Could the Knicks' new free-agent acquisition convince LeBron James to join him in New York?
Amare Stoudemire is interviewed inside Madison Square Garden on Monday, July 5, 2010, in New York. Stoudemire is headed to the New York Knicks, and both sides are hoping he's not coming alone. The Knicks said Monday they intend to sign Stoudemire to a contract later this week when the free agent moratorium period ends. Stoudemire’s agent, Happy Walters, said the deal is for the maximum allowed, which would be nearly $100 million over five years.
Wearing a blue Knicks hat, Stoudemire said he looked forward to rebuilding a franchise and bringing the Knicks back to the top — maybe with a player such as LeBron James or Dwyane Wade with him.
“I feel great about being a pioneer and showing my leadership,” he said at Madison Square Garden, where signs throughout the entrances showed the player pictured in a Knicks uniform and reading “Welcome, Amar’e Stoudemire.”
The deal can’t be signed until Thursday, after the salary cap for next season has been set.
It was a desperately needed score in free agency for the Knicks, who spent two seasons clearing enough cap space to afford two top players. They met with James, Wade and Chris Bosh last week and believe they could still land one of them.
The move reunites Stoudemire with Mike D’Antoni, his former coach in Phoenix.
Stoudemire averaged more than 20 points in every season they were together and immediately becomes the best player D’Antoni has coached since leaving the Suns after the 2007-08 season.
Nets want Dumars
The New Jersey Nets are interested in hiring Joe Dumars as team president, a source close to the situation told the Detroit Free Press.
In an e-mail, Dumars — the Pistons’ president of basketball operations — denied a report that he interviewed with the Nets during the weekend.