Amar’e Stoudemire Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stoudemire Talks Olajuwon, Lin, Felton, D12

August 21st, 2012 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

From offseason back surgery to his brother's death to his injury via fire extinguisher during the first round of the playoffs, last season was "the toughest year of my career," according to Amare Stoudemire. However, heading into 2012/13, he feels "phenomenal," as he tells Zach Braziller of the New York Post. In Braziller's piece and in an interview on KNBR in San Francisco (link via Sports Radio Interviews), the Knicks forward discussed the offseason and the coming year. Here are a few of his more notable comments:

On working out with former MVP Hakeem Olajuwon this summer:

"There’s so many moves that I picked up from Hakeem. Just developing my post [game] has been phenomenal for me. When I came out of high school, I was thrown the ball and [told], 'Do what you do best.' I never got a chance to develop my game as far as [in the] post. Working with Hakeem is going to be a great advantage for me."

On how the departure of Jeremy Lin affects the Knicks:

"Jeremy had a great run for us. He uplifted us a lot last season. To see him leave… it’s never fun to see one of your teammates leave, but again that’s the name of the game. It happens all the time, but the front office did a great job of bringing in players to improve the team and we are looking pretty good."

On new Knicks point guard Raymond Felton:

"Raymond’s going to be awesome. He’s going to be great for us. He’s a player that wants to improve. He always talks about getting better."

On whether it was a surprise to see Dwight Howard leave the Eastern Conference:

"It wasn’t. I figured something was going to happen. There was a lot of talk between Dwight going somewhere else, so we knew something was going to happen. I just hope that his back is healed up and he’s able to come back full strength."

On the Knicks' prospects for 2012/13:

"Training camp is very, very key for us. We get full training camp, get that chemistry down, we’re going to be golden."

Odds & Ends: Richardson, Sixers, Mavs, Green

August 15th, 2012 at 10:44pm CST by Michael Pina

Jason Richardson is excited to play out the final three years of his contract on a team that's headed up instead of down, writes Philly.com's John Mitchell. The 31-year-old is especially looking forward to playing with another dominant center who's capable of drawing consistent double teams.

Here's a look around the rest of the league.

In a chat with his readers, Dallas Morning News columnist Kevin Sherrington writes his belief that the Mavericks are wasting Dirk Nowitzki's prime by going after a big name free agent that may never sign in Dallas.
Philly.com's Marcus Hayes thinks that the Sixers would be wise not to sign Andrew Bynum to a max extension until they know the full extent of his health.
After making the most of his opportunity with the Nets last season, Gerald Green received a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract offer with the Pacers this summer. Green's feel good story has been well documented, but he's perfectly content coming off the bench and providing a spark next season, writes Pacers.com's Scott Agness.
One of Raymond Felton's new teammates next season with the Knicks will be Kurt Thomas, who joined Felton in an offseason trade from Portland that landed the pair in New York. Thomas says Felton is "definitely motivated" for his second stint with the club, writes ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley. He better be, because the scrutiny will be high due to the fact that he's perceived to be Jeremy Lin's replacement.
While down in Houston working with Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon, Amare Stoudemire recently said he believes Lin will be a perfect addition to the Rockets, reports Fox 26 reporter Mark Berman.

Odds & Ends: Pacers, Stoudemire, Williams

August 5th, 2012 at 12:29pm CST by Daniel Seco

Happy birthday to Knicks legend Patrick Ewing as he turns 50 today. New York has won exactly one playoff game (2012 against the Heat) since the Hoya Destroya's 38th birthday. Here's the latest news and headlines from around the league…

With an eye on building stronger team chemistry, the Pacers will be getting together for a workout later this month in Los Angeles, tweets Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star. They'll meet up again three weeks before training camp to do the same thing.
Amare Stoudemire begins training today in Houston with Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon to work on his game, says Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). The value of working with Olajuwon can be seen in the play of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, who have had the opportunity to work with the big man in the past.
Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams has done all the right things this summer by losing 15 pounds and playing relatively well during the NBA Summer League, but Minnesota isn't convinced that the former Arizona star can effectively play small forward this season, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov believes his investment in the organization has at least doubled since he purchased a majority stake in the team in 2010, writes Daniel Massey of Crain's New York.

Odds & Ends: Blazers, Timberwolves, McGrady

July 31st, 2012 at 9:55pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The NBA does not make a profit by sending its stars to play at the Olympics, and a move to re-direct their headline players into a rebranded World Cup of Basketball would certainly change that. While Ken Berger of CBS Sports understands the idea of pulling NBA stars out of the Olympic games in the future, he says that it should be based on the premise that "Dream Teams" have run their course, and not because it is driven by an opportunity for David Stern and NBA owners to try to make money elsewhere. With that aside, here are some of tonight's miscellaneous links…

Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld mentions that Jeremy Lamb, Royce White, and Terrence Jones cannot be included in a potential Dwight Howard trade until the end of August, specifically 30 days after each of them signed their rookie deals with the Rockets on July 26 (Sulia link).
In a series of tweets, Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports that Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey has concluded the second round of interviews and will "move on to the next phase" of the process once all four finalists are given due consideration. Although team owner Paul Allen was not involved in the interviews with Terry Stotts, Steve Clifford, Kaleb Canales, and Elston Turner, Quick assumes that Olshey will ultimately present a recommendation for hire to Allen after deliberation. Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (via Twitter) pointed out that Turner's interview lasted for four-and-a-half hours today.
When asked if the Timberwolves had more changes to make after the Olympics, GM David Kahn replied, "Maybe it’s a tweak here and there, maybe even something big, to make us even better still" (according to a tweet by Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune). In a separate piece, Marcus R. Fuller of the Pioneer Press documented Kahn's thoughts on the team's new additions this offseason.
HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy says that although the Bulls and Tracy McGrady have flirted in the past, it doesn't sound like a deal is close (Twitter link).

Odds & Ends: Shaw, Bower, Claver

June 14th, 2012 at 10:21pm CST by Ryan Raroque

A handful of tonight's coaching search updates came in the form of tweets. TNT's David Aldridge reported that Brian Shaw had an interview in Charlotte today, but was not offered the job. Yahoo's Marc Spears also confirmed that no offer was made, adding that Portland and Orlando are still on Shaw's radar. Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated, who broke the news about Sloan's withdrawal from Charlotte's head coaching race, thinks the Trail Blazers have a better chance of landing Shaw than the Magic do.

We've got more on Orlando's GM search and highlights from HoopsWorld chats with Mark Nugent and Tommy Beer…

Knicks Rumors: Nash, Lin, Fields, Novak

May 10th, 2012 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

Following New York's Game Five loss in Miami last night, we rounded up a few Knicks-related notes, but the news and rumors keep coming. Here's the latest as the Knicks prepare for an eventful offseason:

Amare Stoudemire would love to play alongside former Suns teammate Steve Nash in the Big Apple next year, as he told Frank Isola and Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News. "Everyone knows that Steve loves New York and that New York loves Steve," Stoudemire said. "I love Steve. It would be great to have him here next year."
It's long been rumored that the Suns will offer Nash a two-year, $20MM deal, but Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld believes the point guard will leave money on the table to join a contender (Twitter link). The above-linked Daily News report suggests that if if Nash were to sign for the veteran minimum, he'd only go to a title contender. I'm not sure why he'd have to settle for the minimum though, no matter where he signed.
Jeremy Lin endorsed Knicks coach Mike Woodson, and told Marc Berman of the New York Post he'd like to remain in New York. According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, as many as six teams could be preparing to make a run at Lin, though as I explained yesterday, the Gilbert Arenas provision will allow the Knicks to match any offers.
Landry Fields and Steve Novak were among the other Knicks free agents to express their desire to return next season. Fields told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com he'd "love" to be back, while Novak said there's no place he'd rather play, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. I think Fields will be re-signed, but the team may not have the financial flexibility to hang on to Novak.
Despite their early exit from this year's postseason, the Knicks are on the right track, says Tom Ziller of SBNation.com. Stoudemire also sees better days ahead for the team, as George Willis of the New York Post writes.

Knicks Notes: Lin, Stoudemire, Woodson

May 7th, 2012 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Amare Stoudemire looked great in his return to the New York lineup yesterday, but another Knicks' starter, Jeremy Lin, may not make it back before the end of the first round. Coach Mike Woodson told reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post, that Lin isn't in great shape and that he's not counting on the point guard to return for Game Five. Here are few more of the latest Knicks items:

Even if Lin doesn't return this season, Iman Shumpert is confident his teammate will be back in New York next season, as Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com writes. "Oh yeah, oh yeah," Shumpert said. "We all miss him. But if he's not able to come back this year, next year I'll be back with him, so we'll all be back together again."
In his latest column for Bulls.com, Sam Smith tries to find potential trade partners for the Knicks and Stoudemire. Meanwhile, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post says Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony showed in Game Four that they can thrive playing alongside one another in New York.
TNT's David Aldridge gives his opinion on 10 up-in-the-air offseason situations, including the Knicks' head coaching job. According to Aldridge, the Knicks should give Woodson a contract extension rather than pursuing Phil Jackson.

Knicks Notes: Stoudemire, Carmelo, Novak

May 5th, 2012 at 9:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Knicks look to avoid being swept in their second straight postseason appearance as they take on the Heat tomorrow in Game Four. The last time the team facing elimination was able to produce a three-game winning streak in a New York-Miami playoff series was in 1997, when the Heat were able to overcome a 3-1 deficit to advance to the Conference Finals. While the chances of such a comeback by New York are quite improbable, the team will certainly be playing under that premise going into tomorrow's matinee matchup. Here's what else we've heard out of the Big Apple:

Al Iannazzone of Newsday says that Amare Stoudemire could return to the starting lineup tomorrow in place of Steve Novak if he is cleared to play. If not, then J.R. Smith could start in place of Novak (Sulia link). Earlier, Iannazzone took note of Mike Woodson's post-practice comments about Amare, saying that he looked "pretty good." Woodson also said that he will leave it up to Stoudemire and his doctors to decide if he's ready to play.
Newsday's Neil Best suggests that regardless of the Knicks' performance in this year's playoffs, it's still too soon to give up on Carmelo Anthony.
Roderick Boone of Newsday discusses what's going through the mind of Steve Novak amidst his struggles against Miami. Novak says that he has no problem if Woodson decides to use him with the second unit after experimenting with him in the starting lineup in Game Three.
Iannazzone obtained Carmelo's thoughts on avoiding a sweep.
Benjamin Hoffman of The New York Times' Off the Dribble blog talks about the last time the Knicks won a playoff game.

Knicks Notes: Jackson, Carmelo, Injuries, Novak

May 4th, 2012 at 8:34am CST by Luke Adams

When I asked Hoops Rumors readers earlier this week whether the Heat would finish off the Knicks in four games, over 64% of poll respondents predicted a sweep. Last night, Miami took another step toward sending New York home early, handing the Knicks their 13th consecutive postseason loss. Let's catch up on the latest out of New York, where the situation looks bleak for the hometown team:

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports believes the best move the Knicks could make this offseason involves luring Phil Jackson to New York. With no salary limitations in play, the Knicks should offer three years and $40MM+, says Wojnarowski. The Yahoo! scribe adds that the Zen Master "isn't enthralled" with the Knicks' roster, though that doesn't necessarily mean he'd rule out the job.
Carmelo Anthony's performance in this series will rekindle discussion about whether the Knicks can win a championship with 'Melo leading the way, writes George Willis of the New York Post.
Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire don't look like good bets to return for Game Four on Sunday. Lin says he's still too sore and not in good enough condition for game action, while Mike Woodson downplayed the likelihood of Amare being ready.
Steve Novak, who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, has failed to impress in the playoffs, as Mark Hale of the New York Post writes. After going scoreless in Game Three, Novak has just nine points in the series, and his free agent stock could be taking a hit.

Knicks Notes: Lin, Chandler, Stoudemire

May 2nd, 2012 at 7:39pm CST by Ryan Raroque

In two consecutive postseasons, the Knicks have faced the previous year's Eastern Conference champion in the first round of the playoffs. They've also lost Amare Stoudemire to injuries caused by unnecessary mishaps before the start of Game Three. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith wrote earlier that tomorrow's game will give New York a chance to re-earn the respect that was lost after two demoralizing losses to start the series, as well as provide the chance for certain players to prove their worth. For right now, here's the latest out of Manhattan:

Al Ianazzonne of Newsday says that Jeremy Lin played a game of full court three-on-three after Wednesday's practice and showed some expected rust. Coach Mike Woodson said that any potential return of Lin during the series would hinge on how he feels after doing some running tomorrow and what the doctors say.
Ian Begley of ESPN New York reports that Tyson Chandler is "close to 100%" heading into Thursday night's game at Madison Square Garden. Chandler had been recovering from flu-like symptoms over the last five days.
In his first public appearance since leaving the American Airlines Arena on Monday night, Amare Stoudemire told reporters that there's a "great chance" he'll return for Game 4 on Sunday, immediately adding that he's "not totally sure yet" (according to Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com).
Chandler is the first player in Knicks history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York writes about how former Knick Charles Oakley played an instrumental role in shaping Chandler's mindset defensively. The two had been teammates on the Bulls, when Chandler was still a young prospect and Oakley was nearing retirement.