Amar’e Stoudemire’s career with the Knicks hasn’t worked out as planned, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t given us everything he has had. Injuries have been a constant issue for him almost since arriving, but he always showed he was a warrior on the court when he could go. Because this season is obviously already long over for New York and it it is the final year of his contract, a buyout would make sense so he could try and end this season with a contender. For his part it sounds like he would consider it.
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“It’s not an easy decision to make,” Stoudemire told Yahoo! Sports. “Over time, we will see how things pan out. You give yourself a break during the All-Star break. You think about it with your family. … That will give me a good solid week on how to weigh out the rest of the season.”
“All possibilities at this point are still open,” Stoudemire told Yahoo! Sports of a possible buyout. “The door is still open for that. But at the same time, I am with the Knicks now. I got to stay optimistic about things and what we are doing here. I can’t really focus on the future because it’s not here.
“We still have a couple weeks left before it’s all said and done. It’s a decision I have to make with my family to figure out the best scenario for the near future.”
Amar’e loves New York and loves the organization so it might be hard for him to want to leave, but career wise it would be a no brainer.
Should he in fact leave, the Dallas Mavericks have emerged as the front runner to sign him.
The Dallas Mavericks would be considered front-runners to sign Amar’e Stoudemire if the 13-year veteran opts to pursue a contract buyout from the New York Knicks, according to league sources.
The Mavs can only offer Stoudemire the veteran’s minimum, but he would likely have a significant role off the bench, as a candidate for minutes at power forward and center behind Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler.
Still you can hear it hurts him to think of leaving.
“My loyalty is with [Knicks owner] Mr. [Jim] Dolan,” he told Yahoo! Sports. “I feel like New York is my home now. I feel like I’m a New Yorker for sure.
“I have a farm here. I have family and friends here. New York will always be my home whether I am here playing for the Knicks or not.”
However, he hinted at possible motivation for why he might leave.
“The toughest part is staying motivated through all the ups and downs, keeping the guys competitive,” he told Yahoo! Sports. “This requires an extreme, great amount of perseverance for something like this, especially for me to be 13 years in the NBA and dealing with this type of record. But since we are here, we have to become great leaders, work with the young guys on their mistakes and continue to improve.”
Joe Casey @IamJoeSports
