The trajectory of the entire NBA is about to flash before your eyes.
Kind of.
While appearing on ESPN’s The Jump with Rachel Nichols, Tracy McGrady said that the Chicago Bulls tried to trade for him in the 1997 draft, only to have their attempts thwarted by Michael Jordan. Here’s SI.com’s Kenny Ducey with the clip:
Tracy McGrady: The Bulls tried to trade Scottie Pippen for me on draft night, but Michael Jordan vetoed the deal pic.twitter.com/eWYgMok0aZ
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) June 23, 2016
This is pretty easy to picture. The cost for McGrady was Scottie Pippen, who was still Jordan’s second in command. The Bulls were working off two straight titles at the time, and it’s unlikely that the departure of their second-most important player would have sat well with MJ.
Still, Jordan’s next season would be his last with the Bulls. Chicago had to know about this and likely wanted to plan ahead for the GOAT’s exit. It’s a testament to the clout Jordan carried that he, a 34-year-old staring down (supposed) retirement, could put the kaboose on a deal for the future.
And could you imagine if McGrady ended up on the Bulls instead of the Raptors? Or if he and Jordan got to play one year together, even if their time on the court with each other would have been negligible?
I just got chills. Did anyone else get chills?
