Amare's Time in the Sun Needs To Be Over

I am a big Amare Stoudemire fan.

I love the ability he possesses, even if he has lost some of the explosiveness. I love the fact that he continues to develop as a post player, expanding his range from the floor.

Heck, he even seems to be making an effort to become a better rebounder.

Now for the reality.

He is not a max deal player. He will not be worth the $18-20 million a year he will be looking for.

He is still lazy on defense, and even though he is making strides, he still gets out done on the glass by people smaller and with less strength and quickness than him.

He is not a center piece of a championship team. He needs to realize he needs to be the Robin to someone's Batman.

So what do the Suns do, and what are some of the options out there? Glad you asked. The one that I am most intrigued with is the whispers coming out of Houston.

Apparently the Rockets are interested in Amare and would be willing to make a deal centering around Shane Battier and Carl Landry. Those players alone would not be enough to get Amare, not because of the talent, but because the salaries would not match up.

So the Rockets would have to include someone like a Luis Scola. Would the Rockets really want to give up two post players and one of the best individual defenders in the NBA for an All-Star and great offensive player, but someone who will not give you 100 percent on the defensive end and the boards every night?

Also, I am sure the Suns would like to get Jason Richardson's contract off the books. The way the Suns trainers seem to provide NBA players with a fountain of youth, would the Suns make and offer for Tracy McGrady?

Something along the lines of McGrady, Landry and Battier for Stoudemire and Richardson?

I am not sure of the market out there, but apparently the Bulls, Nets, and Heat are also interested in the services of Amare.

Hopefully the Suns are able to get something for Amare, because I do not see him in a Suns uniform next year and I don't see the Suns as a championship contender with Amare Stoudemire as the centerpiece of this franchise.

Any way you slice it, Amare Stoudemire should be in another uniform come February, and the Suns franchise will be better for it.