Thu, Feb 18, 2010 at 11:45am

MARTIN & MCGRADY IN THREE-TEAM BLOCKBUSTER

In a 3-team trade, Houston Rockets traded Tracy McGrady to the New York Knicks; the Houston Rockets traded Joey Dorsey and Carl Landry to the Sacramento Kings; the New York Knicks traded Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries and a 2012 1st round draft pick to the Houston Rockets; the New York Knicks traded Larry Hughes to the Sacramento Kings; the Sacramento Kings traded Hilton Armstrong and Kevin Martin to the Houston Rockets; and the Sacramento Kings traded Sergio Rodríguez to the New York Knicks.

What does it give the Houston Rockets
Houston takes on Martin's long-term deal here but in return they get a superstar scorer in his prime. They also receive a still-promising prospect in Hill, and a solid Jeffries (who will help them down the stretch right away and has another year on his contract after this one). This trade makes the Rockets a title contender right now and gives them good health for the future, but would appear to limit their free agent possibilities for the summer. Look for Martin's arrival to bump struggling shooter Trevor Ariza to either small forward or to a sixth man role (depending on whether Shane Battier continues to start).

What does it give the New York Knicks
In McGrady the Knicks get a huge expiring contract (over $20 Million) that financially will help them make a big play for big-name free agents this summer (as will unloading Jeffries' and Hill's salaries). Don't expect a return to McGrady's former superstar production, but do look for him to be solid if he plays regularly for the Knicks. Meanwhile, the addition of Rodriguez is very intriguing, in that he is a top talent who hasn't really had the opportunity to start. He should get that sooner or later with new head coach Mike D'Antoni, someone who loves European players and was part of Rodriguez getting drated back in 2006 with Phoenix.

What does it give the Sacramento Kings
The Kings cut a lot of long-term salary here by moving Martin, and they are already pretty much set in the backcourt with rookie Tyreke Evans and recently-returned swingman Francisco Garcia. Landry is a very good option up front, and if he doesn't wind up a good fit in Sacto, the team can move on (with his contract set to expire). Dorsey gets a new chance with a new team, but doesn't appear to affect the Kings' long-term plans financially or in terms of core personnel. Overall, the Kings free up a good amount of cap space for the summer here while staying true to their youth movement.

Fantasy impact