McGRADY FOR FRANCIS
The Houston Rockets acquired guards Tracy McGrady, Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines, as well as forward Juwan Howard from the Orlando Magic for guards Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley, as well as center Kelvin Cato.
What does it give the Houston Rockets
Some short-term excitement, relief from a long-term headache and a big gamble. McGrady replaces Francis as the team's star in the backcourt, and that was the key for Houston. While he gets more hype than Francis, McGrady's not actually a talent upgrade. Above all, the Rockets wanted to get rid of "Stevie Franchise" and his 'me-first' attitude--without losing his star power--and it's tough to say if they accomplished that. McGrady has become more of a ball hog the past few years and, like Francis, depends more and more on a shaky perimeter game.
With the hope McGrady will be the team-first guy that coach Jeff Van Gundy
demands, Houston also takes on the marginal and deeply flawed trio of
power forward Juwan Howard and point guards Reece Gaines and Tyronn
Lue. Yikes!
What does it give the Orlando Magic
Automatically one of the league's best backcourts, plus an underrated power player up front. Much like the Rockets, the Magic grew tired of the self-centered demands of a star guard, and shipped McGrady off for the best possible substitute. Francis should flourish under the wide-open system in Orlando, and will likely be an immediate fan favorite. It should help him play like a superstar again. The Magic also stole unheralded but top-tier scorer Cuttino Mobley in the deal, plus added hard-working, athletic shot-blocker Kelvin Cato. In the process, they shed the bloated long-term contract of Howard and the unfulfilled promise of both Gaines and Lue.
Fantasy impact
