Over the last several weeks trade talks regarding Tracy McGrady have seem to hit a brick wall. The most prevalent trade rumour we have heard has been one involving Andre Igoudala and the Philadelphia 76ers however the Rockets seem frightened by Igoudala’s long contract. According to Tracy he has been 100 percent and ready to go for quite some time now, yet people still remain highly sceptical and you know what? I don’t blame them. There is no doubt that the off injured guard has gobs of talent and when he puts his mind to it he’s one of the best in the NBA but reliability and consistency have always been issues for T-Mac. In some regards McGrady’s story is very similar to “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” only Tracy is not a boy anymore and he’s not crying wolf. Instead he has let his game be determined by talent rather than work ethic. Dating back to his Orlando day’s people questioned whether Tracy was giving it his all every night. To no avail he told the media he would take games off the year that the Magic started 1-19. It seems teams have remained hesitant in trading for the 7 time all-star because, like in the story “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, teams have a hard time believing that this time, at age 30; McGrady is finally serious about basketball.

On a much lighter note as the trade deadline nears Tracy McGrady’s chances of playing this season only increase. Whether a team looking to salvage their season trades for him or a contender just wants to add another weapon to their arsenal, there is still hope for the 2-time scoring champ. Below is a brief list of the teams that have expressed interest in Tracy McGrady at some point this season:

Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers have been the frontrunner in trade discussion involving McGrady. It seems there is some interest from both sides however with the economy in its current state and the “Summer of LeBron” (free agency period) upcoming the Rockets shiver at the thought of Andre Igoudala’s remaining 4 years $56 million dollar contract.

Chicago Bulls: An intriguing deal was rumoured about a week ago that had T-Mac going to Chicago in exchange for Brad Miller, John Salmons and Jerome James (expiring contract). If Tracy is as healthy as he says this trade could be very beneficial for both teams. This gives Houston a passing center in Brad Miller and Chicago another scorer and playmaker to compliment Derrick Rose.

Washington Wizards: There has been little speculation about the Wizards showing interest in McGrady but it is speculation nonetheless. A change of scenery seems inevitable in Washington this year so this may very well be a possibility. The key trading piece for the Wiz would be Caron Butler.

New York Knicks: Earlier in the season the Knicks seems very interested in renting out McGrady’s services for half a season but talks have died down since then. Houston is looking for young talent, well any talent actually but New York pretty much can only offer expiring contracts and cap relief.

For Tracy McGrady fans out there you’re probably thinking “Oh man all these teams are average at best.” Yes they are but if McGrady wants to resurrect his career he will have to prove to people that he can still play and it will likely be on a bad team. Of course there is the possibility that a contending team takes a risk on him or Houston agrees to a buyout but let’s be real folks. Hopefully for Tracy McGrady he does not end up like the boy who cried wolf (he got eaten by the wolf for anyone still wondering) as he can still be a high impact player for many teams.

Zach Sinclair

TheNBAScoop

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