What’s next for Amar’e Stoudamire?
After much speculation leading up to and through NBA All-Star weekend, the New York Knicks finally bought out power forward/center Amar’e Stoudamire. New York, sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 10-43 record, set Stoudamire free after five forgettable seasons.
Stoudamire was in the final year of his five-year, $99.7 million deal including a $23.4 million cap hit this season. The former All-Star with the Phoenix Suns and Knicks is on waivers currently, but will almost certainly clear them. If a team were to claim Stoudamire off waivers, it must agree to pay him the remainder of his salary. Should a team wait for Stoudamire clear waivers – which he will – it can then negotiate the pay.
At 32 years old, Stoudamire’s best days are long gone. Still, he can prove a valuable asset for a postseason contender looking to add some depth and a dose of scoring, averaging 12 points per game in 2014-15. Although useless on the defensive end. the 6’10, 245-pound center can score in the post and knock down a jump shot from 20 feet.
So where will Stoudamire wind up? Early money seems to be on the Dallas Mavericks.
Several teams, including Clippers, working to talk to Amar’e Stoudemire today, but most feel Mavs will sign him, league sources tell Yahoo
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 16, 2015
Dallas, which has become a haven for veterans hoping to find a new lease on life (Raymond Felton, Tyson Chandler, Rajon Rondo and Monta Ellis anyone?) has a need for another capable big. Stoudamire would fit the bill and presumably do so on the cheap.
The only problem is Stoudamire does nothing to fix the Mavericks’ defensive woes. Dallas is a pitiful defensive team, ranking next-to-last of any team currently in the playoff picture for either conference at 101 points per game. Chandler is the only plus defender Dallas has inside, and even his skills on that end have slipped from his younger days.
Owner Mark Cuban has never been afraid to take a chance, and perhaps he sees a potential Stoudamire signing as a win-win. Dallas would be adding a player with considerable talent while also keeping his services away from other contenders in the West.
Other teams in the mix for Stoudamire are reportedly the Suns, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers, per Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated. Stoudamire would be a nice fit in Phoenix and on the surface, somewhat of an odd one for San Antonio. The Clippers might have difficulty fitting Stoudamire under the cap, but he is an intriguing option for them, especially with Blake Griffin fighting off an infection.
Wherever Stoudamire goes, he will add punch to the offense while subtracting defensively. At least he will be playing meaningful basketball again, something the aging star deserves.
