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T-Mac Wouldn't Mind Being A Piston - July 17th, 2008

By Jordan Walters
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Sports Betting at WagerWeb Online Sportsbook

One of the hot rumors making the rounds this NBA offseason is that the Detroit Pistons are interested in trading for Houston’s Tracy McGrady.

And, really, who wouldn’t want T-Mac? The 29-year-old McGrady averaged 21.6 points, 5.9 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game last season, helping Houston to a 55-27 record that included a 22-game winning streak. But he also fell to 0-7 in career playoff series, leading some to speculate a change in scenery might be good for him as well.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith reported that McGrady wouldn't mind a trade to Detroit.

Said Smith: "It's certainly not a done deal by any stretch of the imagination. It's not as if Houston and Detroit has even talked yet. But is Detroit interested? Definitely.

"Is Tracy McGrady interested? Yes he is. I spoke to Tracy McGrady earlier. His basic thing is he's very happy in Houston but he wants to win. So whatever is a winning situation for him is something he is more than willing to entertain."

 

Smith said McGrady "has all the faith in the world" in Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, but "if nothing happens he's not going to sneeze at remaining in Houston with Yao Ming either."

This could be just a lot of hot air (gee, hot air involving Stephen A. Smith?), as the Detroit papers have reported that the Pistons are not “remotely” close to a deal for McGrady.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said that McGrady is happy in Houston and was surprised at how reports characterized his interest in being traded to Detroit.

"He said he wanted to win and they (the media) ran with it," Morey said. "He said he's happy in Houston. He just was surprised how it all came out."

Morey said he had one conversation with the Pistons "a few weeks ago." He said he turned down preliminary offers, but wouldn't specify whether any of them involved McGrady.

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