Which five teams make the most sense for Amare Stoudemire now that he has agreed to a contract buyout with the New York Knicks?
Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks have formally announced that veteran forward Amare Stoudemire has been bought of his contract and will be free to sign with any team that he would like. It is just another move that signifies the embarrassing season that the Knicks have had. The buyout came after a request directly from Stoudemire.
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At 32 years of age, Stoudemire is entering his final few seasons of relevance. Spending them with a team struggling as badly as the Knicks have been wasn’t a very attractive option, and there are plenty of playoff contenders that will be interested in signing him.
Here are a few of the quotes from the press release that the Knicks sent out about the move.
"“Amar’e’s period as a Knickerbocker has come to pass, at his request. His time here should be marked by recognizing his effort – it was 100-percent,” Phil Jackson said. “As we move forward in structuring this team, we will look for players that exhibit his desire to win.”"
Stoudemire also talked about his time with the Knicks and what his tenure with the team meant to him.
"“I feel truly blessed to have been able to play for the incredible New York fans, Mr. Dolan, my coaches, teammates and the entire Knicks organization for the past five years,” Stoudemire said. “I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to contribute positively on the court and in the community. Although I leave the Knicks with a heavy heart, I wish the organization the best of luck. Once a Knick always a Knick.”"
Now that the move is official, it will be interesting to see which teams begin showing interest in signing him. There is no doubt that he still has the ability to help out a team looking to make a championship run, and he averaged 12.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this year with the Knicks.
Which five teams make the most sense for Stoudemire on the open market?
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