NBA Rumors: Amar’e Stoudemire leaning towards Mavericks

According to a report from ESPN’s Ian Begley, Amar’e Stoudemire is leaning towards signing with the Dallas Mavericks after agreeing to a buyout with the New York Knicks.

The New York Knicks agreed to a contract buyout with veteran big man Amar’e Stoudemire, and it appears that he is already close to deciding where he wants to play next. According to a report from Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Stoudemire is leaning towards signing with the Dallas Mavericks.

Obviously there is still time for that decision to change, but it appears to be what he wants right now.

Dallas would be an ideal situation for him, and would give him a chance to compete for a championship. They are in need of some front-court depth, and Stoudemire would provide the Mavs with some extra firepower off the bench as well.

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In 36 games with the Knicks this season, Stoudemire has averaged 12.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He has played in 24.0 minutes per game, which is probably about the same as he will get with Dallas.

There are other teams that are trying to convince Stoudemire to sign with them. Those teams include the San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers, and Phoenix Suns. All of those teams would be great fits for Stoudemire as well, but the Mavericks are loaded with talent and he would still have a large role.

Stoudemire is 32 years old, which only gives him a few more years left playing at a high level. The Knicks are an absolute embarrassment this season, and getting a buyout done was something that Stoudemire desperately wanted to do.

Being able to move from a team that is currently 10-43 to a team who is in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference at 36-19 is a huge change in the right direction.

It is going to be interesting to see whether or not he ends up signing with the Mavericks. Teams like San Antonio and Phoenix are very attractive options for Stoudemire as well. Both of them could offer Stoudemire a very similar role to what Dallas is likely offering, and the Spurs could actually give him more money.

However, at this point, the Mavericks are the front-runners for the veteran forward. He would be a big addition for Mark Cuban’s squad heading towards the playoffs, and they would be a very complete all-around team when Rajon Rondo gets back on the court after healing from his facial injury. Don’t expect Stoudemire to draw this decision out for very much longer.