The Rockets and Magic have finalized a deal to send Tracy McGrady to Houston — provided none of the other principal names in the multi-player trade are selected in Tuesday’s expansion draft, ESPN’s Jim Gray reports.

The trade also includes Juwan Howard to Houston, while Orlando will get Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato in return. Of those five players, McGrady and Francis are protected and cannot be drafted by the Bobcats. If Charlotte passes on Howard, Mobley and Cato, then the deal is done, Gray reports.

To make the trade work financially under the salary-cap rules, the Magic would also send Tyronn Lue to Houston, reports ESPN’s David Aldridge. Andrew DeClercq may also be shipped to Houston.

Jeff Fried, Francis’ agent, told the Houston Chronicle on Monday that Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson told him the trade was not complete but was close.

“I spoke to Carroll and it was not a done deal,” Fried told the paper. “It’s close. It’s subject to a few contingencies.”

The New York Times reported that the trade could not become official until July 15 due to a stipulation in Francis’ contract that makes him a base-year compensation player.

In the expansion draft (Tuesday, 7 ET), the Bobcats will select 14 players from existing NBA rosters. Few of those players are expected to wind up on Charlotte’s opening-night roster.

Joe Dumars built the team, Larry Brown coached it and Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Co. brought the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to Detroit. Big Ben delivered 18 points, 22 rebounds and three blocks Tuesday as the Pistons routed the Lakers 100-87 in Game 5 to win The Finals, giving Motown its first NBA title since 1990.

The Lakers as we know them will no longer be. The futures of Malone, Fisher, Payton, Kobe are all in question. Phil Jackson said after the game that he might not be back either.

Congrats to Detriot!

Detriot bounced back from that disappointing lost by smacking L.A. with a 88-68 ass kicking. Detriot’s amazing defense held the Lakers to their smallest point output since the inception of the shotclock. Now thats what I call a beat down!

After taking an untimely brief break at the end of Game 2, the defense of the Detroit Pistons returned with a record-setting vengeance.

With a smothering effort that shut down both Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, the Pistons shook off a loss and shackled the Los Angeles Lakers, 88-68, moving closer to an improbable NBA championship.

After Detroit’s Game 1 win, coach Larry Brown said he didn’t think his team could defend better. Back on their home court in front of a manic crowd, the Pistons proved him wrong as they stymied O’Neal and Bryant, the superstars who had combined for better than 60 points per game.

“This is as good as we can play,” said Brown, correcting himself.

O’Neal, who never had been held below 25 points in 21 career Finals games, was limited to 14 on 7-of-14 shooting and missed his only two free throws as he was harassed by two-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace and hampered by foul trouble.