Cuttino Mobley Disagrees with Rockets' Trade for Tracy McGrady

Former Rockets guard believes the team should have kept him and Steve Francis instead of trading for the superstar

Apr. 13, 2026 at 12:53am

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting a basketball game or match, with sharp planes of color and overlapping shapes representing the strategic decisions and competing interests involved in the Rockets' franchise-altering trade.A cubist interpretation of the high-stakes chess match between the Rockets' young core and their pursuit of a superstar in Tracy McGrady.Houston Today

Former Houston Rockets guard Cuttino Mobley has expressed his disagreement with the team's decision to trade him, Steve Francis, and Kelvin Cato to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Tracy McGrady in 2004. Mobley believes the Rockets should have had more patience with him and Francis, arguing they could have given teams problems playing alongside Yao Ming. However, the article notes that acquiring a superstar like the 25-year-old McGrady, who was coming off two scoring titles and four All-NBA selections, is the type of move a team has to make in a star-driven league.

Why it matters

The Rockets' 2004 trade for Tracy McGrady is a prime example of the difficult decisions teams face when trying to build a championship contender. While Mobley and Francis had found success in Houston, the opportunity to pair McGrady with Yao Ming was too enticing to pass up, even though the duo's injury-plagued tenure together ultimately fell short of expectations.

The details

In the 2004 trade, the Rockets sent Cuttino Mobley, Kelvin Cato, and Steve Francis to the Orlando Magic in exchange for McGrady, Juwan Howard, Ty Lue, and Reece Gaines. McGrady went on to make three more All-NBA teams during his time in Houston, but he and Yao Ming were unable to lead the team past the first round of the playoffs in their two postseason appearances together due to injuries.

  • The trade occurred in 2004, when McGrady was 25 years old.
  • McGrady and Yao Ming played together for the Rockets for two postseasons, but never won a playoff series.

The players

Cuttino Mobley

A former guard for the Houston Rockets who was traded to the Orlando Magic in the deal for Tracy McGrady.

Tracy McGrady

A 25-year-old superstar at the time of the trade, who was coming off two consecutive scoring titles and four straight All-NBA selections.

Yao Ming

An All-NBA center who played alongside McGrady in Houston, but the duo was unable to lead the team to playoff success due to injuries.

Steve Francis

A former Rockets guard who was also traded to Orlando in the McGrady deal.

Jeff Van Gundy

The Rockets' head coach at the time of the McGrady trade, whom Mobley blames for not having enough patience with him and Francis.

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What they’re saying

“I blame Jeff Van Gundy to this day. That's my guy. I love him to death. But I always tell Jeff that you didn't have enough patience for me and Steve, because we would have... I'm not going to say we would have won one... but we would have given teams a problem with Yao Ming.”

— Cuttino Mobley, Former Rockets guard

The takeaway

The Rockets' 2004 trade for Tracy McGrady exemplifies the difficult balance teams must strike between keeping promising young players and acquiring established superstars. While the move didn't ultimately lead to a championship, it highlights the star-driven nature of the NBA and the tough decisions franchises face when trying to build a contender.