Amar'e Stoudemire: Forecasting STAT's Future with New York Knicks

The amnesty clause has been used, the trade options are unappealing and Amar'e Stoudemire is still owed approximately $65 million over the next three seasons with the New York Knicks.

This is your $100 million power forward.

This is the man who was cheered upon his arrival in New York. This is the man who was supposed to invigorate a once-dormant franchise back to its proper state.

Madison Square Garden was electrified when "STAT" first took the floor. During the first half of the 2010 regular season, Stoudemire turned in impressive averages of 26.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks on 50.7 percent shooting.

He was a starter in the All-Star game and things were all good in New York.

Then, things changed.

The Knicks gave up a small fortune to acquire the services of Carmelo Anthony.

New York shipped Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov and multiple draft picks to Denver in exchange for Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter and Renaldo Balkman.

Of the players the Knicks acquired in that deal, only 'Melo remains with the team.

This was supposed to be Stoudemire's team before the front office switched up everything around him.

Was this what Stoudemire signed up for? Now the Knicks were Anthony's team and Stoudemire found himself playing second fiddle.

Remember, this is the same Amar'e who said that both Anthony and Tony Parker were "ready to join" him in New York if he signed with the Knicks in free agency.

Maybe Stoudemire got a bit more than he bargained for when he recruited Anthony to New York.

Regardless, this is the team Knicks fans are going to be looking at moving forward.

With more than $50 million committed on an annual basis to Stoudemire, Anthony and Tyson Chandler each season for the next three years, this is the Knicks team that is going to have to find a way to make it work.

We've dissected the idea that Stoudemire and Anthony don't "fit together," but these are two supremely skilled players who sought to play together.

For the Knicks, the vision needs to become a reality.

It's exhausting to see theoretical trades for Stoudemire which bring back overpaid players who wouldn't help the Knicks. It's not something the front office is considering, and it's not something Knicks fans should be wishing for in the offseason.

Can he be frustrating at times? Certainly. Has he struggled to create on-court chemistry with Carmelo Anthony? At times, absolutely.

But is that worth giving up on STAT? Are the frustrations worth shipping him out for players of lesser value?

It's awfully difficult to build that argument.

Perhaps Stoudemire is no longer the player the Knicks thought they'd be getting upon signing him to that massive deal, but he doesn't have to be in order to be successful.

If he can help his team win games moving forward, that's all anyone is going to care about.