Amar'e Stoudemire managed to survive the summer still a member of the New York Knicks roster despite the number of trades that circled his name. The power forward has essentially been deemed untradeable by the rest of the league despite the efforts of team president Phil Jackson. His contract is simply unwanted at this point in the offseason. In need of a big year with his expiring contract, what kind of role will Stoudemire play for the Knicks in 2014?
Despite all efforts, the Knicks were unable to deal Stoudemire or Andrea Bargnani, the two worst contracts on the roster this season. New York succeeded in dealing Tyson Chandler and his salary cap killing contract, but have been unable to move Stoudemire and Bargnani. According to Chuck Myron of HoopsRumors.com, teams simply have no interest in Stoudemire at this point. His stats and production do not match his $23 million contract. The forward only missed 17 games last season, but he only played 22.6 minutes per game, putting up 11.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in the process. Those were career-low numbers, deferring any interest in trades.
The Knicks have shopped Stoudemire to the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers and failed at every attempt. They had their eyes on players like Greg Monroe, Kenneth Faried and Tristan Thompson, but cannot do anything with Stoudemire on the books. So instead, the forward must adjust to being a role player this season and resurrecting his career prior to free agency.
Stoudemire must adjust quickly to the new offense of Jackson and head coach Derek Fisher. He will likely take on a smaller role which could be something along the lines of being the sixth man. There is no doubt that Stoudemire will fit fine in the new triangle offense. He certainly played well against it as a member of the Phoenix Suns. While the forward might not have expected to be trying out for teams, that is what this season is. The Knicks will move on from him next offseason in favor of players like LaMarcus Aldridge or Marc Gasol so Stoudemire must prove him worth to earn a new contract.
Meanwhile, the Knicks must figure out their starting five for 2014 which may or may not include Stoudemire. Carmelo Anthony and Jose Calderon are penciled in already. Iman Shumpert, JR Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr will compete for the shooting guard spot. Samuel Dalembert will get the nod at center. If no other trades are made, Bleacher Report predicts that Shumpert starts at guard, Smith moves to small forward while Anthony takes on the power forward role. Stoudemire will start on the bench.