Amar'e Stoudemire Signs with Mavericks: Latest Contract Details and Reaction
After reaching a buyout agreement with the New York Knicks on Monday, Amar'e Stoudemire wasted little time in picking his next team.
The Dallas Mavericks announced the signing of Stoudemire on Wednesday, via Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears.
Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com provided comments from Stoudemire following the announcement:
Stodemire provided an image of how he'll look in a Mavericks jersey, via his Twitter account:
"Amar'e Stoudemire is officially a Maverick. pic.twitter.com/OR6uq8657K
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 18, 2015"
Shams Charania of RealGM.com first reported Stoudemire's commitment to sign with Dallas on Monday night.
Marc Stein of ESPN reported on Stoudemire's deal and salary-cap implications:
"It's Official !! pic.twitter.com/idONq04Nuc
— Amar'e Stoudemire (@Amareisreal) February 19, 2015"
MacMahon initially reported how the deal would be official at 4 p.m. CT on Wednesday after he cleared waivers.
Stoudemire, 32, was waived Monday after engaging in buyout talks with the Knicks during All-Star Weekend.
"Amar'e's period as a Knickerbocker has come to pass, at his request. His time here should be marked by recognizing his effort—it was 100 percent," Knicks President Phil Jackson said in a statement.
Teams had 48 hours to potentially claim Stoudemire before he became an unrestricted free agent, a process that was little more than a formality. Stoudemire was due $23.4 million in 2014-15, the last season of his five-year contract he signed with New York in 2010. No team had the cap space necessary to claim his cap hold, making him a prime candidate for contenders looking to score a player for the veteran's minimum.
A number of teams—most notably the Los Angeles Clippers, Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, per Stein—were expected to draw interest, but Dallas was viewed as an early favorite. The Mavericks have increasingly become a hub for former stars near the end of their careers, with Rick Carlisle's ability to highlight strengths and mitigate weaknesses serving as a draw.
"Amar'e Stoudemire's looming minimum deal with Dallas will pay him $477,150 ... with a salary-cap number of $301,492
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 17, 2015"
One of the league's best power forwards when he came to New York in 2010, injuries cut Stoudemire's prime short and have left him a shell of the player he once was. He missed at least 17 games in all but his first season in New York. He is averaging 12.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in 24 minutes per game this season, appearing in 36 contests before the break.
Though the counting stats were mediocre, Stoudemire is still an effective offensive force in limited minutes. He remains one of the league's most dynamic pick-and-roll threats. Although his body can't take the bumps on every possession the way it could early in his career, the Knicks did well managing his contact. Stoudemire is still solid in the post, remains a smart and effective cutter and still has moments where you remember how explosive he used to be.
Those fleeting moments are what Dallas is banking on. Stoudemire isn't arriving with the burden of a $100 million contract. He's arriving as a once-great veteran hoping to be the missing link in a championship contender.
If his body can hold up, that's not as far-fetched as it sounds.
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