Phoenix Suns big man Amare Stoudemire is hot property in the NBA at the moment. Sources indicate many teams are in the mix to bring Stoudemire before the trade deadline on Thursday, most notably the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers have kept it no secret they desire another big presence to play alongside Shaquille O’Neal and ESPN has reported Stoudemire is at the top of their list. If the expected trade is to go ahead, Cleveland will be sending veteran Zydrunas Ilgauskas and emerging forward J.J. Hickson to Phoenix with talks of draft picks being thrown into the mix.
The thought of having LeBron James playing along fellow perennial all-star Stoudemire sounds enticing but I wouldn’t start knitting your Amare Stoudemire Cavaliers jersey yet.
Rumours have emerged from the All-Star break that the Miami Heat have abandoned their focussed free agency approach for the 2010 offseason and are making aggressive offers to pick up Stoudemire. Players being thrown in the mix include Jermaine O’Neal and Michael Beasley along with the prospect of draft picks. While O’Neal isn’t high on Phoenix’s list, any team would be ignorant to ignore Beasley, who is having a superb sophomore season.
Including Stoudemire into Cleveland’s rotation could do wonders for the team chasing their first title in franchise history. Despite an immaculate record, the Cavaliers have struggled to gain a sense of solidity with issues involving Delonte West and injuries to key rotational players Mo Williams and Leon Powe. Introducing Stoudemire may give a sense of support to LeBron, who is once again playing an MVP caliber season. Not only that, but Stoudemire is definitely an improvement over the aging Ilgauskas and Hickson.
The improvements don’t just end on the court though, as this off-season will be the defining year for Cleveland’s future; the golden question: Will LeBron James stay or will he go? James has done his best to appear disinterested and neutral thus far, which has been difficult with basketball fans and reporters worldwide examining each interview under a microscope. Adding a solid all-star such as Amare Stoudemire would have to weigh heavily on the mind of James, who will likely be comparing the Cavaliers with many other teams in the NBA during the coming offseason.
Whether Amare Stoudemire stays or goes, the forthcoming week is certain to make huge waves throughout the entire NBA landscape and in my opinion, the Cavaliers would be making a huge mistake to let a player of Amare Stoudemire’s caliber slip through their fingers. What do you think? Will Cleveland pick up Amare or will another team snatch him from under their noses?
Reece is an Australian student currently spending his time split between studying and following the NBA coverage received in his nation.
