Amar’e Stoudemire Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Wall, Millsap, Stoudemire

July 15th, 2015 at 7:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Wizards‘ signing of John Wall to a five-year, approximately $80MM extension back in 2013 came with risk, but Wall has made the deal look like a bargain compared to a number of recent contracts that have been handed out, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post writes. Wall compared the value of his deal to that of Reggie Jackson, who recently inked an almost identical deal with the Pistons, saying, “Man, everybody talking about me getting $80MM and you got people getting $85MM and $90MM that ain’t been an All-Star or anything like that. I guess they came in at the right time. The new CBA kicked in at the right time. That new CBA kicked in and they’re good now. Like, Reggie Jackson gets five years, 80. Like, I’m getting the same amount as Reggie Jackson right now.”

Jackson averaged 17.6 points and 9.2 assists in 27 games with the Pistons last season, while Wall notched 17.6 points along with 10 assists per contest for Washington. “I can’t control it. That’s what happens,” Wall continued. “But I’m happy for those guys. To see anybody get the opportunity to live their dream out and take care of their family when they can, that’s a blessing. So I’m happy for those guys.”

Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer admitted that the team’s offseason revolved around re-signing forward Paul Millsap, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution relays. When asked if the team had to choose between Millsap and DeMarre Carroll, who departed for the Raptors as a free agent, Budenholzer said, “I don’t know if I would characterize it that you had to choose one or the other. It may just be word play, but ultimately there is not enough for everybody. I think we value DeMarre, and he was a big part of our success. We will miss him. But sometimes you have to make hard decisions. I guess it’s part of the NBA of having a good team and having players who play well and deserve opportunities. I don’t like to think of it as picking one over the other. I like to think of it as sometimes there is not enough for everything that you want.“
Newly signed Amar’e Stoudemire is willing to fill any role the Heat require of him, Michael Wallace of ESPN.com writes. “It’s whatever the coaching staff asks,” Stoudemire said. “I can play however much or however long he [coach Erik Spoelstra] needs me to. You know, it’s whatever it takes to win.“
Wizards second round pick Aaron White is almost certain to play in Europe during the 2015/16 season, J. Michael of CSNWashington.com writes, though his agent doesn’t seem anxious to make any declarations. “It’s too early to say,” Chris Emens, White’s agent, told Michael about whether White will be on Washington’s preseason roster. “We’re talking to [the Wizards] about some of that stuff. We’re also talking to international teams. Right now the biggest thing for Aaron is to develop, particularly when the roster sheds a lot of spots next season, for him and be ready to step in and play a role.“

Heat Sign Amar’e Stoudemire

July 10th, 2015 at 4:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 4:41pm: The Heat have officially signed Stoudemire, the team announced. It will be a one-year deal worth $1.5MM, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets. “We are very fortunate that a proven All-Star like Amar’e has chosen the Miami Heat,” said team president Pat Riley. “He is going to bring gravitas, leadership and a hardworking mentality to our team as we look to win another Championship in Miami.”

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

THURSDAY, 10:53pm: The Heat are believed to be close to a deal with Amar’e Stoudemire, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, who cites sources (Twitter link). Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald confirmed through an associate of Stoudemire’s that it is indeed the case and that the 13-year veteran would like to play for the Heat, though that associate cautioned that a deal is not yet a given. The Happy Walters client won’t base his decision on money, Jackson hears, a plus for the Heat, who are limited to only their $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception and are poised to pay repeat-offender tax penalties this season unless they clear some of their salary commitments.

Stoudemire will meet with the Heat on Friday, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported (on Twitter), and team president Pat Riley will take part, Jackson notes. Several other teams have apparently been in the mix for the big man, as the Clippers, Rockets, Mavericks, Lakers and Suns all reportedly expressed interest in him as someone who could shore up their respective benches.

Stoudemire didn’t want to go to the Clippers unless he could start, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reported, and it seems unlikely he’d start over Chris Bosh or Hassan Whiteside in Miami. Still, Stoudemire apparently had at least some level of mutual interest in the Clippers, as well as the Mavs, Lakers, Suns and Spurs. He was expected to speak with Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers this past weekend, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, who added the Pacers to the list of teams that Stoudemire was eyeing.

And-Ones: Matthews, Stoudemire, Kanter

July 8th, 2015 at 11:24pm CST by Eddie Scarito

As the drama regarding DeAndre Jordan‘s free agency decision seemingly concludes, the Mavericks can breathe easier knowing that Wesley Matthews still intends to sign with the team regardless of Jordan’s choice, Jason Quick of The Oregonian writes. Matthews reached a verbal agreement with Dallas on a sign a four-year deal worth approximately $13MM per season, and he is expected to officially sign the agreement and be introduced to the Dallas media on Thursday, the first day the NBA moratorium ends, Quick adds.

Here’s more from around the league:

With Jordan deciding to remain with the Clippers, signing unrestricted free agent Amar’e Stoudemire will be an option for the Mavericks, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report relays (Twitter links). Stoudemire is also strongly considering the Heat, Zwerling adds.
There is growing speculation around the league that the Pacers will approach the Mavs about a trade for Roy Hibbert now that Dallas has missed out on Jordan, Jake Fischer of LibertyBallers tweets. That’s apparently even though Indiana has committed to trade Hibbert to the Lakers.
With the free agent moratorium set to end on Thursday, league sources believe that restricted free agent Enes Kanter will either re-sign with the Thunder or sign an offer sheet that the team would then match, Royce Young of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link).
Forward Livio Jean-Charles, the No. 28 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, won’t be joining the Spurs for the 2015/16 campaign, according to Tony Parker, Dan McCarney of The San Antonio Express-News relays. Parker is not only a potential future teammate of Jean-Charles’, but he is also the president and owner of ASVEL Basket, the French team Jean-Charles currently plays for.
The Thunder sent the Raptors $250k as part of the trade that landed Luke Ridnour in Toronto, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
The Celtics have a vested interest in where Jordan ends up, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets. Boston owns the rights to the Dallas 2016 first-rounder from the Rajon Rondo trade, which is top seven protected. With the Mavs whiffing on signing Jordan, a blow to the team’s chances of winning this coming season, the pick becomes more valuable, as long as the Mavs don’t sink too far and end up keeping it.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Stoudemire, Hollins, Rivers

July 5th, 2015 at 12:01pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The agreement to trade for Roy Hibbert caps another dismal free agent season for the Lakers, according to Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times. L.A. passed on Jahlil Okafor in the draft because team officials were confident they could land a big man through free agency, he writes. But LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan and Greg Monroe all chose to go elsewhere. Bresnahan notes that the pattern of free agents turning down the Lakers began with Dwight Howard two years ago and has included Carmelo Anthony and Pau Gasol.

There’s more news from the Pacific Division:

Outside of money, the Lakers don’t have much to offer free agents, writes J.A. Adande of ESPN.com. That was evidenced by the team’s disastrous first presentation to Aldridge, which reportedly focused more on the off-court advantages of Los Angeles than on basketball matters, Adande claims. Teams need to have good players to attract great players, he states, and the Lakers are struggling to reach the first step.
Amar’e Stoudemire was expected to speak with Clippers President of Basketball Operations Doc Rivers Saturday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The forward has interest in several teams, including the Clippers, Mavericks and Pacers, Wojnarowski adds. The Clippers have roughly $2.2MM in exception space left to sign a player beyond the league minimum.
The Clippers have had conversations about bringing Ryan Hollins back, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). Hollins played for Doc Rivers when he coached in Boston as well as in his first season as the coach of the Clippers.
Austin Rivers will probably be a late signing for the Clippers, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Los Angeles has limited Bird Rights on the free agent guard and can offer up to $3,110,796MM per season, which Washburn speculates will be the best he receives in a shrinking market.
Justin Holiday is unlikely to return to the Warriors, Washburn writes in the same story. The free agent guard will probably leave the defending champs to seek more playing time.
In addition to the Kings‘ max offer, Tobias Harris also received interest from the Celtics, Pistons, Pelicans and Grizzlies, among others, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. The Lakers and Knicks were not among the teams to reach out to Harris, Kennedy adds (Twitter link).

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Western Notes: West, Matthews, Stoudemire

July 4th, 2015 at 10:12am CST by Eddie Scarito

Serbian big man Miroslav Raduljica is garnering interest from NBA teams, with the Kings being one potential suitor, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando notes (via Twitter). The 27-year-old made a cameo appearance for the Wolves last season on a 10-day deal, averaging 1.6 points and 1.0 rebound in 4.6 minutes per contest over five games. Raduljica is also mulling overseas offers as well, Carchia notes.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Trail Blazers never made a contract offer to free agent Wesley Matthews, who agreed to a four-year pact with the Mavericks on Thursday, Jason Quick of The Oregonian tweets.
The Clippers attempted to sign center Kendrick Perkins after he was waived by the Jazz last season, but the big man joined the Cavaliers instead, Arash Markazi of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). Los Angeles still has interest in the big man, which has likely increased in the wake of losing DeAndre Jordan to Dallas, Markazi adds.
There is mutual interest between unrestricted free agent Amar’e Stoudemire and the Clippers, Lakers, Mavericks, Spurs and Suns, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report tweets.
With a void in their frontcourt with the loss of Jordan, the Clippers are showing interest in unrestricted free agent David West, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com relays (Twitter link).

Free Agent Rumors: Stoudemire, Hill, Butler

July 2nd, 2015 at 9:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The free agent signing period is now in its second day, and here are the latest rumblings from around the league:

The Clippers, Rockets, Mavericks, Lakers, and Suns all have expressed interest in signing Amar’e Stoudemire as a backup big man, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link). Stoudemire is only interested in signing with the Clippers if DeAndre Jordan departs and he could become the starter, Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times tweets.
The Mavs will shift focus to pursuing unrestricted free agent Jordan Hill if the team misses out on signing Jordan, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets.
Having missed out on Greg Monroe, one of their prime free agent targets, the Knicks have been in contact with Hill’s representatives, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes.
Caron Butler, who was waived by the Bucks shortly after they had acquired him from the Pistons, is on the Knicks‘ radar thanks to his shooting ability and potential fit in the triangle offense, Marc Berman of The New York Post tweets. The Cavaliers have also been in constant contact with Butler, though no signing appears imminent, notes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Unrestricted free agent Quincy Acy is garnering interest from the Magic, Kings, Pelicans, Hawks, and Spurs, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (via Twitter).
Free agent Gigi Datome is split on whether to return to the NBA next season or to play in Europe, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The forward’s primary concern is playing time, not money, adds Himmelsbach.
The Mavs are back in play for J.J. Barea after he was leaning toward signing with the Heat Wednesday, TNT’s David Aldridge relays in a series of tweets. The point guard is seeking a three-year deal, Aldridge adds. Dallas is optimistic it can land Barea but is waiting for other free agents to make their decisions first, notes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (on Twitter).
Unrestricted free agent Joel Freeland said that he will sign with a European team if he doesn’t agree to an NBA contract by July 10th, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (via Twitter).
Center Kosta Koufos has received interest from the Mavs, Lakers and Kings, Kennedy tweets. The Bucks had shown interest as well, prior to signing Greg Monroe, Kennedy adds.
Free agent forward Derrick Williams is scheduled to meet with the Knicks and Mavericks today in Los Angeles, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets.
The Pistons and Suns both made hard pushes to sign DeMarre Carroll, who instead inked a deal with the Raptors, Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link). Carroll was blown away by Toronto’s offer, its environment, and is a big fan of coach Dwane Casey, Arnovitz adds.

And-Ones: NBPA, Hackett, Stoudemire

June 20th, 2015 at 2:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The way teams discuss their own pending restricted free agents is under fire from the National Basketball Players Association, which has officially taken the position that the traditional “we’ll match any offer” comments so often made by NBA executives are a circumvention of the salary cap in their intent to discourage potential rival bidders, Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. The league had issued a memo back in November warning teams that, while the NBA itself doesn’t agree with the NBPA’s stance on the matter, league officials see enough potential merit in the union’s stance to advise those who continue with match-any-offer comments that they could be opening themselves up to legal action, Stein notes.

The ESPN scribe’s sources informed him that this impetus stems from Klutch Sports agents Rich Paul and Mark Termini, who urged the NBPA to challenge the way that teams have historically dropped none-too-subtle hints about their plans to match offers in an attempt to depress the market for restricted free agents. This movement stems from the willingness of new NBPA head Michele Roberts to aggressively speak up for the players, Stein adds. It’s not too surprising to see Paul and Termini at the center of this, given that they represent Eric Bledsoe, whose restricted free agency dragged on for months last year after the Suns pledged to match any offer. The duo also represent Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph and Norris Cole, all of whom could become restricted free agents this offseason.

Here’s more from around the league:

Unrestricted free agent Amar’e Stoudemire said that he’d love to return to the Mavericks next season, but is also potentially interested in returning to play for the Suns or Knicks, Jared Zwerling of BleacherReport tweets.
Euroleague guard Daniel Hackett intends to void his contract with Emporio Armani Milano in order to pursue an NBA contract, David Pick of Eurobasket.com relays (Twitter link). The 27-year-old out of USC went undrafted back in 2009.
The Blazers held workouts on Friday for Gary Bell Jr. (Gonzaga), Seth Gearhart (Rice), Jelani Hewitt (Georgia Southern), Dakari Johnson (Kentucky), Kevin Pangos (Gonzaga), and Thomas van der Mars (Netherlands), the team announced.

Texas Notes: Rondo, Stoudemire, Spurs

May 11th, 2015 at 1:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Last night in Los Angeles, the Rockets were on the wrong side of a one-sided affair as they fell 128-95 to the Clippers. Houston’s strategy of intentionally fouling DeAndre Jordan didn’t pay off as the big man put up 26 points and 17 boards to put his team up 3-1 in the series. Here’s today’s look at the other two teams in the Lone Star State..

Mavs guard Rajon Rondo is entering free agency after a down year and Keyon Dooling thinks that whoever signs him will get a tremendous value, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes. “I think his future is bright, I think someone will be getting a hungry veteran who’s still in the prime of his career,” Dooling said. “We’re talking about one of the most unselfish players in the league in his selfish ways. It’s like an anomaly. He’s the most unselfish player in the world on the court but for some reason he has a selfish image. I’m biased because that’s my friend, but I just don’t get it.” Rondo and Dooling (now retired) were teammates in Boston.
Another pending Mavs free agent, Amar’e Stoudemire says that he could envision a return to Dallas. “There was a lot at stake this season. I’m sure there’s going to be another round of free agency happening again, as it was in 2010. I’ll make my rounds and see what teams are saying, but I think Dallas is a place where I feel comfortable here. I have a chance to have great success here with this franchise. We’ll see,” Stoudemire told Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Stoudemire appeared in 23 games for Dallas this season but saw the team fall in the first round of the playoffs. The veteran says that he’s “already paid in full” and will be prioritizing winning this summer over money.
The Spurs will have options via sign-and-trade to add a max free agent this summer, but doing that could put Danny Green‘s future with the team in jeopardy, Dan McCarney of the Express News writes. McCarney runs down Green’s solid resume in San Antonio and concludes that they’ll have a serious hole to fill if he goes elsewhere.

Mavs Want New Deal With Amar’e Stoudemire

March 26th, 2015 at 12:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mark Cuban signaled that he’d like to keep Amar’e Stoudemire beyond the rest-of-season deal he signed with the team following his buyout with the Knicks, as Cuban told reporters, including Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News and Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Stoudemire’s choice of the Mavs over the Suns, a team in which he had an “extremely high” level of interest in joining, and other suitors indicates that he’ll again consider signing with Dallas this summer, MacMahon figures, though it doesn’t appear an open-and-shut case. Stoudemire called the summer ahead a chance for him to choose a team that has confidence in him and understands that he’s eager to play at a high level for years to come, as Sefko relays, and MacMahon believes he’ll prioritize winning, playing time, and money.

“I love Amar’e — love, love, love the guy,” Cuban said. “There’s not enough superlatives. He’s just a great guy on the court and off. I just love his physicality. He just wants to win and is a great guy.”

Cuban makes a habit of saying he wants to keep his teams intact only to shuffle the roster, Sefko points out. Still, the owner isn’t upset about Stoudemire’s criticism of his new teammates, citing the 13-year veteran’s experience as reason to let him speak his mind, Sefko notes. Dallas will probably offer Stoudemire a “significant” portion of the mid-level exception this summer, MacMahon believes. The non-taxpayer’s mid-level will be $5.464MM and the taxpayer’s amount will be $3.376MM, though if the Mavs dip below the cap, they’ll instead have the $2.814MM room exception.

MacMahon envisions Stoudemire asking for a multiyear deal, which jibes with the 32-year-old’s intent to maintain his performance well into the future. Stoudemire said he believes he can play another five or six years if he keeps his body in tune, as Sefko and MacMahon relay. The strong reputation of Mavs athletic trainer Casey Smith helped persuade the big man to sign with Dallas, as MacMahon wrote last month, but Phoenix’s training staff is as well-regarded as any in sports, and Stoudemire would reportedly welcome a return to the Suns this summer. In any case, Stoudemire said “there’s no way” he’s retiring this summer, according to Sefko.

Reports linked Stoudemire to the Blazers, Grizzlies, Spurs, Clippers, Raptors and Warriors while he was considering where he would play following his Knicks buyout, and that suggests there will be plenty of teams in the mix for him again this summer. In any case, he assuredly won’t be making the salary of almost $20.911MM the Knicks are shelling out for him this year, an amount that was to have been even greater before he gave up $2.5MM in the buyout. His deal with the Mavs gives him a prorated minimum salary, and Dallas would have to use cap room or an exception to give him more than 120% of the minimum next season, since they have only Non-Bird rights to him. The Mavs have about $28MM in guaranteed salary for next season, but several members of the team are set to hit free agency.

Southwest Notes: Stoudemire, Powell, Green

March 11th, 2015 at 8:18pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Tyson Chandler believes that Amar’e Stoudemire, who has been with the Mavs for less than a month, has earned the right to publicly criticize his new teammates, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com relays. “I think he’s earned it throughout his career, and he came here because he wanted to win a championship,” said Chandler. “And I encourage more guys to be vocal. I think he’s only been honest to his teammates. He didn’t say anything to you guys that he didn’t say to us personally, so I respect that. I feel like guys will respect that and get things in order.” Stoudemire had chastised his teammates for a lack of professionalism and competitiveness after Dallas was abused by the Cavs on Tuesday night.

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Mavericks have re-assigned center Dwight Powell to the Texas Legends, their D-League affiliate, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com reports (Twitter link). This is Powell’s third D-League assignment by the Mavs, and his eighth trek overall of the season.
Though Jeff Green‘s overall numbers are down since arriving in Memphis, the forward is thriving in the utility role that Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger has carved out for him, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes (subscription required). Green may not have accepted this sort of role with the Celtics, but being on a contending team has reinvigorated the veteran, Tillery adds. “It’s definitely a blessing to be in this position,” Green said. “Not everyone has the chance to say they can play for a championship, especially in the Western Conference. So I’m blessed to be in this position to do whatever it takes to get to that point.”
Green is also aware that Memphis didn’t acquire him to be a star, but rather to augment the Grizzlies‘ chances of advancing in the playoffs, Tillery relays. “I just try to make plays and try to be the player I’ve always been,” Green said. “Just be aggressive. When I first got here, they told me to just be you. I think when they told me that it instilled that confidence that I needed coming into the situation that I didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes. When they told me that, it just let me play basketball.”