NBA Rumors: Amar'e Stoudemire to 76ers Would Be Rare Deal That Helps Both Teams

A deal that lands Amar'e Stoudemire in Philly will erase a Knicks mistake and make the Sixers serious contenders. Reports surfaced that Philly has inquired about Stoudemire's availability. Most trades end up lopsided in one team's favor, but this one would be a step in the right direction for both teams.

How It Helps the Sixers: True No. 1 Scorer

The Sixers only real weakness is the fact that they don't have a go-to scorer. Stoudemire would give them that. Right now, Louis Williams or Jrue Holiday are the go-to guys down the stretch, but Stoudemire is a far more practical and explosive option.

Stoudemire is averaging 17.7 points per game, even as he watches Carmelo Anthony hoist up shot after shot. In Philly, he would be the No. 1 option.

The Sixers play stifling defense already as they give up only 87 points per game, which is the best in the NBA. That number will certainly go up with Amar'e, as he is still not a good defender, but his impact offensively makes up for it on this team.

The Sixers would likely have to part with Andre Iguodala and Spencer Hawes to pull Stoudemire. That is significant because Iggy is the Sixers best on ball defender and Hawes' passing and shooting ability is big to the team's success. Still, it is worth it to plug in a 20-point, 10 rebound performer in the middle of that offense.

The starting lineup for the 76ers would be:

PG Holiday

SG Jodie Meeks

SF Evan Turner

PF Stoudemire

C Nikola Vucevic

Sometimes just as head coaches have to substitute offense for defense, general managers have to do the same thing to build a winner.

How It Helps the Knicks: Better Balance and Role Definition

Anthony and Stoudemire were a mismatch from the beginning. It sounds nice on NBA2K12, but in real life the frequency in which Anthony shoots alienates Stoudemire in the offense. In the Nuggets-Knicks game two weeks ago, Stoudemire didn't take one shot in the fourth quarter and first overtime.

Melo took 30 shots that game to only nine for Stoudemire. If you have two very capable scorers on your team and one has over three times as many shots as the other, that's a problem. Moving Stoudemire takes away the potential issue for shot distribution that is growing in New York.

As the team continues to lose, its only a matter of time before that element rears its head. The Knicks are 7-13 through 20 games this season. That is far beneath their preseason expectations.

This team could also use better role definition. Both Anthony and Stoudemire are scorers and poor defenders. That is one too many leaders, with the same deficiency.

Iguodala is well-rounded and certainly more of a defender than Amar'e or Melo. He would instantly upgrade the Knicks at the shooting guard. Moving Landry Fields to the bench helps the reserve unit and improves the team defense overall. Iguodala is averaging 12 points, five assists and 6.4 rebounds per game. His stat sheet stuffing play would be welcomed versatility for the Knicks.

Spencer Hawes certainly doesn't supplant Tyson Chandler as the starter in the middle, but he would bring an excellent option off the bench with his passing and scoring ability. Hawes is one of the NBA's best passing big men. He averages almost three assists per game, grabs nine boards and scores 10.4 points per contest. At 7'0", he could even play with Chandler for stretches creating a long and versatile PF, C combination.

The Knicks starting lineup would be:

PG Baron Davis

SG Iguodala

SF Anthony

PF Jared Jeffries

C Tyson Chandler

The Knicks are built around Anthony. If you consider the salary and the players traded to acquire him, the Knicks have far more invested his way. They almost have to acquire players that better fit with his style. Hawes and Iggy are much more suited to play with Melo than Stoudemire will ever be.