The Latest Amare Stoudemire Rumors
Phoenix Suns big man Amare Stoudemire is one of the biggest names rumored to be on the move by this month’s NBA trade deadline. The Suns potential interest to move Stoudemire lies in the fact he most certainly will opt out of his contract to test free agency next summer and the team itself would not mind unloading his salary in an effort to stay under the luxury tax threshold next season.
The main hangup for the Suns is they currently hold the 5th playoff spot in the west and it is hard to imagine them getting equal immediate value in return for Amare. They might realize the value down the road depending on any draft picks they may get in return. The big question is whether Steve Kerr has the stomach to move another center piece of the team with eyes on building for the future and what he might be able to get in return for a player who ultimately could end up being a three month rental for the team that lands him.
The most prominent rumor seems to center around the Suns dealing Stoudemire in one form or another for Philadelphia’s Andre Igoudala, whom the team has coveted since he came out in the 2004 draft. One scenario has the Suns being willing to give the Sixers Stoudemire in exchange for both Igoudala and Samuel Dalembert.
Now, the Sixers would love to unload Dalembert’s contract on anyone, but, it is not readily evident whether they would be willing to part with Iggy for a player that could potentially leave via free agency after the season. The worst case scenario would be that they end up with $24 million coming off the books next summer, but, it would also mean they would be out their best all around player with nothing to show for it.
There is also the issue of Stoudemire being extremely injury prone over his career and they are already dealing with one big man in Elton Brand who cannot stay healthy. Unless the Sixers can get Amare to agree not to opt out this summer or to sign an extension it seems unlikely they will that interested in Stoudemire if it means giving up Igoudala to get him.
Another scenario with the Sixers and Suns also involves the Pistons in what would amount to a three way deal. In this deal the Sixers would send Igoudala to the Suns, the Pistons would get Stoudemire and the Sixers get Ben Gordon from the Pistons, and the Suns would also get Detroit’s Chris Wilcox.
The deal makes sense for the Suns and Pistons but is a bad one for Philly. First of all the Sixers already have two smallish shooting guards in Allen Iverson and Lou Williams, so why would they want another one in Ben Gordon? Secondly, why bring in Gordon when Iverson and Williams are putting up comparable numbers for half the money? This one seems highly unlikely to go down.
Other possible destinations include the Nets, Miami, Chicago, San Antonio, Washington, and Cleveland.
The Nets have young talent and draft picks to offer for Stoudemire and they would love to have a marketable star like Amare for the move to Brooklyn. This deal does not make a ton of sense for the Nets as they stand today. Why deal away young talent and draft picks for a guy who is a potential free agent and you will have more than enough cash under the cap to make him a significant offer this summer?
Stoudemire would be an incredible compliment to Brook Lopez who is a budding star at center for the Nets and it would allow Stoudemire to play his more natural power forward spot. He would also give the team a recognizable face to market when it moves to Brooklyn.
The Heat are desperate to land a name talent to keep Dwyane Wade in town. Stoudemire maintains an off season home in Florida and if the Heat thinks it can re-sign Amare then Wade is more apt to stay put. Miami would gladly give the Suns Jermaine O’Neal’s expiring contract to get Stoudemire and they would likely have to throw in Michael Beasley to get the deal done.
Chicago has been in the market for a big man who can score since it traded Elton Brand many moons ago. Stoudemire would fit the bill for the Bulls and would be the perfect compliment to the trio of Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, and Joakim Noah. The deal would likely consist of the Bulls parting with Brad Miller’s expiring deal and either Tyrus Thomas or Kirk Hinrich. The main issue is the Bulls are not sold on Stoudemire being a long term solution or quite the right fit for the team.
The Spurs seem to be a bit of a long shot, but, they could be looking to do something just to shake things up a bit. There is speculation they might offer up Manu Ginobili for him. The thing is I get a sense that the Suns want more than an aging Ginobili’s expiring contract in exchange for a player of Stoudemire’s profile. My guess is that if they are serious about landing Amare they will need to include one of their young players like DeJauan Blair or George Hill.
A deal for the Wizards’ Antawn Jamison seems possible. The Wizards are staring rebuilding in the face and Jamison, who has two years left on his deal after this season, would be a good fit for the Suns system and comes at a slightly lower salary than Stoudemire.
The Cavaliers have been rumored to be looking to deal for a front court scorer to compliment LeBron and Shaq. The major hangups on this deal are Shaq and Amare did not exactly play well together in Phoenix and the Suns would proably want J. J. Hickson in return, and the Cavs are not looking to deal Hickson at this time. The problem is the Suns are going to want more than Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ expiring contract in exchange for Stoudemire.
Of course there is always the fairly likely scenario that the Suns keep Stoudemire in hopes they can make magic happen this spring and get back to the NBA Finals.
