NEW YORK -- For obvious reasons, Tracy McGrady has narrowed his choices to play next season -- or the following one, at the latest, should the Magic incomprehensibly fail to arrange a trade -- to four teams, all of whom flaunt a centrifugal force.

According to a confidant of the run down compulsive scorer, he has targeted the Suns, Rockets, Spurs and Lakers, but won't officially alert Orlando management of his decision to opt out of his contract at the end of the 2004-2005 season until after The Finals.

As previously reported, the Suns would be prepared to swap Shawn Marion for McGrady, whereas the Rockets, the source claims, almost assuredly would give up Steve Francis.

While neither All-Star provides equivalent oomph or ornate both deals, if the odds were evened up a tad, can't help but tempt the leveraged Magic, because both Francis and Marion are locked up for five more seasons.

The white bread, no crust franchise already has lost one too many irreplaceable heirlooms (Shaq) minus any reimbursement; owner Rich DeVos can't and won't let it happen again.

It's unimaginable (impossible may be closer to reality) how the Lakers could hope to compensate the Magic; Kobe ain't about to switch identities and addresses with McGrady.

As for the Spurs, rising restricted free agent Manu Ginobili would have to be built-in to any sign-and-trade package that almost certainly -- for cap purposes, has to include Malik Rose. So that's why Gregg Popovich was saving him.

Why risk injuring the team's vital contributor to two titles by playing him too many minutes (while Robert Horry was wallowing) against the Lakers?

Only a gifted man like him could concoct such a genius thought.

So, the Lakers return to their birthplace for the start of the Western Conference finals. I don't want to suggest the Zen Hen House is overconfident, but it just put Shaq on the injured list and activated old-timer Vern Mikkelsen.

Not to detract from Kevin Garnett's accomplishment (the lone Timberwolf to notch a field goal in the fourth quadrant), whose team survived Sacramento and Flip Saunders' coaching, but unless retired Hall of Famer George Mikan is tanned, rested and ready, Shaq need only shut down the Mall of America and Jesse Ventura.

If you're tallying demerits at home, Saunders became the millionth coach to allow an opponent to unload from deep with a seconds-to-go three-point lead; allowing Webber to nearly send Game 7 into OT was just plain stupid.

Leaving Wally Szczerbiak (only T-Wolf sub to score; 10 points) on the bench for the whole third quarter after what he achieved in the second (four field goals, three offensive rebounds, not to mention a 12-point explosion without breaking a sweat in Game 6) is approaching the brain dead off ramp.

No offense to Fred Hoiberg (six boards, 0-2 FG in 19 minutes), but giving him time that belongs to Szczerbiak, or playing a 35-year-old (Latrell Sprewell) 44 minutes is obtuse.

As much as Saunders tried to prevent it, Szczerbiak wound up being the difference in Game 7. When finally re-inserted in the fourth quarter, he continued to be aggressive. Though he never got another shot (Spree slickly looked him off two or three times in order to get the ball to Garnett against double coverage),

Szczerbiak took the pressure off K.G. by snaring another offensive rebound and feeding him three times for easy scores.

AS FOR THE good folks of the California capital, the chorus already can be heard: Break Up The Maloof Brothers.

Rick Adelman whose biggest adjustment in the series was changing the part in his hair (or was I seeing things?) may also be disbanded over Geoff Petrie's stiff objections.

Despite a vat of valid excuses (Chris Webber's physical condition and free throw line gag order . . . Bobby Jackson's unavailability . . . Vlade Divac resurrecting images of Patrick Ewing in his prone and Brad Miller replicating how he performed under playoff pressure as a Pacer -- aborting critical foul shots and layups . . . Peja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby combining for 7-25 FG in Game 7), the Maloofs (owners of the Kings) may have had enough of coach Adelman.

May I present next year's Kings coach: Gray Davis.

MIKE MONTGOMERY becomes the first guy to jump from college to the pros and end up with a worse recruiting class. Obviously, Lou Carnesecca had first dibs but turned down the job.

There's a good reason why no one saw Chris Mullin's stunning move coming: College coaches can't get away with harshly criticizing players who aren't afraid of losing their scholarships or guaranteed contracts. By all accounts, the excessively demanding 57-year-old was not easy to play for at Stanford.

One thing's for sure, Montgomery is in perfect agreement with Mullin on Mike Dunleavy; they're convinced he's the Warriors' best player.