McGrady Wants To Be Magic Man
With Grant Hill seemingly a lock and Tim Duncan weighing his options, the Orlando Magic courted free agent forward Tracy McGrady on Wednesday.
And they must have liked McGrady's response.
The Magic are working on a sign-and-trade deal to add McGrady, who played for Toronto, to a team that could include Hill, who played with Detroit, and Duncan, who played with San Antonio.
"Once Grant and I get here, this will definitely be the city," McGrady told The Orlando Sentinel. "The East is locked up. If Duncan comes here, it will be scary.
"Only the (Los Angeles) Lakers will be out West. Imagine those matchups? It will be unfair to the league if all three of us come here. We'll have the East. We'll be playing the Lakers for years."
Hill seems poised to leave the Pistons and sign with the Magic for a six-year deal worth $67.5 million, with a first-year salary of $9 million. He is scheduled to meet with Pistons president Joe Dumars on Thursday, but Hill has told friends he's heading to Orlando.
"If what I'm reading is true, yeah, it will be a big disappointment," Dumars said.
Like Hill, Duncan and McGrady could sign for $67.5 million in Orlando or $86 million with their respective teams. Duncan still is undecided.
As for McGrady?
"Money is not an issue. It's all about being happy and comfortable," McGrady said. "I don't care how much I make, $67 million or $86 million. You can't spend it all anyway."
One scenario to get all three would involve a sign-and-trade. The Magic could sign free agent guard Ron Mercer, and then trade him along with several first-round draft choices and cash to the Raptors for McGrady.
No matter what, McGrady said he won't go back to Toronto, where he averaged 15 points and six rebounds in his third NBA season.
McGrady said he will make a courtesy visit to the Chicago Bulls on Friday and throw out a ceremonial first pitch for a White Sox-Cubs game on Saturday.
"Frankly, it's just out of respect," McGrady said of the upcoming visit. "They wanted me before I came into this league."
But now he wants to be in Orlando preferably with Hill and Duncan.
"I feel very comfortable here," he said. "I'll take a couple of days after the Chicago visit and then tell my agent the real deal. My No. 1 choice is Orlando."
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