Michael Jordan vetoed Tracy McGrady trade for Scottie Pippen on draft night

Tracy McGrady says he was nearly traded to the Bulls on draft night until Michael Jordan axed the deal.

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Tracy McGrady was drafted with the No. 9 pick of the 1997 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors but was nearly a member of the Chicago Bulls until Michael Jordan vetoed a trade.

McGrady told ESPN's The Jump that he was nearly traded to Chicago in exchange for Scottie Pippen, but Jordan did not want the deal to happen.

“What a lot of people don't know about that night is that Jerry Krause was actually trying to make a trade for me and Scottie Pippen,” McGrady said. “MJ called and axed that whole deal.

• NBA draft notebook: Tilt for first guard picked heats up 

McGrady went on to play the first three years of his career in Toronto.

The trade that McGrady mentioned on Wednesday was discussed in Jonathan Abrams' book Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution.