Stoudemire Set To Join Mavericks
Just one day after being released from the New York Knicks after negotiating a buyout, Amar’e Stoudemire has committed to the Dallas Mavericks for the remainder of the season.
The contract will become official after Stoudemire clears waivers on Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET. He is expected to sign for the veteran’s minimum salary.
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns were among some of the Western Conference teams that showed interest in the six-time All-Star, but the Mavericks were the considered the front-runners for Stoudemire the entire time.
Dallas has been in need of some frontcourt help since trading Brandan Wright in a deal that brought point guard Rajon Rondo from Boston, and became more interested in Stoudemire after veteran center Jermaine O’Neal decided against joining the team.
Stoudemire, 32 and now in his 13th season, has previously stated a desire to compete for a championship, which was his main reason in asking for a buyout from the Knicks. New York is currently 10-43, the worst record in the league. Dallas currently sits at fifth in the West with a 36-19 record.
“I feel truly blessed to have been able to play for the incredible New York fans, Mr. Dolan, my coaches, teammates and the entire Knicks organization for the past five years,” Stoudemire said in a statement released by the team on Monday. “I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to contribute positively on the court and in the community.
“Although I leave the Knicks with a heavy heart, I wish the organization the best of luck. Once a Knick always a Knick.”
Stoudemire averaged 17.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in 255 games over five seasons with the Knicks, making the playoffs three times. He was a starter in the 2011 All-Star Game, the first member of the Knicks to do so in 14 years.
Jermaine O’Neal Decides Against Returning
It looks like veteran center Jermaine O’Neal won’t be making a comeback this season after all.
After months of speculation that the 18-year veteran would return to the league to play with the Dallas Mavericks, the 36 year old posted on Instagram on Monday that “the time isn’t right for me to play now.”
I'm not sure if there will ever be another time or not for me and basketball but what I do know at… http://t.co/UFxHBo4GyB
— Jermaine O'Neal (@jermaineoneal) February 16, 2015
O’Neal, who lives in the Dallas area, had been in the process of working on his conditioning in preparation for playing this season, and had also visited doctors in Germany to get treatment for his knee, but he informed the Mavericks on Monday that he would not be able to get into game shape for an NBA season this year, mainly due to an issue with his foot.
Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, who has previously coached O’Neal, left open the possibility of him joining the team at some point in the future, stating that he wanted to “keep all communication open for the possibility that he could play with us next year.”
“We met with Jermaine immediately after the Rajon Rondo trade,” Carlisle said. “He said that, being a Dallas resident, he had great interest in playing for us, but also that he had to go through a conditioning process to see if his body would take to it.
“We said that we were willing to wait and help in any way possible. And we understood that this process was going to take us to at least mid-January. Unfortunately in late January he had a little bit of a setback during training his foot and then forced him to stop training for a couple weeks.”
O’Neal averaged 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game last season for the Golden State Warriors. He was a six-time All-Star with the Indiana Pacers, and spent four of those seasons playing under Carlisle.
O’Neal has career averages of 13.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
Larry Sanders Leaving Milwaukee Via Buyout
Larry Sanders is apparently on his way out of Milwaukee, and is in buyout negotiations with the team. His time with the Bucks has been marred by drug suspensions, injuries, rumors of early retirement, animal abuse allegations, and bar fights.
Sanders recently served a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy, and has not returned to the team since. He has been listed as out for “personal reasons” in each of the Bucks’ past three games.
Despite the rumors of him wanting to leave the game, the 26-year-old has been vocal in expressing that he wants to resume his NBA career despite the personal struggles that have resulted in two league suspensions in less than a year, and promised in a Feb. 10 Twitter post that “Soon you will all know the truth.”
Sanders has appeared in just 50 games for the Bucks since signing a four-year, $44 million contract extension during the summer of 2013.
Sanders is averaging 7.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game this season in 21.7 minutes per game. He is averaging 6.5 point and 5.8 rebounds for his career, which began in 2010 when he was taken with the 15th pick by the Bucks.
