Tracking Amar'e Stoudemire's Downward Spiral from NBA All-Star to Afterthought

Reviewing Amar'e Stoudemire's disappointing career is a lot like being subjected to an episode of Gilmore Girls—you'll spend the rest of your day pondering sappy idioms like "Be careful what you wish for," or "The grass isn't always greener on the other side."

Stoudemire may never come closer to a championship than he did with the Phoenix Suns team that twice lost in the Western Conference Finals in 2005 and 2006.

He left Steve Nash's side for more money and the chance to put the New York Knicks back on the map. Sold on the promise of forming a Miami Heat-like superstar pairing, Stoudemire signed with New York in 2010 and was later joined by Carmelo Anthony at the expense of a handful of promising young talent.

The gamble made sense for New York. Stoudemire is a six-time All-Star with a productive history in Phoenix, and he looked the part in his first season as a Knick; the sometimes-explosive power forward put up 25.3 points a game in 2010-11 and was having his best season in two years.

There were some troubling signs, to be sure. His field-goal percentage was the worst it had been in five years and plummeted still further this season, and his defense didn't live up to superstar billing.

Stoudemire's role became more uncertain this season, especially on the heels of Mike D'Antoni's departure from the bench. Under Mike Woodson, New York has adopted an identity centered around Carmelo Anthony and a platoon of role players like J.R. Smith, Landry Fields and Iman Shumpert.

Anthony has been at his best when playing as a power forward, forcing Stoudemire to either move to the 5 or ride the bench. Carmelo and Amar'e also pose spacing problems given their shared preference for the high post.

But the technical difficulties are only the beginning of Stoudemire's problems.

He has taken himself out of a do-or-die first-round series against the Miami Heat thanks to a lack of composure. That was probably a poor choice, but it's hard to be entirely unsympathetic to Stoudemire's predicament.

He's watched his success and relevance decline on account of a bulging disc interrupting his season and the loss of his brother. After two losses to the Miami Heat, including a devastating 33-point collapse in Game 1, some frustration is understandable.

Stoudemire had just nine points and five rebounds in that game, a telling commentary on where we stands with the Knicks at the moment. His production suffered a marked decline across the board this season.

The idea of trading Stoudemire was once unthinkable, but it's become a very real possibility in a world where Carmelo might be better off with a different sidekick. If the Knicks are going to build around a new core, it might as well be one that can successfully coexist.

Stoudemire might be better off elsewhere—just as he might have been better off remaining in Phoenix.

Then again, the grass isn't always greener on the other side.