More valuable than gold doubloons to European explorers, the white whale to Captain Ahab or cheap female companionship to Tiger Woods, huge expiring contracts are the most cherished commodity in the NBA. So when the biggest individual player contract in the league goes on the trade block, it’s going to receive some attention.
That the Tracy McGrady sweepstakes threatens to overshadow the freaky Gilbert Arenas situation illustrates perfectly how salary structure overrides everything in the NBA — even alleged gun incidents inside the locker room.
It’s the nature of the business that T-Mac’s $23 million contract is viewed not as an albatross, but as a valuable bargaining chip for the Houston Rockets, who are six years and zero first-round playoff victories (with McGrady in the lineup) in their T-Mac era.
The one team the Rockets should give the longest, hardest look is the one that is in the worst spot in terms of the salary cap. The 76ers are so bad financially, they’re willing to give a roster spot to Royal Ivey simply because Ivey’s contract is negligible towards the cap. That’s what longterm deals with Elton Brand, Samuel Dalembert and Andre Iguodala will do.
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