Fantasy Basketball: Where Will Amare Stoudemire End Up?

As expected, the New York Knicks bought out center Amare Stoudemire today in their roster overhaul. The only thing that is for certain is that Stoudemire will likely have more of a fantasy impact, or at least a more consistent fantasy impact than he did in New York. The tanking Knicks are using Cole Aldrich and Jason Smith at center, which severely limited Stoudemire’s minutes. If you have owned him at all this year, you know how frustrating that is.

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That frustration should be over as soon as Stoudemire clears waivers, which is likely since any team claiming him would have to pay his outlandish $23.4 million salary this year. That means the free-for-all officially begins Wednesday at 5pm eastern.

Several teams are supposedly interested in Stoudemire, including the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, and Phoenix Suns, all of whom are in the playoff race in the Western Conference.

A move to any of these teams would make Stoudemire worth an add in just about any league. Let’s break it down a little:

Phoenix:

This obviously has the best storyline, since Stoudemire started his career with the Suns in 2002-03. Stoudemire played eight seasons in the Valley of the Suns, averaging 21.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game in his time there. He also appeared in five all star games while with the Suns. Going back to where it all began could be huge for Amare. He won’t get back to those lofty totals, but he would likely improve in his season averages of 12.0 points and 6.8 rebounds.

From a fantasy standpoint, this is the best landing spot for Stoudemire. He would likely take over the starting center spot because the Suns have had little to no success from Alex Len, Miles Plumlee, and Brandan Wright. He would finally add something of substance to the Suns’ black hole in the middle. He would become a must-add in any league if he winds up with the Suns. The already low value of Len, Plumlee, and Wright would sink a bit further. In fact, Wright and Plumlee would likely not be worth a roster spot in any league.

Houston:

Dwight Howard is still without a timetable for return, and honestly hasn’t been very effective (for him) even when in the lineup. His 16.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks are all his lowest since his sophomore season of 2005-06 with Orlando. This has created a void in the middle for the Rockets, one which would be filled nicely by Stoudemire.

The Rockets have plenty of depth up front in Joey Dorsey, Terrence Jones, Josh Smith, and Donatas Motiejunas. The only problem is that none of them are natural centers. Stoudemire is. This is the second best landing spot for him from a fantasy perspective because he would likely hold down the fort at center until Howard returns, which could be any time in March.

Stoudemire would be a must-add, at least in the short term, in any league if he ends up in Houston. Joey Dorsey would become droppable in every league. Smith would still hold value, just not as much because he would lose some minutes with Howard there. The real hit would be felt by Jones, who has struggled since returning from injury anyway. Jones has tremendous upside, and is worth hanging on to in most keeper and dynasty leagues, but he would not be worth a spot in any standard leagues.

Clippers:

The staph infection in Blake Griffin‘s elbow creates a void in the Clippers’ frontcourt. Griffin will be out at least until the end of February. Spencer Hawes, Glen Davis, and Ekpe Udoh are currently filling in, but Stoudemire obviously brings more to the table than any of them. He would provide a nice short term boost to the Clippers and fantasy owners alike. After Griffin returns, Stoudemire would be the top backup at both PF and C. This would make Udoh and Davis droppable in any league and give Hawes value only in deep leagues.

Stoudemire would be worth adding in any league while Griffin is out as well. After Griffin returns, it would make Stoudemire worth a slot only in deeper leagues.

Mavericks:

According to reports, this is the place that Stoudemire is leaning towards right now. It is also the least valuable to us fantasy players. Stoudemire would be the top backup to both Dirk Nowitzki at PF and Tyson Chandler at C. That would limit his value to about what it is now in most leagues. His playing time would be more consistent. Whether that produces consistent numbers is anyone’s guess.

The drawback here is that the Mavs can only afford to offer Amare the veteran’s minimum salary. However, he played with Chandler on the Knicks for three years, and that is believed to be the driving force behind getting him to Dallas.

Where will Amare Stoudemire end up? We will find out on Wednesday evening, and have the full fantasy impact then when we know more!

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