Knicks made Amar'e available "for free"

[BC867]

Here is an interesting report about how desperate the Knicks have been to give away Amar'e when he is ready to return.

This past summer, the Knicks offered Stoudemire to nearly every team in the league — “available for free,” as one rival executive put it. But they found no takers because of his diminished production, his health and his contract, which has three years and $65 million remaining (counting this season) and which is uninsured against a career-ending knee injury.

And so, the Knicks now find themselves in a position of having to reintegrate a score-first, defend-almost-never 30-year-old power forward into a lineup that seems, through no fault of his own, to have moved past him. There might be, however, a relatively easy solution — bringing Amar'e off the bench.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-b...ire-available-free-summer-183632988--nba.html

Yup, as many of us believed at the time, the Suns were wise to give up on him.

 

[sunsfan88]

Damn he still has 3 years left? Feels like he's been gone forever.

 

[AnotherHOMER]

Glad we aren't dealing with this..

 

[Mainstreet]

The use of the term "for free" is misleading. The Knicks would have to send a boatload of picks and talent to rid themselves of Amare's salary. Amare is anything but free.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The use of the term "for free" is misleading. The Knicks would have to send a boatload of picks and talent to rid themselves of Amare's salary. Amare is anything but free.

Oh I don't think they're at that point yet. They're just at the stage where they are willing to give him away. When they reach the point where they are willing to give up picks in order to move him, let's hope the Suns do the right thing and go after him. Not that we need Amare but we're not spending our CAP on anyone that will make a difference on the court so might as well spend it acquiring future picks.

Steve

 

[WildBB]

The use of the term "for free" is misleading. The Knicks would have to send a boatload of picks and talent to rid themselves of Amare's salary. Amare is anything but free.

Kind of like how we set OK City up with a high pick dealing away Kurt Thomas' salary .

 

[SunsTzu]

Kind of like how we set OK City up with a high pick dealing away Kurt Thomas' salary .

It was 2 picks, and they weren't that high(but they got a great return on 1). One of the picks the Suns gave the Jazz to take Googs ended up in the lottery though.

 

[JS22]

I'll openly admit that I'd be at least SLIGHTLY interested. The Knicks would have to throw in a lot, and hopefully the Suns trainers could keep Amare relatively healthy. Even at 75% of what he was he'd be the best player on this roster.

That contract though. Ugh.

 

[HooverDam]

Beasley+ Scola+ Wesley Johnson for Amar'e works I think.

Not that I want Amar'es terrible contract back, but he'd be interesting alongside Gortat and with Dragic in the Nash role. Maybe the Suns training staff really are miracle workers.

If the Knicks threw in a picks and maybe a nice young-ish piece like Steve Novak (I know you'd have to add more salary and gigger with it a bit), I'd potentially be interested.

Its unlikely any marquee FAs are going to want to be eating up the Suns cap space anyhow. And I don't think an Amare+Dragic+Gortat core is so good it'll mess up draft stock too much (especially this year w/ Amare being hurt), so maybe its interesting.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Beasley+ Scola+ Wesley Johnson for Amar'e works I think.

Not that I want Amar'es terrible contract back, but he'd be interesting alongside Gortat and with Dragic in the Nash role. Maybe the Suns training staff really are miracle workers.

If the Knicks threw in a picks and maybe a nice young-ish piece like Steve Novak (I know you'd have to add more salary and gigger with it a bit), I'd potentially be interested.

Its unlikely any marquee FAs are going to want to be eating up the Suns cap space anyhow. And I don't think an Amare+Dragic+Gortat core is so good it'll mess up draft stock too much (especially this year w/ Amare being hurt), so maybe its interesting.

Unfortunately we're not allowed to move Scola this season otherwise that deal plus a pick or two would be pretty nice.

Steve

 

[elindholm]

The Knicks don't want Beasley any more than they want Stoudemire. If it's true that Stoudemire was available "for free," then that probably means for a return package of zero value, not below zero value.

I could see maybe Beasley, Dudley, Johnson, and Frye for Stoudemire, or maybe even Stoudemire plus a late pick. The Knicks would value Dudley, write Beasley off, hope to get a medical exception for Frye, and use the space freed up by Johnson next summer.

 

[Mainstreet]

Oh I don't think they're at that point yet. They're just at the stage where they are willing to give him away. When they reach the point where they are willing to give up picks in order to move him, let's hope the Suns do the right thing and go after him. Not that we need Amare but we're not spending our CAP on anyone that will make a difference on the court so might as well spend it acquiring future picks.

Steve

I'd only want Amare back for sentimental reasons after his current contract expires unless the Suns got a boatload of talent/ picks in return. Now if the Suns could throw in their baggage and get Amare in return, I might feel differently. I've always liked Amare. The deal would have to make sense for the Suns and the medical staff. The Suns would have to get assets from NY.

 

[Mainstreet]

Unfortunately we're not allowed to move Scola this season otherwise that deal plus a pick or two would be pretty nice.

Steve

I'm guessing the Suns could move Scola after the season prior or during the NBA draft.

 

[Mainstreet]

Kind of like how we set OK City up with a high pick dealing away Kurt Thomas' salary .

I'd love to get a couple of first round picks from NY and/or some other assets (plus Amare) but it's not going to happen. I lost track of how those draft picks were used in the KT dump. Seattle even got another first round pick included when KT was traded again. Sadly other teams have better management than the Suns.

 

[SirStefan32]

If it's true that Stoudemire was available "for free," then that probably means for a return package of zero value, not below zero value.

Exactly! "Available for free" is quite different from "Will pay someone to take our trash away."

Similarly, I am sure we'd give Beasley away for free, but we wouldn't give first-round picks away to get rid of him.

For those actually wanting Stoudemire, as opposed to being willing to take him in order to get some assets- forget it folks, Amare is garbage. Even in his prime he wasn't worth what he is getting paid. Additionally, the Suns' medical staff is great, but some injuries you just can't fix. Unless Amare brings two unprotected picks and some young talent, I wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot pole.

 

[Phrazbit]

Unless the Knicks would be throwing in Shumpert and a 1st or 2 why are we even discussing this? The Suns were soundly proven right in letting Amare walk, the last thing they should do is take him back now that what little good years he had under that contract are behind him.

Thats an absolutely crippling deal. Over 20 million per year for the remaining years, and Amare was a replacement level player last year... and that was before further damaging his knees.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Exactly! "Available for free" is quite different from "Will pay someone to take our trash away."

Similarly, I am sure we'd give Beasley away for free, but we wouldn't give first-round picks away to get rid of him.

For those actually wanting Stoudemire, as opposed to being willing to take him in order to get some assets- forget it folks, Amare is garbage. Even in his prime he wasn't worth what he is getting paid. Additionally, the Suns' medical staff is great, but some injuries you just can't fix. Unless Amare brings two unprotected picks and some young talent, I wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot pole.

From your fingers to Sarver's eyes. Let's hope we've learned a lesson from the Kurt Thomas deal, one that we apparently hadn't learned from the expensive Googs giveaway.

Steve

 

[SirStefan32]

From your fingers to Sarver's eyes. Let's hope we've learned a lesson from the Kurt Thomas deal, one that we apparently hadn't learned from the expensive Googs giveaway.

Steve

You know, as soon as I typed and posted that, I thought, "God, I hope I am right about this."

 

[SirStefan32]

Unless the Knicks would be throwing in Shumpert and a 1st or 2 why are we even discussing this?

Because some people are just too sentimental, and being sentimental makes people make terrible decisions. I am sure 30% of Suns fans would take Nash, Amare, and Marion back right now.
JJ is another good example- probably the most overrated player in the league (maybe second to D-Will), but if you talk to an average Suns fan, you'd think he walks on water and turns water into wine.

 

[Phrazbit]

Because some people are just too sentimental, and being sentimental makes people make terrible decisions. I am sure 30% of Suns fans would take Nash, Amare, and Marion back right now.
JJ is another good example- probably the most overrated player in the league (maybe second to D-Will), but if you talk to an average Suns fan, you'd think he walks on water and turns water into wine.

Siiiiiiigh. Its really baffling to read some of this stuff. Amare and Joe Johnson probably have the 2 worst contracts in the entire league... and yeah, there are a lot of Suns fans who would love to have both back. But unfortunately its not 2005 anymore.

 

[95pro]

JJ as a third option, I wish he stuck around for that with the suns. But he wanted to be the number one guy. But yeah as number the didnt prove his worth.
Dwill is also another guy who puts up good numbers but doesn't win.
Amare IMO would have been worth a max if his knees didn't go. Granted he didn't play great defense but we could have put more pieces around him.

 

[BC867]

It all just shows ya' how bad our Power Forward situation is. And a bad Power Forward situation puts extra pressure on our Center.

And vice versa, as the Suns found out for decades.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Because some people are just too sentimental, and being sentimental makes people make terrible decisions. I am sure 30% of Suns fans would take Nash, Amare, and Marion back right now.
JJ is another good example- probably the most overrated player in the league (maybe second to D-Will), but if you talk to an average Suns fan, you'd think he walks on water and turns water into wine.

I don't think sentiment has anything to do with why some of us (here) might want to do this. I'm only interested in the possibility of moving some bad contracts and acquiring draft picks. I can live with the horrible contract we get back in return if it nets us some good players eventually.

Steve

 

[Mainstreet]

Because some people are just too sentimental, and being sentimental makes people make terrible decisions. I am sure 30% of Suns fans would take Nash, Amare, and Marion back right now.

I think you miss the sentimental part by some including myself. It's not that some Suns fans want Nash, Amare, and Marion back as players so much as it would be nice to have them back on the roster at some time before they retire at a minimal salary. I believe all three will be in the Suns Ring of Honor some day. If the Suns could get Amare back and it helps the Suns at the same time, I have no problem with it.

 

[BC867]

If the Suns could get Amare back and it helps the Suns at the same time, I have no problem with it.

Amar'e, with his declining basketball health, no-D and propensity to collect fouls, would just be a compromise at PF, as are Scola and Morris.

The question is . . . would he be the go-to shooter we desperately need and, if so, would he be on the floor for the last six minutes of just about every game for the rest of the season?