What Is ... Realgm.com?

Another fantasy sports site? No, but it does help NBA general managers turn trade fantasies into reality. Since salary-cap rules are more arcane than string theory, using pencil and paper to see if a proposed deal is doable can kill an afternoon. RealGM examines the fine print of the players? contracts and lets a team know in seconds if a trade flies.

Is this for the armchair G.M.? The bare-bones version at www.realgm.com is free. The deluxe program--which red-flags clauses that cause a player?s salary to spike if he?s dealt and tells how a trade will affect the cap in coming years--is available for $35,000 a year. The Pacers, Spurs, Rockets and Wizards have signed up, and the program helped bring Tracy McGrady (left) to Houston last month.

So execs do less work? Not exactly. Type in a player?s name, and the program will spit out guys he could be traded for--so G.M.?s may pursue deals they?d once have never imagined. ?Originally it was more of a checking tool,? says Pacers VP of player personnel David Morway. ?Today I use it to brainstorm trades.?