The Knicks are heading into a new era of basketball with President Phil Jackson calling the shots and Head Coach Derrick Fisher manning the helm. Unfortunately for Amare Stoudemire, who spent four seasons with the Knicks, he may not be part of this new era of New York Basketball according to a report by ESPN New York:
Knicks president Phil Jackson has talked to multiple teams in recent days -- including the Philadelphia 76ers -- about moving Amar'e Stoudemire in an effort to clear more cap space this summer, sources say.
Due to a myriad of injuries, the 31 year old Stoudemire has regressed in the late stages of his career averageing 13 points and 5 rebounds in 23 minutes in the past two seasons with the Knicks - a farcry from his All-Star years in the Phoenix Suns where he averaged more than 20 points and 8 rebounds a game. WIth that being said, its no surprise why the Knicks aren't thinking twice in trading Stoudemire this offseason. Stoudemire has one year left in his 5-year $99.75 million contract and the Knicks owe him $23.4 million this season in the final year of his deal.
We now arrive to the important question: why would theThe Philadelhpia 76ers be interrested in a trade for a high cost injury prone player who is in the declining stages of his career? The answer lies in the NBA's CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) per Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders:
The NBA Collective Barging Agreement requires all teams to spend at least 90 percent of the salary cap. This season the NBA salary cap was set at $63.065 million, with the luxury tax set at $76.829 million. The NBA minimum team salary is $56.759 million. This becomes materially relevant to the Philadelphia 76ers ($39.988 million), Milwaukee Bucks ($56.357 million) and Phoenix Suns ($51.834 million).
The one that creates the most conversation is the 76ers because they are roughly $16.777 million under the "floor."
This means that the 76ers have to use thier cap space and meet the CBA's minimun requirements before the tradeline or they "would be required to pay their existing roster the shortfall on a schedule agreed to by the Players' Association" in the words of Kyler.
So the 76ers would be wise to take Stoudemire's huge contract because first it would take them over the minimum and second they would only owe him about 30% of his remaining contract which means they would just have to pay him $7 million in cash while possibly acquiring a draft or a player with under a rookie contract from the Knicks for their troubles per Bleacher Report.
Thus the trade would make sense for both teams. For New York it means being relieved from Stoudemire's contract and salary cap space flexibility. For the Sixers, it means going over the CBA's minimum requirements and getting some decent assets in return. It's a win win scenario for both the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers and this should be enough reason for them to pull the trigger on a trade for Amare Stoudemire.
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