With the NBA trade deadline fast approaching on Thursday, Rockets fans were filled with questions.  Could Tracy McGrady’s gargantuan expiring contract be exchanged for young talent?  Would the Rockets attempt to dump salary in order to avoid the luxury tax?  Was there any way the Rockets could land an all-star without dismantling the team?

By the time the deadline had passed, only one question remained:  How does Daryl Morey do it?

The third-year general manager has made a habit of surprising fans with unexpected trades during his tenure, including swapping guard Vassilis Spanoulis for Luis Scola, trading Bobby Jackson and Donte Green for Ron Artest, and moving Rafer Alston for Kyle Lowry at the deadline last season. 

Thursday may have been Morey’s best feat yet:  In a complex three-team deal, the Rockets sent forwards Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey to the Sacramento Kings for shooting guard Kevin Martin.  McGrady, meanwhile, landed with the New York Knicks in exchange for rookie forward Jordan Hill, defensive specialist Jared Jeffries, the right to exchange 2011 first-round picks with the Knicks (unless the Knicks get the No. 1 pick of that season’s draft), and the Knicks 2012 first-round pick (unless it falls in the top five of the draft.) 

Martin, obviously, was the Rockets’ most exciting acquisition.  The Rockets paid a dear price to get him to Houston by trading Landry, the team’s second-leading scorer and a 6^th Man of the Year candidate.  In the end, though, Morey and head coach Rick Adelman clearly felt Martin was too intriguing to pass up.  The 6’7” guard is one of the highest-scoring and most efficient players in the league, and Martin thrived under Adelman in Sacramento.  As McGrady’s replacement, he should more than address the Rockets’ greatest area of need—scoring from the wing. 

Though losing Landry stings, the Rockets may have acquired his replacement from the Knicks in Jordan Hill.  2009’s 8^th overall pick in the draft, Hill is a raw talent with true size who played alongside Chase Budinger at Arizona.  Currently, Hill is nowhere near the player that Landry is, but he has the tools to develop into a high-flying, athletic NBA forward.  Even if Hill proves to be a bust, the Rockets will still have the right to trade first round picks with the Knicks in 2011 and own New York’s first round pick outright in 2012.  Not too shabby an exchange for a player the Rockets weren’t even using. 

So what’s Morey’s secret?  Is he a master negotiator?  Does he do more and better research than other GMs?  Or is he possessed of some eerie mental powers that compel other to do his bidding?

In truth, Morey’s secret is both simple and crucial:  He gets his trading partners what they want.  Take the Kyle Lowry trade as an example.  At last year’s deadline, the Orlando Magic desperately wanted a veteran point guard to fill in for the injured Jameer Nelson during the playoffs.  The Memphis Grizzlies, meanwhile, hoped to get rid of one of three young point guards creating a logjam at the position.  By orchestrating a three-team trade, Morey got the Magic their man in Rafer Alston, relieved the Grizzlies of their nettlesome guard problem, and landed Kyle Lowry, allowing Aaron Brooks to emerge as a star.  

Thursday’s deal was no different.  Morey knew the Kings were planning to build around guard Tyreke Evans and wanted a young low-post scorer to pair him with.  Morey helped the Kings by sending them Carl Landry and gained Martin in return.  As for the Knicks, it was widely known that they were desperate to move Jared Jeffries in order to create enough space under the salary cap to sign not one, but TWO max-deal free agents in the offseason.  The Rockets were the only team willing to offer a large expiring contract (McGrady) and to take back the overpaid Jeffries.  In exchange, the Rockets received Hill and primo draft considerations from New York, socking away assets for the future.  New York got what they wanted, paying dearly for their chance at LeBron James.  The Rockets got what they wanted, too. 

Is Morey a wizard?  A mad scientist?  No.  For all his hard work, it must all still come together on the court.  What Morey has proven to be, however, is a shrewd observer of other teams’ goals, and a master at enriching the Rockets by helping to achieve them.