by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
The NBA’s trade deadline is always full of surprising twists and turns, and this year is no different. Despite numerous reports that they were close, the New York Knicks did not land T-Mac; instead, McGrady is now a Sacramento King, and Kevin Martin will wear Rocket white and red.
A seven-player blockbuster trade was completed in the wee hours this morning between Houston and Sacramento, dramatically altering the look and makeup of both franchises.
The Houston Chronicle has the details:
The Rockets completed a deal early today to move Tracy McGrady and might just have landed his successor. A person with knowledge of the deal said the Rockets sent McGrady, Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey to the Sacramento Kings for high-scoring guard Kevin Martin.
The Rockets will also receive forward Kenny Thomas (a former first-round pick of theirs), center Hilton Armstrong and point guard Sergio Rodriguez. The Rockets will send cash to the Kings but, with the swap, will also move under the luxury-tax line, a secondary goal in the trade talks. “With Yao (Ming) back next year, we think Kevin gives us a great shot,” the person with knowledge of the deal said. “This also gives us what we need this year.”
T-Mac’s journey may not be quite complete yet; there’s some belief out there that the New York deal isn’t off the table, and that McGrady’s powerful agent may also try and land him on a contender for the Playoff run (Cleveland and the Lakers are reportedly possibilities.)
As for Kevin Martin, his struggles to play alongside Tyreke Evans in Sac-Town had become a growing issue, and now that he’s reunited with his old coach Rick Adelman, Martin’s game (and the Rockets) should benefit considerably.
UPDATE: According to Y! Sports, a three-team trade between the Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks has taken place. “The completed trade will send McGrady and Kings point guard Sergio Rodriguez to New York. Houston lands Martin, Knicks forwards Jordan Hill and Jarred Jeffries and draft picks to the Rockets. The Kings will receive Rockets forward Carl Landry and center Joey Dorsey and Knicks guard Larry Hughes.“
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