TheNBAScoop

 It’s that time of year again in the NBA! Less than a month away from the annual trade deadline and basketball fans are on their heels with anticipation for the first significant trade to go down. It’s just a matter of time before a team cracks and gives in to an attractive deal that will, in theory, cause a domino effect of trades. Although this year we will likely see expiring contracts get tossed around like a rag doll it should make for a very interesting month.

For many players this part of the season is stressful and to be brutally honest probably annoying as hell. For Amar’e Stoudemire however it’s just another month in the life of STAT. He has hands down been the most actively discussed trade bait in the last several weeks but to him this is nothing new. He has been at odds with the Phoenix Suns on several occasions in the past and was on the trading block last February as well. Predicting what uniform Stoudemire will be wearing after Feb 19th is nearly impossible as it seems every team and their dog have been interested in the perennial All-star at some point this season. It may be in the Suns best interest to trade him this year as he has an option to opt out of his contract after this season and has expressed interest in playing for a larger market earlier this season. One thing we know for certain is whichever team decides to roll the dice on the 6’10 power forward they must be willing to pay big money. In Amare’s opinion, more than Lakers power forward Pau Gasol who makes $16.5 million this season. So... basically $20 million dollars a year. Below is a list of teams that have been rumoured (key word) to have interest in Amar’e Stoudemire:

New Jersey Nets - Strange: yes. Plausible: absolutely. If the Suns are to trade Amar’e before the deadline New Jersey has a plethora of young talent in exchange for a much needed star. Nets players that have been linked are Yi Jianlian, Chris Douglas- Roberts, Courtney Lee and Terrence Williams. Source: ESPN

Cleveland Cavaliers- The Cavs front office apparently made a phone call to the Suns to discuss a potential trade regarding Stoudemire but nothing has come to fruition. Source: ESPN

Miami Heat - The Heat have been linked to Stoudemire since last season however Miami would have to include Michael Beasley which may turn them off from this trade. Source: ESPN

Minnesota Timberwolves- According to Chad Ford from ESPN the Wolves have a significant amount of interest in acquiring STAT. The intriguing aspect of this deal is that it may involve Ricky Rubio who would be a perfect fit in Phoenix’s offense and could learn tons from the aging Nash. Source: ESPN

Chicago Bulls- The Bulls have been seeking a dominant big man for some time now and Amar’e could be the ticket. A trade that involves Kirk Hinrich or Luol Deng with Tyrus Thomas (who is similar to Amar’e in athleticism) has been rumoured. Source: Sports Illustrated.

New York Knicks- New York has been speculated as a possible destination for Stoudemire because he enjoys playing for Mike D’Antoni and New York is one of the biggest markets in the NBA. No specific deals have been rumoured at this point. Source: ESPN.

Detroit Pistons- With the Pistons eager to make deals Stoudemire has been on their target list recently however it is not known who Detroit would give up. Source: Hoopshype.

San Antonio Spurs- The Spurs need to make a significant move if they want to contend for another championship. Rumours have surfaced that the Spurs will talk with the Suns about trading for Stoudemire. The question is can San Antonio provide enough pieces to entice the Suns.

With many teams inquiring about Amar’e Stoudemire Phoenix has many options. The key will be finding a team where Amar’e will be happy and the Suns will receive enough value back. If they cannot find a happy medium Stoudemire could very likely finish the season in Phoenix.

Zach Sinclair

TheNBAScoop

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