Amar’e Stoudemire(notes) and the New York Knicks are making progress in talks on a five-year, $100 million max contract and a deal could be completed as soon as Friday, league sources told Y! Sports.

The framework of the deal, which would give Stoudemire a $17.2 million starting salary next season, is in place and the two sides are expected to talk again soon, sources said. Stoudemire is expected to travel to New York on Saturday.

The Knicks and Stoudemire aren’t each other’s first choices, but Stoudemire wanted a fifth year guaranteed and the Knicks needed to have something to show for years of losing and working to clear cap space.

As Yahoo! Sports first reported, Stoudemire’s departure from the Suns was all but clinched after the Phoenix Suns reached agreement with forward Hakim Warrick(notes) on a four-year, $18 million contract , league sources said.

The Suns moved forward with Warrick after negotiations with Stoudemire stalled. Stoudemire’s agent Happy Walters had a late-night conversation Thursday with Suns owner Robert Sarver, who insisted he couldn’t wait any longer on Stoudemire’s decision and would need to consider other options. Stoudemire was not ready to commit, sources said, because he wanted to see how the rest of the free-agent market played out and he believed he could get a better offer from the Knicks or another team.

The Suns made a last-ditch proposal to Stoudemire, offering him a five-year contract that guaranteed him $71 million, sources said. The first three seasons were fully guaranteed. The fourth season contained a 50 percent guarantee that could become fully guaranteed based on the number of minutes Stoudemire played in the first three seasons. The fifth season of the contract also could become guaranteed based on a minutes incentive.

The Suns put in the incentives because of concerns over Stoudemire’s past knee and eye injuries. Insurance won’t cover Stoudemire’s salary if he can’t play because of any additional problems to either of his knees or his right eye.

The Suns believed the Knicks were prepared to give Stoudemire a maximum offer with all five seasons guaranteed and weren’t prepared to go that high. The Heat expressed similar concern about Stoudemire’s previous injuries, but were preparing to make an offer if they don’t land Chris Bosh(notes). The Houston Rockets tried to deal for Stoudemire in February and also explored possible sign-and-trade scenarios with him in free agency.

Stoudemire has played all eight seasons of his NBA career with the Suns since they took him with the ninth pick in 2002.

loweyecue wrote:Still don't understand why they wouldn't make an offer to Bosh first? Is Bosh turning people off?

Amare + MDA connection?

Do you really favor Bosh over Amare? I don't.

franco12 wrote:I guess we can start locking all the doom and gloom threads.

I'm happy with Amare, Lee and Filler.

I'd be ecstatic if its Amare and Lebron.

OasisBU wrote:Does D Wade or Lebron fit better with Amare in MDA's system?

it would be hilarious if bosh signed with the bulls and the bulls didn't have a second max cap slot.

wade and bron would be scrambling to call the knicks back for a second meeting, i'm guessing.

loweyecue wrote:This is a huge exercise in Game theory. We are trying to force Wade/Bosh into either pairing up or denouncing Miami altogether. I think Amare is more skilled but definite health risk.

So was LJ

loweyecue wrote:This is a huge exercise in Game theory. We are trying to force Wade/Bosh into either pairing up or denouncing Miami altogether. I think Amare is more skilled but definite health risk.

Yes. And it's also a preemptive move against CHI too. Cause you KNOW if Amare is in NY, Bosh goes to Miami with Wade, and then LeBron would be left alone in CHI (if that's where he wanted to go).

martin wrote:

loweyecue wrote:This is a huge exercise in Game theory. We are trying to force Wade/Bosh into either pairing up or denouncing Miami altogether. I think Amare is more skilled but definite health risk.

Yes. And it's also a preemptive move against CHI too. Cause you KNOW if Amare is in NY, Bosh goes to Miami with Wade, and then LeBron would be left alone in CHI (if that's where he wanted to go).

Right. I think that's why it puts us in great position in the Bron Stakes. Bron can go to Chicago with DRose and... Boozer or Dlee? or come to NY with Amare and Gallo and eddy curry's expiring...

crzymdups wrote:

martin wrote:

loweyecue wrote:This is a huge exercise in Game theory. We are trying to force Wade/Bosh into either pairing up or denouncing Miami altogether. I think Amare is more skilled but definite health risk.

Yes. And it's also a preemptive move against CHI too. Cause you KNOW if Amare is in NY, Bosh goes to Miami with Wade, and then LeBron would be left alone in CHI (if that's where he wanted to go).

Right. I think that's why it puts us in great position in the Bron Stakes. Bron can go to Chicago with DRose and... Boozer or Dlee? or come to NY with Amare and Gallo and eddy curry's expiring...

I do think w/ Amare here we are the clear favorite for Lebron. Talent wise we are just as good a fit as Chicago. He either stays in Cle (which most seem to forget is still the most likely) or he comes here.

You have to remember he's a bit soft. Think about it... LBJ takes an extravegent FA tour, EVERYONE wants the King and he chooses his hometown Cle. We could get bounced in round 2 for the next 5 years and they still build him a statue. Cle has the lowest self esteem of any sports town (since NO won the SB)