PROTECT THE PAINT

Tracy McGrady is the odd man out in Houston. Houston has found a way to win without him, scrapping through hard fought bouts on a nightly basis to the tune of a respectable 18-12 record. Head coach Rick Adelman does not want to disrupt the chemistry and hard work the Rockets are displaying without McGrady.

Who can blame Adelman? It is commonly known in sports that if you are on a roll, you stick with what is working. Unfortunately for McGrady, that does not include him being a part of the Rockets future. Mike D’Antoni has also followed this trend in New York with Nate Robinson.

Someone get me outta here! (Credit: picapp.com)

McGrady’s frustration stems from his stunted playing time and has escalated to his departure from the team. He has left the Rockets and returned home. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo has reported that T Mac will head to Chicago and continue his training with legendary trainer Tim Grover of Attack Athletics.

Considering McGrady is the highest paid player in the NBA but netting 7-8 minutes of game time, his frustration comes as little surprise. Once considered a top-tier player, two years worth of knee injuries and a microfracture surgery, there are murmurs within the Rockets organization that he is capable of being nothing more than a role player.

What McGrady has going for him is that he is the highest expiring contract in the NBA.  This has appeal for teams looking to sign marquee names next year. This remains possible but will likely not occur until the February 18^th trade deadline.

The hindrance for any team in the NBA trying to acquire McGrady is that to make a trade possible, the suitor team would have to give up far too much. Realistically, McGrady’s large contract paints a clear differential between clearing cap space and mortgaging the future.

Rockets GM Daryl Morey has amassed a solid roster to help combat the lack of Yao and T Mac. His cunning eye for talent and savvy for acquisitions might find a trade that another team cannot resist.

So what happens next? Does McGrady accept a buyout, become a free agent, and try to land himself on a contender for a massive pay cut? Sadly it seems that a buyout for less than his contract worth might be the best chance McGrady has to get on the floor this season.

As the deadline approaches, and teams begin to break things up, McGrady should hear his name in trade rumors. Until then, McGrady should continue to work on his game and strength training conditioning for the foreseeable future.

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