Hit the Road Jack, T-Mac & Shaq demand trades

Things are starting to heat up this off-season, as Friday both Tracy McGrady of the Orlando Magic, and Shaquille O’Neil of the L.A. Lakers said they no longer wanted to play for their current teams. To make things really interesting, Kobe Bryant opted out of his contract as well. Now the three biggest names in the NBA are without a home, and teams are scrambling to put together a deal that will bring them to theirs.

Tracy McGrady is probably the easiest guy to trade on that list. Many teams are already phoning in their offers. Yet with T-Mac being able to opt out of his contract next year, teams only want him if he’s willing to sign an extension, which in many ways allows him to pick where he wants to be traded. Indiana appears to be the front-runner at this time. The Pacers are offering Artest, and either Benter or Harrington as well as the 29th pick in the draft for T-Mac, however the Magic will want more. Another scenario is McGrady to the Suns for Shawn Marion, Casey Jacobson, the rights to Milos Vuganic, and the number 7 pick. This may be the better scenario for Orlando, as they would have the 1st and 7th pick in the draft.

Shaquille O’Neil will be much more difficult to trade with his 27 million dollar contract for next year, and the fact the Lakers would like to send him to the East so they will only have to face him twice a year. Only two teams in the East really have the goods to go after Shaq, and its unlikely the Pistons would break apart their championship team for the guy they just beat. So that again leaves the Pacers, who would love to pair him with Jermaine O’Neil, to counter the effects of Detroit’s Wallace and Wallace. Indy could offer Artest, Bender, Harrington, the 29th pick, and fillers for Shaq. A more reasonable thought, however, is that Shaq stays in the West, where both the Mavericks and Grizzlies would love to have him and have plenty of good players to throw L.A.’s way.

Kobe Bryant, the last of the trio, will probably stay in L.A. Although the Spurs, Clippers, Nuggets, and Jazz all have room to make him a very lucrative offer, none can offer him as much as the 7 years, 140 million he’s excepted to receive for signing with the Lakers.

Finally, if I were a betting man I’d say this: Tracy McGrady will suit up with the Pacers next season, only to be swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Pistons. Mark Cuban will finally get his dominate center in O’Neil, and although they will win the West next year, he won’t get his championship until the following year when Phil Jackson comes in as their coach. Kobe will remain in L.A., and he will be given the green light to do as he pleases on the court. L.A., however, will only be a mediocre team, as player’s shy away from having Kobe as a teammate. But that’s all just one man’s opinion.