanted help well, you also left a Tor team that had Vince in his prime because you wanted to be the man. You got your wish, you left a team that actually was pretty good and you got to be the focal point. You were in the MVP discussion, you were a scoring champ and you got all of that because you gave up being on a team. Can you imagine Vince and Tracy playing together in their primes?

[IronMaiden 43]

You know, if I was Tracy and I was reflecting on my career I would think long and hard about how I said I wanted to leave to go play with a dominent big and ended up with a guy that was breaking down after leaving a team that ended having the only dominent big guy. I don't blame the guy for being frustrated with the crap we had here but we also had some really bad luck with Grant.

 

It would be nice if these guys would finish what they start. He wanted help well, you also left a Tor team that had Vince in his prime because you wanted to be the man. You got your wish, you left a team that actually was pretty good and you got to be the focal point. You were in the MVP discussion, you were a scoring champ and you got all of that because you gave up being on a team. Can you imagine Vince and Tracy playing together in their primes?

 

Also, if somehow T-Mac had stayed and played with Dwight...who knows how his career would have turned out? Who is to say...maybe he wouldn't have gotten injured in Orlando. I also like to think about "what ifs" with Penny Hardaway. Man, before his injury, he was playing at an MVP level.