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Amare Stoudemire went under the knife again, and will miss the rest of the season.

The 2005 All-Star underwent a procedure at Banner Samaritan Outpatient Surgical Center on Wednesday to remove debris caused by wear and tear on his kneecap. The resulting inflammation had led to the development of a cyst and pressure behind the joint.

The 23-year-old will be on crutches for seven to 10 days and will need six to eight weeks before he can resume court activities.

The Suns will have to head into the playoffs without their superstar center.

The Seattle Supersonics aren’t going to the playoffs this year, but the trade they made on Valentine’s Day has worked out beautifully. They sent disgruntled small forward Vladimir Radmanovic to the Clippers for Chris Wilcox, and the trade has shown immediate dividends.

The Sonics are 11-10 in the 21 games in which Wilcox played more than 20 minutes. In those games, he has averaged 15.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, while shooting a stellar 60% from the field. Last night, against the Rockets, Wilcox scored 26 points and grabbed 24 rebounds.

I’m sure the Clippers were sad to see Wilcox go, but there just wasn’t enough playing time available behind Elton Brand and Chris Kaman, and he’s good enough to be getting starter’s minutes. For his part, Radmanovic has averaged 12.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg over the last 10 games, and has provided his new team with excellent shooting from long range, hitting 44% of his three-point shots.

It’s a rare thing – a trade that works out for both teams.

On the heels of a tremendous tournament performance, Joakim Noah might be on his way to the pros. ESPN’s Chad Ford discusses the NBA stock of the major players in the Final Four [Insider subscription required].

He says that Noah, along with Al Horford and Corey Brewer, would be lottery picks, if they declare.

Noah did a little of everything in the tournament — scored both inside and out, blocked shots at a record pace, crashed the glass on both ends, handled the ball on the break, made passes only point guards are supposed to know how to make.

Scouts worry about his lack of strength and relatively raw skills on the offensive end. But those concerns pale in comparison to his upside. Noah has been fairly adamant that he’s returning to school. But now that he’s won a championship and is a virtual lock as a top-five pick, our guess is that he’s in the NBA next year.

Noah had a great tournament, but I worry about his lack of a 15-foot jumper. If he’s going to play power forward in the pros, he’ll need to develop that quickly. Right now, he looks lost when he faces up to shoot from outside the lane.

Ford goes on to say that, of the three, Horford would benefit the most from another year in school. Brewer is projected to be a late lottery pick to a mid-first round pick, but if Noah and Horford both jet, Brewer might join them.