The Sixers almost got Tracy McGrady..... in 1999

Billy King's legacy in Philly would have been very different if he didn't chicken out of a deal back in 1999. King, an analyst for ESPN, said on the air that he had a deal in place with Toronto that would have sent the Raptors Larry Hughes, and the Sixers would have received Tracy McGrady and a first round pick. King said that after Stephen A. Smith broke the news, he got cold feet and backed out of the trade.

Just another reason to hate Billy King, and Stephen A. Smith for that matter. To have such a sweet deal in place, where the Sixers not only get future superstar Tracy McGrady, but they also get a first round pick!? Granted hindsight is 50/50, and, at the time, Hughes was actually the better player, but McGrady always had the higher upside. This would have been an absolute steal, and we might have seen that 2001 Sixers team actually win two or three games in the Finals. Knowing Billy King, though, he would have traded McGrady in the deal to get Toni Kukoc instead of Hughes.

By the way, the irony of Billy King being an analyst on ESPN should not be lost on anyone.