On June 29, 2004, the Rockets swung a deal that changed the look of their offense in a hurry, landing Tracy McGrady from the Orlando Magic in a seven-player blockbuster.
Houston had long built around the draft, but its list of major stars also includes names that arrived by trade - James Harden, Clyde Drexler and McGrady among them. McGrady’s arrival brought one of the league’s most explosive scorers to the franchise and set up a new era alongside Yao Ming.
The move came after Orlando’s attempt to build around McGrady and Grant Hill never really took off. Hill’s injuries were the big reason, limiting him to 47 games in four seasons and leaving McGrady to carry a Magic team that never got enough around him.
The trade also carried Steve Francis to Orlando. Francis had been a star in Houston through his first four seasons, but his scoring had dipped, and he reportedly wasn’t eager about the idea of heading to the Magic.
A meeting with general manager John Weisbrod changed his mind, at least enough for him to believe the team could grow with Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson. That part of the vision eventually proved true, though Orlando reached the NBA Finals only after Francis was gone.
For Houston, the McGrady deal created one of the most entertaining duos in franchise history. Paired with Ming, he helped the Rockets reach the playoffs in four of their five seasons together. They never made it past the hump, and injuries kept getting in the way, but they did get as far as the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers.
McGrady kept putting up numbers in Houston, too. After winning two scoring titles with the Magic, he averaged 22.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game as a Rocket. His best season came right away in 2004-05, when he posted 25.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game and helped Houston reach a second straight playoff appearance for the first time since 1998 and 1999.
At the time, the Rockets looked like a legitimate contender after the Lakers broke up their own Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant pairing. The run never turned into a title, but McGrady made Houston must-watch basketball. From 13 points in 33 seconds against the San Antonio Spurs to his playoff game-winner against the Dallas Mavericks, T-Mac stayed one of the most electric scorers of the 2000s.
In Other News...
Magic Suddenly Have A Frontcourt Decision Fans Will Feel Next Season
The center market is already starting to move around the league, and Orlando has a clear reason to keep an eye on it. Mitchell Robinson has been mentioned as a target for Sacramento, while that club also has to work through money concerns that could limit how aggressive it can be. For the Magic, any ripple in that part of the market matters because the frontcourt picture can shift quickly once teams begin sorting out their own priorities.
Across the league, the bigger names are drawing most of the attention, with Toronto still viewed as a leading landing spot for Kawhi Leonard if he is willing to sign an extension there. But the trickle-down effect can matter just as much for a team like Orlando, especially if another club is looking at Robinson as a viable veteran anchor. The Magic are watching a center situation that could get tight fast, and the next move on that board may end up shaping how the front office thinks about its own front line going into next season. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Search For A Real Answer In The Middle Just Got Tense
The Clippers are still hunting for help in the middle after dealing Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, and that search has put a familiar Orlando reserve in the conversation. Goga Bitadze has become a player to watch because the Magic have valued his role as they try to maintain depth at center, especially with Moritz Wagner expected to reach free agency.
Orlandos reluctance makes sense from a roster-building standpoint, since losing one big man could leave the frontcourt thinner than it already is. Bitadze has given the Magic usable minutes and steady protection around the rim, which is exactly the kind of stability teams tend to protect when the market starts circling, so the question now is whether Los Angeles can find a path that changes Orlandos stance. [Read more 🡒]