Suns meeting Amar'e Stoudemire, final deal extension push before July 1

[Roca Dolla]

The Suns will make one more push to sign Amar'e Stoudemire on Tuesday before NBA free agency opens.
As previously reported here, Fanhouse.com reported today that Happy Walters, Stoudemire's agent, said coach Alvin Gentry and owner Robert Sarver will meet with his client in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Yahoo.com also confirmed that a meeting will take place. While Stoudemire said earlier that he would opt out of his contract, Stoudemire also has called Phoenix his "Plan A," and Walters told Fanhousse that he would not completely rule out Stoudemire agreeing to an extension by Wednesday.
But any extension seems unlikely because the Suns have been willing to offer a maximum salary but not maximum years.
Stoudemire is due to make $17.7 million in 2010-11 on his current deal.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/sun...ing-tuesday-in-los-angeles.html#ixzz0sB69hMA0

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Aint happenin'

 

[Mainstreet]

I think Stoudemire better grab the Suns offer because I don't think he is plan "A" for the teams that plan to make a big splash. IMO, the only other team he might get a max type offer is NY.

 

[azsportsfan01]

There is going to be a bunch of overpaid guys this season. Once the top guys sign all these teams that freed up cash have to make some sort of splash in order to appease fans. The second tier guys who don't deserve max contracts will probably get them because so many teams will be left out in the cold. This is going to be an off-season most teams will regret in 3 to 4 years.

 

[Sunburn]

^ This

 

[Sunburn]

I think Stat will end up in New York now. I was saying Miami before, but people might be right that Riley isn't interested in him. I thought D'a wasn't that high on him either but, after Chicago clearing room, I don't think they'll have much of a choice.

 

[carey]

Disagree. I think for some teams the whole thing is a rouse. Now they are under the cap and can sell their fans on "Hey we tried."

I think the teams to regret this summer are the ones that sign two or more max guys. They are going to be wayyyyyy over the cap in a few years. Unless they plan on there being no cap. I guess idk what will happen. Maybe there will be a hardcap?

 

[Sunburn]

Disagree. I think for some teams the whole thing is a rouse. Now they are under the cap and can sell their fans on "Hey we tried."

I think the teams to regret this summer are the ones that sign two or more max guys. They are going to be wayyyyyy over the cap in a few years. Unless they plan on there being no cap. I guess idk what will happen. Maybe there will be a hardcap?

You think this entire summer of Lebron thing, that teams have been spending years to plan, is just some kind of farcical, fan misdirection?

 

[TJ]

Glad to see we are making one last ditch effort to keep him; however, STAT is probably hell-bent on testing the waters. IIRC, Sarver said in a radio interview that he will give the max, but only for 4 years. Unless Sarver changes his mind and throws out more years, we have no chance. The subtraction of a GM does not work in our favor at all.

 

[TJ]

Disagree. I think for some teams the whole thing is a rouse. Now they are under the cap and can sell their fans on "Hey we tried."

I think the teams to regret this summer are the ones that sign two or more max guys. They are going to be wayyyyyy over the cap in a few years. Unless they plan on there being no cap. I guess idk what will happen. Maybe there will be a hardcap?

In cities such as New York, this wont go over well. The Knicks have been counting on the franchise signing Lebron for a few years now. They have dumped so much cap ($35 mil under I believe) so they can get him along with another impact player, such as Joe Johnson.

New York has been deprived of a relevant team for years now and the only glimmer of hope for them was this offseason. If nothing comes about, fans are gonna be pissed.

 

[mojorizen7]

Has Kerr cleaned out his locker yet?

This is a bit ridiculous IMO.
July is NOT the time to be interviewing GM candidates,or negotiating potential max deals when the men representing the franchise are a Banker and a head coach. It doesn't matter how you slice it.

We should all be crossing our fingers that we get a GM who knows what he's doing to get in here quick.

 

[Covert Rain]

I think Stoudemire better grab the Suns offer because I don't think he is plan "A" for the teams that plan to make a big splash. IMO, the only other team he might get a max type offer is NY.

I disagree. I don't think he has to grab the Suns offer. Teams have been selling the "we are clearing cap space to get a FA" down fans throats. Once LeBron gets taken care of, there will be a free agent panic. You will get teams signing guys that were not their first choices so they can show their fans they are "trying" and at the same time upgrade their talent depleted teams.

Amare will be the benefactor of one of those teams should the Suns not sign him. Amare will get his money.

Disagree. I think for some teams the whole thing is a rouse. Now they are under the cap and can sell their fans on "Hey we tried."

I think the teams to regret this summer are the ones that sign two or more max guys. They are going to be wayyyyyy over the cap in a few years. Unless they plan on there being no cap. I guess idk what will happen. Maybe there will be a hardcap?

That's a bit of a stretch. There might be one owner out there doing that but most of the teams will make legitimate runs for free agents.

 

[Mainstreet]

I disagree. I don't think he has to grab the Suns offer. Teams have been selling the "we are clearing cap space to get a FA" down fans throats. Once LeBron gets taken care of, there will be a free agent panic. You will get teams signing guys that were not their first choices so they can show their fans they are "trying" and at the same time upgrade their talent depleted teams.

Amare will be the benefactor of one of those teams should the Suns not sign him. Amare will get his money.

Amare doesn't have to grab the Suns offer but a max salary will be there on the table from the Suns. I think the final year of Amare's contract is like 16M + and it goes from there if he signs an extension. Maybe he doesn't get as many years as he wants but that is a lot of money to leave on the table to gamble on one's future.

 

[carey]

You think this entire summer of Lebron thing, that teams have been spending years to plan, is just some kind of farcical, fan misdirection?

Yes. I think most teams know they have a very very small shot at signing Lebron or one of the other FAs. Yet we see these teams continue to clear massive cap space. I see it as a good excuse for teams to move assets, get under the cap and stay under the cap. They'll tell their fans they tried and thats all. I bet you $100 that we'll see articles like that after the FA period is over. I guarantee it.

 

[chickenhead]

Teams that don't make a splash will also be able to say they are still interested in next year's free agent class. It had been reported that the Suns and a few others were already foregoing this year, for example (on Yahoo, I think).

I'm not so sure about teams doing it specifically as a ruse, but it is an opportunity to clear the books and be able to justify it in the press. Kind of like when companies reduce staff in a time of industry-wide layoffs, because they can.

 

[Mainstreet]

Well it is no ruse in NY. The fans are tired of waiting and DA will soon be out the door if it doesn't happen. I think NY is putting all their chips on Lebron. If Lebron goes elsewhere it could get ugly because I don't think JJ and Stoudemire would cut it, at least long term.

 

[Covert Rain]

Amare doesn't have to grab the Suns offer but a max salary will be there on the table from the Suns. I think the final year of Amare's contract is like 16M + and it goes from there if he signs an extension. Maybe he doesn't get as many years as he wants but that is a lot of money to leave on the table to gamble on one's future.

True but he is also leaving a ton of money on the table if he doesn't demand that final year. I think Amare knows that after this contract, his chances of getting a contract like this one are slim. So, by signing a shorter term deal he is probably leaving like what 15 million or so on the table? He might not get that kind of contract at the end of this one. That's a big gamble as well.

Bottom line is that in either scenario Amare is giving up some big bucks IMO. If I was in Amare's shoes, I am going for Max years and Max dollars so I get the maximum allowed under the rules.

I just wish I had all this money to gamble with.

Yes. I think most teams know they have a very very small shot at signing Lebron or one of the other FAs. Yet we see these teams continue to clear massive cap space. I see it as a good excuse for teams to move assets, get under the cap and stay under the cap. They'll tell their fans they tried and thats all. I bet you $100 that we'll see articles like that after the FA period is over. I guarantee it.

Your massive ruse scenario is just not realistic. Many of those teams have GM's, Coaches or front offices that are being expected to deliver. Many of the people in those positions just are not going to gable their jobs for a big ruse. I think many of those teams might know that they are not getting LeBron but they will try. If that doesn't work, I think they have legit interest in some of the other FA's.

 

[Irish]

IMHO Sarver is gambling on the number of years of the contract, but I'm not entirely convinced it is a dumb bet.

The biggest widl card is that the bottom feeders are hoping to get two top level free agents this summer. This means that they have to manage their cap space very closely. To get two guys starting at $22.5, teams have to have more than $45 million in cap space. At this point, assuming $56 million cap,k that means a salary structure of $11 million.

Per Hoopshype

Chicago $23.86 (after the Hinrich trade)
Miami $27,6
New York $18.6
New Jersey $19.6
Clipper $30.8

It is clear that evvery one of the teams can sign Amare, but will have a problem signing him AND another elite player.

Is Amare going to get the 5 year max deal? It is possible, but recent extentions do not support that theory. Gasol just signed an extension las December for a three year deal. Carmelo is reported to have a THREE year extension with the Nuggets. I'm not sure if I've missed someboy, but I can't find a five year deal sinch Lewis signd with Orlando. I'm not sure what is going on, but it is suggestive.

Sarver might panic, but IMHO oppinion Amare may struggle to find a team with the cap space to make him their top signing. How much do they want a guy with health isssue and performance limitations?

 

[AzStevenCal]

If I was in Amare's shoes, I am going for Max years and Max dollars so I get the maximum allowed under the rules.

Well, if I were confident that the salary structure wasn't going to go through major changes, I wouldn't insist on max dollars/max years. I'd take a look around and realize that I'm probably not going to get the asbolute max and then I'd turn around and do a shorter deal with Phoenix. A 3 year max dollar amount allows his base amount to increase putting him in position to sign an additional huge contract 3 years down the road.

Steve

 

[Covert Rain]

Well, if I were confident that the salary structure wasn't going to go through major changes, I wouldn't insist on max dollars/max years. I'd take a look around and realize that I'm probably not going to get the asbolute max and then I'd turn around and do a shorter deal with Phoenix. A 3 year max dollar amount allows his base amount to increase putting him in position to sign an additional huge contract 3 years down the road.

Steve

You're assuming the next collective bargaining agreement further benefits the players. Remember the owners are looking for a hard salary cap, less money for players per year and fewer years on max contracts when this CBA expires.

 

[Yuma]

You're assuming the next collective bargaining agreement further benefits the players. Remember the owners are looking for a hard salary cap and less money for players per year when this CBA expires.

I heard that on ESPN Radio today, so the extra 30 million players can get by maxing out the years is thought to not be left on the table. LeBron is infamous for taking less years, but they don't think he will in this case.

 

[Covert Rain]

I heard that on ESPN Radio today, so the extra 30 million players can get by maxing out the years is thought to not be left on the table. LeBron is infamous for taking less years, but they don't think he will in this case.

According to who? That depends on the player and you can't assume every player feels the same. If I am player X and depending on where I am at in my career it matters. If I have 10 years left in my career and I can get 15+ million on average for 6 of those years versus 5 years then hoping I get a decent contract for my last 5....that matters to these guys. Also, LeBron is a different story....he gets massive endorsements compared to some of the other FA's and so his yearly contract probably isn't the be all end all.

As mentioned above the new CBA will have a huge impact on how some of these players feel 5 years from now. If this new CBA favors the owners heavily....you are going to have a bunch of players wishing they had signed longer term contracts before the new CBA became effective.

This is all speculation of course but anything these players do right now is a gamble.

 

[AzStevenCal]

You're assuming the next collective bargaining agreement further benefits the players. Remember the owners are looking for a hard salary cap, less money for players per year and fewer years on max contracts when this CBA expires.

No, what I'm actually doing is allowing for the possibility that Amare won't be able to command the max in today's market. If he can get the max (even if it's not our max) then I don't blame him for doing it, I'm just not convinced anyone will go that far with him. If he can't get the max he might be better off with a 3 year deal than a 5 or 6 year deal as he'll still be of an age to warrant an additional huge contract.

 

[Covert Rain]

No, what I'm actually doing is allowing for the possibility that Amare won't be able to command the max in today's market. If he can get the max (even if it's not our max) then I don't blame him for doing it, I'm just not convinced anyone will go that far with him. If he can't get the max he might be better off with a 3 year deal than a 5 or 6 year deal as he'll still be of an age to warrant an additional huge contract.

Fair enough. I think that is where we differ. I think Amare gets it because big men who can score 20+ will always be a huge commodity in the NBA. I like you hope people can see beyond that, looking at rebounding and defense before they make pie in the sky offers to him. I just have a feeling that history will repeat itself and there will always be a team willing to do something you didn't expect.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Fair enough. I think that is where we differ. I think Amare gets it because big men who can score 20+ will always be a huge commodity in the NBA. I like you hope people can see beyond that, looking at rebounding and defense before they make pie in the sky offers to him. I just have a feeling that history will repeat itself and there will always be a team willing to do something you didn't expect.

There's a good chance that someone will offer him everything he wants. I'll just point out though that the owners are looking at this just as hard as the players are. Both sides are aware of the impending CBA negotiations and the risks are as likely to enter the owner's minds as it is the player's minds.

I suspect both sides (the owners and this years FA crop) wish the new CBA was either already here or never coming.

Steve