The Houston Rockets have decided not to pick up the fourth year option on the contract of Bostjan Nachbar, leaving the third-year forward determined to "prove to everybody that they made a wrong decision."

The Rockets had the opportunity to keep Nachbar, the 15th overall pick out of the 2002 NBA draft, under contract for another season for $2.29 million but now he will become an unrestricted free agent with the Rockets owning his bird rights.

"It really is more about cap control," Rockets GM Carroll Dawson said. "It could be to his advantage. We love Boki. I think he will have opportunities right now to play well. If he has a great year it might cost us more when he becomes a free agent. He's playing well. He's got a chance to do very well. But right now, cap control is very valuable."

"Obviously, I feel a little disappointed," Nachbar said. "I was hoping to get an extension on the contract. It was a hard month for me. It was always on my mind. I wish they told me a month ago. But I'm not deeply disappointed so that I won't be focused. It's a really important week for us. That's what's on my mind. All that about the contract is behind me now.

"I didn't have a good preseason. I think I was playing too much to get the extension."

Tracy McGrady said he has no concerns that he will sign a contract extension to be with the Rockets for three seasons beyond the three he has remaining on his contract, rather than opting out after the conclusion of this season.

Beyond that though is in serious doubt.

"We're going to get it done," McGrady said. "We're going to get it done. But I can't see myself playing past 35. That's 10 more years, man. I'll probably be hurting then.

"To me, I probably play five, six years. I'll be done. I've said for a few years I won't play past 35. That will be 14, 15 years in the league. I'll be done."

McGrady, a player that went directly to the NBA out of high school, would be the equivalent of a 39 year-old at the age of 35, in NBA years.  Players like McGrady, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James are put in a unique situation where the record books are more accessible, as they begin their assualt upon them at the age of 18, rather than 22 when players used to go to college for four years.

John Weisbrod earlier this week revealed that although Tracy McGrady requested to be traded from Orlando earlier this offseason, his departure from the Magic was far from one-sided.

Weisbrod implied that the Magic were never going to be able to win with McGrady on the roster because the players had become accustomed to losing.  McGrady could score 35 points a night and feel he did all he could and the other Magic players felt that they were not the leader of the team so the blame for the team's major struggles last season was not their fault according to Weisbrod, and everyone went home and slept without guilt.

While the implication was that McGrady could not lead a winning team, McGrady himself is saying that faults from the season past should not lie with him and his ex-teammates alone.

"When you say things like [Weisbrod] said, that's just covering [yourself]," McGrady said. "I hated losing, but it just got to the point where we were losing so much, you kind of get used to it.

"Going into games, it was like 'Oh, we're going to lose, so let's just get it over with.' That's how the mentality was with a lot of guys, not just me."

McGrady, how in Houston as a member of the Rockets, was due to face his old ballclub last night but coach Jeff Van Gundy chose to rest him, saying he wanted to look at other shooting guards and small forwards.

T-Mac understood why he wasn't playing Saturday and joked he probably would've hurt himself because he was so amped up.

"I had a high going," McGrady said. "(Van Gundy) ruined my high."

Added Van Gundy: "I know the timing isn't great for the Orlando fans. I do feel for them."

Another Rocket feeling the wrath of Weisbrod's comments was forward Juwan Howard, who joined McGrady in Houston as part of the trade which saw Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato head to Florida.

Howard, who also sat out the exhibition game, said he did not appreciate Weisbrod's comments about last year's team.

"What he said was a slap in the face to all of us," Howard said. "I respect his opinion, but I disagree with it. Johnny Davis was with me at training camp, during the exhibition season and all 82 games, and he knows I cared big time."

Davis became head coach after Doc Rivers was fired three weeks into the season.

"Last year was last year, and it doesn't do anyone any good to revisit it," Davis said. "You learn from it and move on. I think fondly of Tracy. I hope he's happy, and I wish him the best."

The Bulls took the first step toward paring down their roster by releasing guard Mike Wilks before Wednesday's practice.

Wilks was acquired from Houston last month in the Dikembe Mutombo trade and has a guaranteed contract worth $720,046, which the Bulls will have to pay if Wilks is not claimed on waivers within 48 hours.

The simple explanation is Wilks became expendable when rookie second-round draft pick Chris Duhon played so well in Tuesday's 95-92 preseason victory over Boston. Duhon had 8 assists, 6 points and 1 turnover in 24 minutes.

But the roster move caught Wilks by surprise. He was told by Bulls coach Scott Skiles to go ahead and rent an apartment, which he did, because he was going to be the team's backup point guard.

And then Wilks never got much of a chance to prove himself. He totaled just 27 minutes in the first three preseason games and didn't play at all Tuesday. Duhon has been given 90 minutes of court time during preseason.

The silver lining for Wilks is if he clears waivers and then signs with another team, he'll be paid twice, since the Bulls have to honor his salary regardless.

With the regular season still a few weeks away, it is becoming increasingly clear that Michael Redd will opt out of his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Milwaukee matched an offer sheet that Redd had signed with the Mavericks when the shooting guard was a restricted free-agent.  

Redd will be one of the most highly sought after free-agents of a class that will likely include Ray Allen and perhaps Tracy McGrady as well.

McGrady has yet to sign a contract extension with the Houston Rockets, as both parties would like to see exactly how he and Yao Ming play with one another before they commit to a long-term relationship.