Amar’e Stoudemire’s days in New York are over but he could find a new home by the end of the week.
A league source told the Daily News that Stoudemire and the Knicks formally reached a buyout prior to Sunday’s All Star Game and that the six-time All Star, who should clear waivers by Wednesday, could be in a new uniform by the time the league resume on Thursday.
Several teams in the Western Conference are expected to pursue Stoudemire, who would be a solid addition to a playoff team as a reserve. The Dallas Mavericks have already been mentioned as a possible destination. Two others clubs in the West that could be in the running are San Antonio and Golden State.
The Spurs are a logical choice because they are a championship contender every year. The Warriors are an intriguing possibility. When Stoudemire played his final season in Phoenix, the GM was Steve Kerr and the head coach was Alvin Gentry. Kerr and Gentry are now the head coach and assistant coach with the Warriors.
The one stumbling block may be the presence of David Lee, who is used as a scoring forward off the bench. Coincidentally, the Knicks elected not to re-sign Lee in the summer of 2010 because they used that cap space to sign Stoudemire.
Stoudemire, who is nearing the conclusion of the five-year $100 million contract he signed with the Knicks as a free agent in the summer of 2010, only appeared in nine playoff games with the Knicks. Their record in those games was 2-7.
Stoudemire averaged 25.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game over 78 appearances in his first season in New York, but he played in just 177 games over the next four years, including 36 during the Knicks’ 10-43 start to this season. He also famously lacerated his left hand punching a fire extinguisher following a Game 2 playoff loss in Miami in 2012.
The amount of the buyout was not immediately known on the remainder of Stoudemire’s $23.4 million salary for this season. Playoff-bound teams such as the Mavericks and the Clippers are expected to be in the market for help up front.