NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady was in the house on Thursday night to watch Auburndale take on Lakeland. ROY FUOCO/THE LEDGER / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tracy McGrady Explains Signing With Magic in Free Agency

Originally posted on Orlando Magic on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Feb 15, 2026 8:00 AM ET

It's been over 25 years since the Orlando Magic signed hometown hero Tracy McGrady as a free agent.

McGrady, a native of Auburndale, Fla., signed with the Magic on a seven-year, $92 million contract, which was viewed as one of the biggest deals in the league at the time. While McGrady expressed his desire to sign with the Magic to play closer to home, he had other reasons to join Orlando.

"I used to drive every day to pass the Orlando Magic's Arena. So as a kid, the Orlando Magic being my favorite team. I grew up 30 miles from here, and I'm passing this arena every day. I'm consuming all this, and it's giving me a vision of what the future looks like for me," McGrady said on the Post Moves podcast.

"I wanted to play in that building one day in that uniform. So when I had the opportunity to jump ship, it was no hesitation ... Obviously, looking back, I could sit here and say, 'Yeah, I wish I never left.' But what people don't understand is that Grant Hill was my teammate. Like this was one of the baddest dudes on the planet in Orlando.

"He was my teammate for four years, but unfortunately, he had the ankle injury. He just never got healthy."

Scott Wheeler / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tracy McGrady Wanted to Win Title With Grant Hill

Hill signed an identical seven-year deal next to McGrady, forming a dynamic duo for the Magic that could have made them instant contenders. After finishing 41-41 the year before, the Magic were hoping that adding McGrady and Hill would help them take another step in the right direction.

However, Hill's ankle injuries limited him to just four games in his first season with the Magic. McGrady did the heavy lifting and got the Magic to the playoffs in 2001, 2002 and 2003, but the team struggled to win many games the following year.

That season, McGrady won the scoring title, but the Magic fell to the bottom of the league, resulting in Orlando trading him to the Houston Rockets in a seven-player deal.

While the McGrady era for the Magic was unsuccessful, it showed Orlando's willingness to swing for the fences. The Magic were able to get back to contender status by the end of the decade, reaching the NBA Finals in 2009, but the team hasn't won a playoff series since 2010.