Stoudemire announced his intention to consider future over All-Star break
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The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly keen on New York Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire if they decide to move forward with a contract buy-out in the coming weeks.
The Mavs are considered the front-runners to sign Stoudemire if the 13-year veteran opts to purse a contract buy-out from the Knicks, according to ESPN sources.
However, it isn’t clear yet what the 32-year-old wishes to do as he revealed on Thursday that he would consider his options over the All-Star break as a switch to a playoff contender could appeal for the rest of this season.
Stoudemire is in the final year of his contract and it is widely assumed that the Knicks will not re-sign him as team president Phil Jackson continues to clear space on the roster for a huge rebuild in free agency and the Draft over the next two years.
Meanwhile, Dallas are also reportedly interested in former All-Star big man Jermaine O’Neal although it is reported that they are willing to make the necessary moves to accommodate both players should they become available.
“It’s not an easy decision to make,” Stoudemire told Yahoo!
“Over time, we will see how things pan out. You give yourself a break during the All-Star break. You think about it with your family. … That will give me a good solid week on how to weigh out the rest of the season.”
The Mavs can only offer Stoudemire the veteran’s minimum, but he would likely receive a significant role off the bench as a power forward back-up to Dirk Nowitzki while he could also slot in at center to cover for Tyson Chandler.
Nevertheless, Stoudemire has dealt with a number of injuries this season which has limited him to averages of 12.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in 33 games as he has now missed 14 of the last 18 games.
While the Knicks toil at the wrong end of the Eastern Conference with a 10-40 record, the Mavs are currently 34-18 for the season and will be hopeful of a strong playoff run in April and they are certainly eyeing moves to strengthen their roster further.
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