Ok...bit of an update from Ken Berger on this issue....buried in the Amare agreeing in principle piece.
Knicks ready to agree with Amar'e (UPDATE)
Posted on: July 5, 2010 4:34 pm
Edited on: July 5, 2010 5:08 pm
Score: 225
Log-in to rate: * Log-in to rate:
* Log-in to rate:
As the basketball world waits for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to decide their futures, the Knicks are ready to move forward with a five-year, $99.8 million deal with Amar'e Stoudemire -- a pre-emptive strike that could send the rest of the free-agent dominoes tumbling, a person with knowledge of the situation told CBSSports.com.
Stoudemire and Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan began meeting at about 4:15 p.m. ET Monday with the detailed framework of a contract in place, the person said. There was "still work to be done," the person said, including clarifying the complicated landscape of support pieces that the Knicks would surround Stoudemire with this year or next. But barring an unforeseen breakdown in talks, Stoudemire is expected to verbally agree to the Knicks' offer by the end of the day, a move that should accelerate the rest of the free-agent activity in this momentous summer for the NBA.
Yahoo! Sports first reported the meeting Monday between Stoudemire, his agent, Happy Walters, and Dolan -- a gathering that is expected to produce the first, and perhaps only instance of a top-flight free agent leaving his team during the most anticipated offseason in league history.
After Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki and Joe Johnson agreed to return to their own teams, Stoudemire would be the first marquee free agent to do what in past free-agency period has been almost unheard of -- venture elsewhere as an All Star-caliber unrestricted free agent. While the move sets up the Knicks to move forward with or without one of their top two targets -- LeBron and Wade -- getting a commitment from Stoudemire serves the dual purpose of allowing them to use it to entice one of them or move on to add other pieces this summer or next.
According to multiple team executives pursuing James and Wade, neither player has informed any of the teams chasing them that they are out of the running. James isn't expected to make a decision until his three-day Nike camp concludes Wednesday in his hometown of Akron. Wade returned to Miami Monday and was seen at American Airlines Arena with Heat owner Mickey Arison. Once Stoudemire's commitment to the Knicks is finalized, those players will have witnessed something that the rest of the NBA has been waiting to see from them -- a decision and a direction.
Given James' comments during All-Star weekend that he would've been amenable to pairing with Stoudemire at the trade deadline -- and Amar'e's statement since the end of the season that such a pairing would've resulted in a "championship" -- the Knicks are comfortable making the first big move of this complicated chess match. According to a person familiar with the organization's strategy, a commitment from Stoudemire won't necessarily ensure a commitment from James -- but it won't hurt the team's pursuit of him, either. Regardless, faced with paralyzing indecision on the part of James, Wade and Bosh, the Knicks felt compelled to move forward with a pre-emptive strike.
If only one other free agent changes teams, the organization's decision-makers theorize, the Knicks will assure themselves of landing at least one of them. As the only team assured of using all its cap space this summer and still having room to add a major piece next summer when Eddy Curry's $11.3 million deal comes off the books, the opportunity to surround Stoudemire with championship-level talent transforms from a one-step process to a two-step process -- a contingency that team president Donnie Walsh has been preparing for since he arrived in New York two years ago and boldly announced his strategy to rebuild the Knicks with an aggressive campaign to create cap space.
While there remain significant questions regarding the viability of Stoudemire's knees and concerns about an eye injury that required multiple operations, Walsh has tilted the playing field in the chase for top free agents. Rather than waiting for James and Wade to make their decisions, Walsh has put the ball in their court: Do you want to pair with Stoudemire, or not? If they don't, the Knicks already are exploring sign-and-trade options involving David Lee that would import a point guard to run the pick-and-roll with Stoudemire; sources say New York has had such discussions with Utah, Toronto, Houston, Golden State and Charlotte. The Warriors have been amenable to a swap that would send Monta Ellis to the Knicks, and the Bobcats could offer Raymond Felton.
The biggest wild card in the Knicks' rapidly evolving plan is Carmelo Anthony, who has yet to commit to the Nuggets' three-year, $65 million extension offer. Sources close to Anthony believe that he ultimately will re-up with Denver, but acknowledge that he's intrigued by the free-agent movement this summer and the opportunities it could create for him to join a championship-ready team as an unrestricted free agent in 2011. The Knicks also have explored trade possibilities for Spurs point guard Tony Parker, but to this point have been rebuffed.
Charlotte has Felton, GS has Monta and Biedrins, Toronto probably Bosh, maybe Calderon. Houston has who? Lowry and Scola? Who does Utah have?
7/5/2010 5:34 PM