At least one reporter believes New York Knicks veteran Amar'e Stoudemire being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers isn't going to happen. Knicks president Phil Jackson, meanwhile, hasn't reached out to guard Iman Shumpert about a contract extension.
One thought is Stoudemire will be traded to Philadelphia later in the season. Why? Philadelphia would collect an asset - likely a future draft pick - while taking on Stoudemire's contract, which would push them above the salary cap threshold. For the Knicks, it would give Jackson a little financial breathing room with - hopefully - enough time to find a trade for this season.
That scenario, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, won't happen.
"The 76ers have never wanted Stoudemire... The rumor was about the Knicks trying to dump his contract to get cap space that shipped has sailed," Kyler wrote Monday. "And to answer the question - Amar'e is a good guy, he's just overpaid and his body is breaking down."
On another front, Shumpert's future in the Big Apple remains in limbo. Extension talks with Shumpert, to nobody's surprise, haven't come up.
"According to league sources, the Knicks haven't had any contact with Shumpert or his representatives about a possible extension," ESPN's Ian Begley wrote Sunday. "New York still has about four weeks to start talks with Shumpert, but the feeling here is that it will be content to let him enter next summer as a restricted free agent."
New York has until Oct. 31 to reach a deal with Shumpert, if they want to ink him to an extension.
Shumpert is routinely the subject of trade rumors. His numbers weren't great last season, and he's still likely on the trade block - just no team appears willing to make a worthwhile offer for him. He's spent the offseason studying Jackson's triangle offense, which could improve his scoring numbers this season and keep him in New York through the season.
A report last week indicated Shumpert would have to play successfully at point guard to have a future with the Knicks.
