And remember, with the luxury tax factored in, teams can save alot of money by taking McGrady. The Hornets, a team on the brink of bankruptcy a year ago, could save over $30 million. The Jazz can save $35 million by packaging Kirilenko. Indiana could feasibly save $40 million. Sacramento could save $55 million if they made a Martin, Nocioni, Thomas deal!

The Pistons could save $50 million by dealing Hamilton and Prince AND get themselves $25 million under the cap this summer! Both would be more useful to the Rockets than McGrady.

So it’s not really outrageous that one of these trades could happen. At least, not anymore outrageous than a Curry to the Rockets trade.

It would need to be a trade both teams might actually make! more than half those you offer, there’s no chance. Utah gets nothing out of that trade, since they’d be just a few million under the cap. Chicago wouldn’t make any of those trades. NJ, are you kidding?? And why would Sacramento give up Martin? Indiana wouldn’t give up those decent players for cap room either, not when they’re so far from getting below the cap. Golden State: this one would make sense, but I’ve never seen Nelly make a trade for cap space. He’d rather trade a half dozen players and start over.

Of course, there is one other factor to consider – cash is tight for lots of teams. Would New Orleans make that trade? Maybe. They must be wondering what they’ll have once CP3 is gone, though will they shed payroll before they absolutely have to in case CP3 might stay? Does Memphis need to lose payroll? That’s the word. Is Washington approaching desperate? Probably. And I guess that’s all it would take – one team that needs to shed payroll that has a player like Caron Butler to dangle.

Still, since Houston wouldn’t likely take a player like Z-Bo, there are few trades you offer that both teams would go for even considering the cash factor. So I’ll hope that the two or three that make sense won’t be financially necessary for those teams….

TMac to Detroit for Hamilton and Prince.

TMac and Dorsey to Utah for Harpring, Korver, Kirilenko

TMac to Golden State for Ellis, Claxton, and Turiaf

TMac to Charlotte for any combination of their long term deals (Wallace, Diaw, Diop, Nazr, Tyson Chandler (almost all better players than Jeffries, Hughes, and Will Chandler))

TMac to Chicago for Brad Miller, Kirk Hinrich, and Ty Thomas; or for Miller, Jerome James, and John Salmons; or for Deng, Thomas, and James, (etc…)

TMac to Indiana for Murphy, Foster, and a young play; or for Dunleavy, Ford, and Foster.

TMac to New Jersey for Yi, Simmons, Dooling, and Alston

TMac to Philadelphia for Brand and Kapono; or for Dalembert, Kapono, and Green

TMac to Washington for Butler and Miller; or Jamison and James; or any combination if the Wiz are looking to reset their bad cap situation.

TMac to the Clippers for Kaman, Camby, and Ricky Davis

TMac to Memphis for Randolph and Hunter

TMac to New Orleans for Stojakovic, Armstrong, and Songaila

TMac to Sacramento for Martin, Nocioni, and Kenny Thomas.

*

I’m not saying all these trades are on the table, but each one provides the Rockets with assets that help them AND provide significant cap relief to the team taking on McGrady. Most, if not all, of these scenarios are more attractive than taking on Curry or Jeffries.

But, hey– maybe Morey really loves Curry or Jeffries and thinks they’d be a great fit in Houston. Here’s to hoping!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/magazine/15Battier-t.html?pagewanted=all

Tell me a better trade, and I’ll believe you. But it won’t involve Curry (why would Morey want him and why would we give him up?).

Say, did they ever even offer up a “oops, the truth was 180 degrees from what I said was going on”?