In the biggest blockbuster of the NBA season so far, the Houston Rockets have agreed to send oft-injured superstar Tracy McGrady to the New York Knicks as the centerpiece of a three-team, eight-player deal.
The Deal
New York receives: TMac, Sergio Rodriguez
Houston receives: Kevin Martin, Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries and Hilton Armstrong (plus picks from NY)
Sacramento receives: Larry Hughes, Carl Landry, Joey Dorsey
What It Means
First of all, if trainer Tim Grover is being honest, McGrady is fully healthy for the first time in years. The Knicks now have a superstar they can sell for the next 30 games and then, depending on his health, try to keep this summer. McGrady is a seven-time All Star who has been shut down by Houston for most of this season. His fantasy value could skyrocket into the top 20 forwards in the game if he is indeed healthy, because the Knicks are bad and he'll get the ball a ton.
The Rockets now become an enormous question mark. There wasn't a lot of fantasy value on their roster to begin with, so Kevin Martin will likely step in and start at guard immediately. Shane Battier's fantasy value might pick up because of this deal because he'll be able to play a complimentary role more than trying to be everything on the floor.
What's interesting from a Rockets perspective is how/where Jeffries, Hill and Armstrong fit into the mix. Trevor Ariza has to fit into the mix somewhere, and Luis Scola has done a nice job for the Rockets all season. But the additions of Armstrong and Hill, the Knicks top draft pick in 2009, gives the Rockets a crowded roster.
In Houston, you might have to wait and see how the roster plays out. My guess is that Battier will go to the bench and replace Sixth Man of the Year candidate Landy, and that Ariza will bump to the small forward slot. Armstrong might become the starting center in Houston, while Jeffries and Hill continue to scrap for minutes.
For the Kings, Hughes will likely replace Martin as the starting shooting guard next to Tyreke Evans. This should help Hughes' fantasy value. Landry will now join Jason Thompson and Andres Nocioni in the mix at power forward for the Kings, and he could very easily be the starter soon. Landry could fit well with an Evans-Hughes backcourt, and his scoring could go up from the 16.8 points per night he was contributing in Houston.
The Verdict
Buy: McGrady, Hughes, Landry, Armstrong
Hold: Martin, Battier
Sell: Nocioni, Thompson, Ariza
