Amar'e Stoudemire's fate has been sealed. The New York Knicks tried to remain committed to the power forward after giving him a $100 million contract in free agency, but injuries and a lack of production have hurt that relationship. When Phil Jackson took over as team president, he tried everything he could to trade Stoudemire, but all efforts failed and now the Knicks have been forced to simply release the veteran before the trade deadline.
According to ESPN.com, the Knicks have agreed with Stoudemire on a contract buyout that makes him a free agent moving forward. The forward was in the final season of a five-year, $99.7 million contract and the New York Daily News is reporting the Knicks felt there was no trade interest around Stoudemire and a contract buyout was the only way to move forward. Stoudemire knew the buyout was coming and had hinted to the media that he was at peace with the decision.
"It's not an easy decision to make," Stoudemire said, via 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."
Plenty of teams will show interest in Stoudemire. Any team that picks him up will no longer have to absorb his $23.4 million contract. The Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers have all been listed as landing spots for Stoudemire. The forward just returned to the court following a long absence with injuries.
It remains to be seen what deal the Knicks will pursue next. Jose Calderon has been a trade priority heading into the deadline. Calderon is another veteran with a high cap hit that could have several teams turning their noses at him. Pablo Prigioni and Andrea Bargnani could be targets as well. The Knicks will move forward with Lou Amundson, Lance Thomas and Cole Aldrich getting extended minutes with Stoudemire out of the rotation. With Carmelo Anthony also shutting it down for the year, the Knicks need as many bodies as they can get.