Tracy McGrady Says Michael Jordan Made The Right Decision By Not Letting The Bulls Trade Scottie Pippen For Him

3 Min Read

Tracy McGrady has a long career of what-ifs. Everyone agrees that McGrady was one of the best of his time, but his peak was cut short because of injuries. Many people still wonder how good McGrady would have been on a title-contending team, but he went through a career of never making it out of the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Despite that, the former scoring champion is happy with his career. One way that McGrady would have been a guaranteed winner is if a proposed draft-day trade went through that would send McGrady to the Chicago Bulls and send Scottie Pippen to the Boston Celtics. The story went that Michael Jordan allegedly vetoed the trade, but it was revealed to be a decision by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf

McGrady recently revealed that the Bulls made the right decision by not trading for him in an interview with HoopsHype.

Jerry Krause had an obsession with me. At 18 years old and at 20 years old, when I became a free agent, he had an obsession. Did I think about what would’ve happened if I became a Bull as a rookie? Yeah, I thought about it. Did I feel like they should’ve made that trade? Absolutely not. They were still winning championships. If you bring in a rookie and take away a Top 50 player for a rookie. I wasn’t ready at that time to step up in that role. I don’t want to be stupid about this. They made the right choice. MJ (Michael Jordan) made the right call of really putting an ax to that, keeping that same group together, and went on to win another championship.

I had the opportunity in 2000 when I was a free agent, but like Toronto and any other team that was recruiting me, they were recruiting against me going to play back home in Orlando. That was a tough challenge.

McGrady would end up never donning the red colors of the Chicago Bulls in his career. However, he did make his impact on the game and is remembered for his incredible ability at his peak. Sadly, it didn’t end up with McGrady having a glittering trophy case full of honors.  

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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