Amare Stoudemire to OKC?

[Rod4soonrs]

http://www.newsok.com/okc-thunder-sa...ad_story_title

That silence you hear is the calm before the storm.

By the time the NBA emerges from All-Star Weekend, we could be in for a flood of player movement and see the Thunder in the thick of it all.


Oklahoma City is well-positioned to be a major player this week leading up to Thursday’s trading deadline. The Thunder might not be in a hurry to deal — and certainly doesn’t feel obligated to — but the team’s mix of attractive contracts, its stable of future draft picks, reliable veterans and salary cap flexibility might make things very interesting.

To this point, this season has been filled with trade speculation but short on trades. NBA teams are approaching this year’s deadline with much more calculated mindsets. Front office executives have become far less willing to make deals that will blow up their books unless it all but assures a deep playoff run.

The heightened concern stems from the country’s economic woes, a growing fear that the salary cap could be on the decline for only the second time since its introduction in 1984-85 and the highly anticipated summer of 2010, when LeBron James and other big names could be on the free agent market.

"Every situation’s different,” said Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak. "All owners and general managers in this league want to win. Financial considerations are always something that’s taken into account. But basically, a GM and an owner are not going to do a deal unless it makes sense for the franchise and it puts them in a better position to win going forward.”

Oklahoma City will go into these final days making one last attempt to see what kind of return it can get for Joe Smith’s expiring $4.7 million contract and Chris Wilcox’s expiring $6.75 million deal. Neither player is in the Thunder’s long-term plans, but both could fit the goals of playoff teams looking to add one more piece for a potential championship run or rebuilding franchises seeking to shed salary.

The question is, how much can the Thunder realistically expect in return for Smith and Wilcox?

Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti traded veteran forward Kurt Thomas to San Antonio at the deadline last season in exchange for Brent Barry, Francisco Elson and a 2009 first-round draft pick.

Smith was recently offered to Sacramento for Kings swingman John Salmons, according to one media report. The Kings were believed to be uninterested, but the reported offer indicates Oklahoma City isn’t afraid to take on contracts with additional years if it means shoring up a problem position.

Salmons, 29, has two years remaining on his contract after this season totaling about $11.2 million.

The Thunder has also entered the Amare Stoudemire sweepstakes, according to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times, and Oklahoma City has the right mix of expiring contracts, draft picks and young talent that it would take to land Phoenix’s All-Star forward.

The Thunder’s front office also would like to find a taker for reserve guard Earl Watson, who is making $6.2 million this season and will earn $6.6 million in 2009-10.

Damien Wilkins could be thrown into a deal as well to unload the $3.3 million he’s due next season.

One way or another, the Thunder will take its next step in the rebuilding process over the next week.

[Chief Thundercloud]

It will be interesting to see who goes where before the deadline. I would not mind having Amare here, I think he could be good for us.

[Wooldoor Sockbat]

Course, if we trade Watson (or just leave him at the bus stop), I'll have to find someone else to blame everything on and yell at.

[Lebron>God]

^^^^ now thats the truth ^^^^

but its something I am willing to try

[Jimmy Early]

We have FOUR core players, IMO - Westbrook, Durant, Green and this year's first round draft pick. If we can get Stoudamire without giving up any of those players, then pull the trigger.

[okcnba]

I don't see any way to make this deal happen without one of our big 3 in the trade (likely Green). There's no way Presti is giving away his Ray Allen trade for a guy who may not stay here past next year and sucks up a big chunk of our salary that he'll need later to pay guys like Durant and Westbrook.

[bbingham05]

from what i have read the suns would want Green in return. Just my opinion but I wouldn't do it.

[okcnba]

Originally Posted by bbingham05

from what i have read the suns would want Green in return. Just my opinion but I wouldn't do it.

If that's the case than this won't be happening.

[DwightSchrute]

Stoudemire is vastly overrated because his impressive statistics don't reflect the fact that he makes no attempt to play defense (he also can't defend a pick-and-roll to save his life). The Suns are trying to dump payroll, but there are other reasons they are looking to deal him. They are the same reasons many fans in Phoenix have grown tired of him.

If you're a young team like the Thunder and have the opportunity to trade for a very highly paid star, you want a guy who's also going to be a leader for $15+ mil a year. That ain't Amare.

Also, as has been said, the Thunder need to be conservative with their acquistions because they need to leave some financial room for when they extend Durant, Green, and Westbrook in a few years. If you trade for Amare and are able to sign him to an extension, it would be very difficult to re-sign those three guys without going into the luxury tax. All things considered, Amare is a very good player, but he's not the type of guy for whom you take that sort of risk.

[Chief Thundercloud]

Originally Posted by DwightSchrute

Stoudemire is vastly overrated because his impressive statistics don't reflect the fact that he makes no attempt to play defense (he also can't defend a pick-and-roll to save his life).

If you trade for Amare and are able to sign him to an extension...

I think you are really putting the cart way before the horse here.

First, Brooks would not allow anyone not to play defense. He would learn or he would not play. If he did not play and did not learn, he would not be signed to an extension and would not effect the long term outlook of the team. If he is good for the team and works hard to become a defender, then Brooks and Presti can assess his worth later. You do not know if (God forbid) someone gets injured and the long term concerns change.

He is a big man, tough presence, hard charger, who was coached for several years by Mike D'Antoni who is not defensive minded, and his defense has not been an issue before.

Coached by Brooks, I think he could be good. He is definately worth a try, and if he does not work out for the needs of the team, he will be dealable later to another team more interested in his offensive capacity.

The future is not certain. Sometimes opportunities like this are good, sometimes they are bad, but in the position the Thunder are in right now, there is nothing to lose.

[RicanThunder]

Let me preface this by saying, I love Jeff Green. He is a mismatch nightmare for the opposing team, and, for being undersized, he plays pretty good defense on the 4 every night. Now, that being said....if we have the opportunity to get a 24 and 10 INSIDE presence, I say go for it. We keep banking on getting Thabeet or Griffin in the draft. What happens if that does not occur???? Push the rebuilding back one more year and see what happens in the draft after that? Krstic is not an inside presence. He is a jump shooting finesse center. If we don't have to give up Green, I'm all for that. But if all they're asking for is Green and a couple expirings, I say swing that deal. Plus, it would show KD that we mean business. KD has never played with an inside presence like Amare, but Amare has never played with a wing like KD. They may be a great combo. Combine that with Westbrook scooting and dishing around the floor, and you have mismatches all over the place.

[RicanThunder]

We combine Amare, KD, Westbrook, 1-2 three point specialists, and a solid 2-3 man bench, I say we are not only ready to start competing, but ready to start causing havoc in the Western Conference.

[okcnba]

Does Amare need a pass first type of point guard to be a 24 and 10 guy? Because if he does Westbrook and him won't be a good fit.

[ThunderCover]

Originally Posted by DwightSchrute

Stoudemire is vastly overrated because his impressive statistics don't reflect the fact that he makes no attempt to play defense (he also can't defend a pick-and-roll to save his life). The Suns are trying to dump payroll, but there are other reasons they are looking to deal him. They are the same reasons many fans in Phoenix have grown tired of him.

If you're a young team like the Thunder and have the opportunity to trade for a very highly paid star, you want a guy who's also going to be a leader for $15+ mil a year. That ain't Amare.

Also, as has been said, the Thunder need to be conservative with their acquistions because they need to leave some financial room for when they extend Durant, Green, and Westbrook in a few years. If you trade for Amare and are able to sign him to an extension, it would be very difficult to re-sign those three guys without going into the luxury tax. All things considered, Amare is a very good player, but he's not the type of guy for whom you take that sort of risk.

Good post. I'd be willing to trade expiring contracts and maybe a pick or two. It would give us the rest of this year and next year to see how he mesh's with the other guys but no way would I include Jeff Green in the deal.

Some of the rumors about what teams are offering sound crazy to me. It will be interesting to see what actually happens,

[okcnba]

I actually think Amare will still be a Sun until after this post season. With shaq playing better (even though his team isn't) you have to try 1 playoff run with your star center and power forward healthy and playing well together.

There's too many rumors and too much talk about him being moved. Most of the time trades come out of left field even though we love find the rumors and try and figure out what's going on ourselves.