NBA Rumors Round-Up

NBA Rumors: Stoudemire May Ask Knicks for Buyout

Amar’e Stoudemire may ask Knicks for buyout, George Karl would be interested in coaching Magic and more rumors.

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Stoudemire May Ask Knicks for Buyout

Amar’e Stoudemire plans to use the All-Star break to decide whether to ask the New York Knicks for a contract buyout that could free him to potentially sign with a playoff contender.

“It’s not an easy decision to make,” Stoudemire told Yahoo Sports. “Over time, we will see how things pan out. You give yourself a break during the All-Star break. You think about it with your family. …That will give me a good solid week on how to weigh out the rest of the season.”

“All possibilities at this point are still open,” Stoudemire said of a possible buyout. “The door is still open for that. But at the same time, I am with the Knicks now. I got to stay optimistic about things and what we are doing here. I can’t really focus on the future because it’s not here.

“We still have a couple weeks left before it’s all said and done. It’s a decision I have to make with my family to figure out the best scenario for the near future.”

via Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports

Amar’e Stoudemire isn’t sure if he’ll ask the Knicks for a buyout, but according to this interview it’s definitely something he’ll consider and discuss with his inner circle during the All-Star break.

Stoudemire is making $23,410,988 this season and may be willing to leave some of that money on the table in order to become an unrestricted free agent and then join a contending team. New York is just 10-39, which is the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

Our own Steve Kyler discussed this possibility last week in a video about potential buyouts, calling Stoudemire “a prime candidate” to be bought out.

If Stoudemire does become available, expect plenty of teams to express interest in the veteran big man. He may not be the star player he was earlier in his career, but he’s still a talented big man who can bolster a team’s frontcourt.

The L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers are mentioned by Spears as teams that may pursue Stoudemire if he becomes available, since they have been interested in adding a big man.

This season, Stoudemire has averaged 12.2 points and 7.0 rebounds in 24.5 minutes. Spears adds that the Knicks’ top priority seems to be buying out Andrea Bargnani, who is making $11,500,000 this year.

Karl Would Be Interested in Magic Job

One name to watch is George Karl. Sources didn’t mention him as a target for the Magic initially, but I’m told that Karl would have interest in coaching Orlando and possibly joining the team midseason.

Karl had previously said he’d prefer a job out West, but sources say he would be interested in the Magic since they’re an attractive team with their youth and talent.

via Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders

Scott Skiles and Mark Jackson are the two head coaches who keep coming up when discussing the Orlando Magic’s targets, but George Karl may emerge as a possibility as well.

As I wrote yesterday, sources say Karl would be open to coaching the Magic – possibly even taking over midseason. Remember, back in 2005 he took over the Denver Nuggets midseason and they went 32-8 after he got the job (which is the best record for a coach who has taken over in the middle of a campaign).

Sources say that the Magic want a proven head coach, and Karl has 25 years of coaching experience and an NBA Finals appearance on his resume. He is 1131-756 in the regular season and 80-105 in the postseason.

The Magic are currently 15-37, which is the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference, but they have plenty of young players with a lot of potential such as Nikola Vucevic, Victor Oladipo, Tobias Harris, Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton, Maurice Harkless and Kyle O’Quinn among others.

Last night, Karl had some fun with Magic fans on Twitter:

Anthony Ready to Recruit During All-Star Weekend

“Everybody will be in their own kind of zone on All-Star weekend. The real effect that they will feel will be during the game here at the Garden, kind of seeing what the Garden has to offer, not just for New York Knicks but for everything,” Anthony said. “And that is a big moment — that Sunday in the All-Star Game.

“The Garden will be lit up, it will be bright, there will be a lot of people in there, it will be loud and it will be exciting. So for other players to see that, I am pretty sure that will be impressive,” Anthony said.

Anthony mentioned no names. So we will: Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge, Memphis’ Marc Gasol and Atlanta’s Paul Millsap are the most prominent 2015 free agents who will play in the All-Star Game.

“For the most part, guys pretty much know New York. Especially veteran guys who have been in the league for a long time,” Anthony said. “People come here in the summertime, in the offseason, they spend time here. When they come to play, they spend time being out and about and just experiencing different things. I am pretty sure people already know New York. It is just a matter of kind of knowing and learning the Knicks organization at that point.”

via Fred Kerber of the New York Post

As the article mentions, LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol and Paul Millsap will be among the All-Stars that Carmelo Anthony can try to recruit while hosting the league’s elite during All-Star Weekend in New York.

This summer, the Knicks are expected to be huge players in free agency, as they currently have just $32,717,391 in guaranteed commitments for next season (and could lower that number even more by making moves before the trade deadline).

They will have a ton of money to throw around at the available stars, and they’re hoping that Anthony and Phil Jackson will be able to lure players to Madison Square Garden.

This kind of recruiting often happens at All-Star Weekend, so it’s no surprise Anthony will be trying to sell the city to players. In the past, he has been on the opposite end of the recruiting pitch and said, “Now it’s my turn to extend the favor.”

The Knicks are just 10-39 right now, but it’s likely that New York’s roster will look very different next season after free-agent additions and the selection of a top prospect from the 2015 NBA Draft.

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