Amar'e Stoudemire's days playing for the New York Knicks might be over, but New York Daily News says that he can easily find a new home by the end of the week. A source confirmed that Stoudemire and the Knicks formally arrived at a buyout decision before the All-Star Game on Sunday.
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News took to Twitter to inform everyone about Stoudemire's sudden decision. "The Amar'e Stoudemire era is over in New York. The Knicks and Amar'e reached a buyout agreement tonight, sources tell the NY Daily News," Isola wrote.
According to the New York Daily News, the six-time All-Star, who must already clear all waivers come Wednesday, may be wearing a different uniform when the regular schedule of the NBA returns on Thursday. "It's hard for me to believe," said Carmelo Anthony after the game on Sunday. "It hasn't really sunk in. One of the main reasons I came to New York is because of him."
ESPN noted that Dallas Mavericks are actually considered as the front runners in the Stoudemire event. According to sources, if the 13-year veteran does decide to pursue a contract buyout, then the Mavs will quickly and easily emerge as the best landing spot once he becomes a free agent.
"It's not an easy decision to make," Stoudemire, who is on his final year with his $99.7 million contract with the Knicks, told 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."
Stoudemire has been quite adamant in the comments that he made in public. He asserts that he is not yet sure if he wants to push through with his original plans but it appears that he finally made up his mind on Sunday.
According ESPN's Marc Stein's Twitter post, though, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns, apart from the Mavs, are also very interested in getting Stoudemire on their team. This is only understandable, especially as Stoudemire got to average 12 points and 6.8 rebounds in the 36 games he played for this season, says CBS Sports Fantasy News.
Apart from Stoudemire, ESPN says that the Mavs are also eyeing to land the All-Star big man Jermaine O'Neal. Sources say that the team already prepared ahead of time as they made a two-spot room in their roster to accommodate both O'Neal and Stoudemire.
