LOS ANGELES – For some reason, team executives expect Tracy McGrady to notify Magic management within the week of his plans regarding the escape clause in his contract. My source maintains he won’t divulge his decision until after The Finals.
But I’m here today to tell you McGrady positively plans to opt out at the end of next season. “That’s a fair assumption,” allows the same source. Meaning, the bidding for his hallowed services is about to commence. As soon as Magic management is convinced its solitary treasure is prepared to abscond next July, and the danger of losing him without compensation is as real as it gets, Orlando operators will be standing by to inventory all gracious offers.
In fact, management already is being deluged with calls from other teams. The media, of course, already is throwing out unconfirmed proposals. One such report has the Suns ready to swap Olympian Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson and a No. 1 pick for McGrady.
“It’s not anything close to that, I can assure you that,” my source declares. “The Suns aren’t willing to do any deal other than Marion straight up. Johnson is not and will not be included.”
At this point, the trade stuff is moot, anyway. Naturally, just about every team in the league is expected to submit legit propositions, but, until McGrady specifies which team or teams he’d consider committing to long-term, we’re all just wishing and guessing.
* LeBron James and Marion accepted Olympic invitations after Kenyon Martin and Elton Brand turned them down. Martin rejected the spot because he’s in a contract year and is concerned about getting hurt, whereas Brand’s body (coming off a stress fracture in his right foot) was forced to defer his dream to represent his country in Athens.
George Shinn is on course toward creating a major mistake. Instead of hiring a GM first and allowing him to choose a coach – the way the Raptors are doing – the Hornets owner is doing it butt backward like so many other mismanaged teams in the past; for instance, Jim Cleamons’ days were numbered the second the Mavericks hired Don Nelson as his boss.
Having already identified Byron Scott as a leading candidate to replace Tim Floyd – whose lack of discipline was more responsible for his fast firing than his team’s opening-round elimination – Shinn intends to interview Rudy Tomjanovich, Mike Fratello and Alvin Gentry.
* If you have the nerve, the key to raising one’s desirability and leverage – and perhaps land the position, power, pay day and fantasy franchise of your choosing – is to rebuff advances from a team or two. Take John Hammond, for instance; last year he rebuked the Blazers’ GM offer while last month he declined to interview for Toronto’s top spot. A few weeks later, the Raptors, more eager than ever, are taking another run at him. If Hammond keeps playing hard to get pretty soon he’ll be in line to succeed David Stern.
* When Lon Kruger was excused from the sidelines, Hawks management, mesmerized by Hubie Brown’s success in Memphis, wanted to import Del Harris, 65, another accredited, ahem, mature teacher. Because the team was in the process of being sold, AOL’s braintrust refused to make a significant financial commitment, thus promoted assistant Terry Stotts on the cheap.
Less than 1 ½ seasons later, Atlanta’s new owners are leaning heavily toward engaging Harris or a close facsimile – Nuggets assistant John MacLeod.
* Suns executive Cotton Fitzsimmons, one of the league’s most cherished keepsakes and spunkiest competitors, is in mortal combat with lung cancer. The poor disease obviously picked a fight with the wrong person. . . .
It’s unlikely Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik will walk the plank but it’s still a possibility. From what I can gather, GM Kiki Vandeweghe is trying to determine whether his current coach can take the Nuggets to the next level, or do they need somebody more experienced to get better? Kiki better not fire the guy; it took me two years to learn how to spell and pronounce Bzdelik’s name.
