Tag: Amare Stoudemire (Page 9 of 15)

Report: Cavs in the running for Stoudemire

The Arizona Republic reports that the Cavs are one of three teams thought to be in talks with the Suns about trading for star Amare Stoudemire.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer breaks down the potential issues the Cavs face if they do deal for Stoudemire:

But with Stoudemire having the right to become a free agent this summer, it would be foolish for either team to trade for him without an agreement he’d re-sign with them. He already made it clear he didn’t want to go to Golden State last summer, which was one of the sticking points to that failed trade. It is hard to believe he’d want to stay in Minnesota, which is in the middle of a large rebuilding project.

That factor reduces Stoudemire’s value on the trade market and is why such a deal would make some sense for the Cavs. Stoudemire has said he wants to play for a contender, but probably would also be attracted to New York or Miami in the offseason. So the danger is the Cavs may find themselves renting him as well.

Another issue in thinking about this potential trade, however, is Stoudemire’s relationship with O’Neal. The people in Phoenix say that O’Neal and Stoudemire got along just fine in the locker room, but they didn’t so much on the floor. Their styles got in each other’s way, and it was one of the reasons the Suns first thought about trading Stoudemire a year ago and then flirted with the idea again in the summer before trading O’Neal instead.

Windhorst states that the natural trade that makes sense for both the Cavs and Suns would be Zydrunas Ilgauskas and J.J. Hickson for Stoudemire, since the Suns have “a history of interest in Hickson.”

Rotoworld.com is reporting that the Nets, Pistons, Warriors and T-Wolves are also interested in Stoudemire, although the Suns aren’t interested in a salary dump. They want good players and will seek the best offer.


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Stoudemire ‘would love to stay’ in Phoenix

The Arizona Republic reports that the Suns are going to speak with Amare Stoudemire’s camp about an extension.

Suns General Manager Steve Kerr and Managing Partner Robert Sarver will meet with Stoudemire’s agent, Happy Walters, this week for their first formal discussion. Walters declined comment.

“We’ll definitely talk about it,” Kerr said of an extension. “We have a lot to consider.

“Amar’e has been great all year. We’re thrilled with the way he’s played and the effort he’s put forth, returning from the injury to his eye.”

“It’s always about what’s the best situation for the Suns organization and myself,” Stoudemire said. “Wherever there is an equilibrium or common denominator, we can settle on that. Winning is the most important thing to me. Being a contender. If we can do it here, then I would love to stay.”

Stoudemire says that winning “is the most important thing,” but he also thinks that he’s a max contract player, so one wonders if he’d sign an extension with the Suns if Kerr offered him a deal for less than the max. Chris Bosh is more coveted because he’s a better defender. Stoudemire is a superior offensive player and is a nice fit with a team that pushes the ball and doesn’t stress shutdown defense. The Knicks immediately spring to mind.

While the Suns are 24-17, they started the season 14-3, so they have lost 14 of their last 24 games. If that trend continues, the Stoudemire trade talk will heat up.


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Amare Stoudemire staying in Phoenix?

When asked whether or not he’ll make a move prior to the February trade deadline, Suns GM Steve Kerr said the following (via FanHouse)…

“I don’t think we’re going to do anything,” he said. “I’m pretty happy with this group.”

Kerr was asked if that means Stoudemire, who can opt out of his contract next summer and become a free agent, is safe from being moved.

“I’d be pretty surprised if we did anything,” Kerr said. “We’re playing well. You always want to get better and you never say never (regarding a move). But we’re playing well.”

For his part, Stoudemire says that he’s not sure that he’s going to opt out at the end of the season.

“I’m right in the middle,’ he said. “There’s no particular way I’m leaning.”

“It’s up to them to approach me about whatever situation they think, whatever they’re thinking,” Stoudemire said. “Until then, I’m just going to keep playing and keep trying to win. The ball is pretty much in their court. Whenever they’re ready to discuss anything, just let me know. If not, I’m just going to keep playing.”

What a difference winning makes. The Suns are 16-8, an impressive mark considering Phoenix has only played eight home games thus far. They’re getting good play from Stoudemire (19-8, 56% shooting), Steve Nash (18-3-11, 53%) and Jason Richardson (16-5-2, career-high 48% shooting). Grant Hill (12-6-2) and Channing Frye (12-6) round out a pretty balanced starting five.

If the Suns can keep winning, Kerr is unlikely to make any moves. I’ve been hard on him over the last couple of seasons (mainly for trading Shawn Marion and letting Mike D’Antoni slip away), but the proof is in the pudding. He realized that the Shaq trade got the Suns away from what they do best — push the ball. The Suns are running again (4th in the NBA in pace) and that style suits their personnel.

If Amare is still on the roster after the trade deadline, then it’s up to the Suns to decide whether or not they want to commit to him long term. He’s still likely to opt-out, especially if he stays healthy and continues to play well. There are too many teams with salary cap space to let an opportunity for a long-term contract pass him by.


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The Top 10 NBA Free Agents of 2010

Originally published December 11, 2008.
Updated November 12, 2009.

The phrase “Summer of 2010” has become part of the NBA lexicon. Teams have been tripping over each other trying to clear cap space for next summer so that they can sign an impact free agent (or two). With that in mind, let’s take a look ahead at the free agent crop of 2010.

Below is a list of the top 10 players that are likely to be free agents next summer. I’m ranking them based mostly on talent, but it’s also important to note each player’s age in July of 2010, as that will affect his value and skill. For example, a 31 year-old Paul Pierce holds much more value than a 33 year-old Paul Pierce. Get the drift?

1. LeBron James, SF (26 years-old)
James is the golden boy of this free agent class and is the player that every franchise would love to land next summer. He will have just turned 26 and whatever team is lucky enough to sign him will – barring injury – enjoy four or five years of the best basketball of his career. The Cavs have gone “all in” this season, signing Shaq, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon, and re-signing Anderson Varejao. In the process, they gave up whatever cap space they would have enjoyed next summer. If Cleveland’s season ends in disappointment once again, it wouldn’t be surprising if LeBron decides to take his game elsewhere. Three teams — the Knicks, Bulls and Nets — jump out as good fits. LeBron has stated that his top priority is to become a “global icon” and playing in Manhattan would serve that purpose. If the Knicks are able to unload Eddy Curry or Jared Jeffries before the trade deadline, then they’ll have the projected cap space to sign two top players on this list, and that might be enough to convince LeBron to sign on the dotted line. Plus, he’s familiar with Mike D’Antoni (via the duo’s work with Team USA) and the Knicks’ up-tempo system would be a near-perfect fit for LeBron’s skill set. The Nets offer a better supporting cast (led by Devin Harris and Brook Lopez) and the (impending?) move to Brooklyn would boost the franchise’s profile. Chicago has a number of pieces already in place (Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and Kirk Hinrich) and is bigger market than Cleveland. But would LeBron want to go to the franchise that Michael Jordan built?
Note: Player option (PO)

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What’s up with that Amare Stoudemire-to-Golden State trade?

The short answer is “I don’t know.”

Not enough? I don’t blame you. I wrote the following during my running diary on draft day:

There’s a rumor that the Warriors might send Andris Biedrins, Marco Belinelli, Brandan Wright and the #7 pick to Phoenix for Amare Stoudemire. That seems like an awful lot to give up given the trades we’ve seen go down in recent days. But Stoudemire is a borderline franchise player, so a good center (Biedrins) and three prospects (Belinelli, Wright and the #7 pick) doesn’t seem crazy.

The Warriors drafted Stephen Curry when he fell to #7. At that point, it wasn’t clear whether or not he’d be headed to Phoenix as part of this trade. Paul Coro of AZCentral.com reported that he “likely” was headed to the Suns.

Golden State’s selection of Davidson point guard Stephen Curry at No. 7 was likely made for the Suns as part of an Amaré Stoudemire trade that can’t be completed until Wednesday. That is because Phoenix would be acquiring Warriors center Andris Biedrins, a base-year compensation player, as part of a Stoudemire deal that would include more Warriors players, possibly power forward Brandan Wright and/or shooting guard Marco Belinelli.

The Suns were hoping they could land Curry or Arizona power forward Jordan Hill with the Warriors’ seventh pick but had their choice after Minnesota took neither with its fifth and sixth picks.

The next day, Coro reported that the deal was all but done, but hinged on whether or not Curry was included…

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