OTD in 2004: Orlando Magic Traded Tracy McGrady to the Houston Rockets

Tracy McGrady made his name as one of the best offensive weapons of the 2000s. At his peak, many consider him to have been among the best scorers of all-time. He played his best individual seasons as a member of the Orlando Magic but never managed to get past the first round of the playoffs and ultimately had a falling out with management. The relationship had appeared to run its course, and in 2004, a change needed to be made.

INTERESTING FACTS

Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets completed a 7-player trade that sent Tracy McGrady Houston on June 29, 2004
Tracy McGrady scored a career-high 62 PTS that broke Orlando’s franchise record
7x All-Star, 7x All-NBA, 2x Scoring Champion, 2001 Most Improved Player, Only player to score 13+ PTS in final 33 sec of 1 GP
Tracy McGrady scored 13 PTS in the final 33 seconds to single-handedly beat the Spurs at the end of the game

MAIN SIGNIFICANCE

HOUSTON ROCKETS LANDED 2X SCORING CHAMP TRACY MCGRADY FROM ORLANDO

McGrady developed into a Sixth Man of the Year contender while playing alongside his distant cousin Vince Carter in Toronto, and even elevated into a starting role. A free agent in 2000, he opted to join the Magic, wanting a better situation for his personal growth. In his first season there, his points-per-game average jumped from 15.4 to 26.8. In ’02-’03, he averaged a career-high 32.1 PPG. Despite his individual success, Orlando’s team success was limited thanks to injuries to their other star, Grant Hill.

Things would not work out with the Magic and in 2004, Tracy McGrady was traded to the Houston Rockets. He had a number of memorable moments with the franchise, including an instance when he scored 13 points in the last 35 seconds of a comeback victory against the eventual champion Spurs, but his playoff misfortune continued. He would break out of the first round only one time, and like Grant Hill, injuries began to force his early decline. In 2010, he was traded to the New York Knicks in a three-team deal.