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Arizona Republic

by Paul Coro

The Suns still might be able to get something out of Amar’e Stoudemire’s departure after all.

Even with Stoudemire agreeing to a five-year, $99.7 million deal with the New York Knicks, the Suns are working on being able to use Stoudemire’s rights in a sign-and-trade deal with the Knicks for a trade exception or perhaps even free-agent power forward David Lee.

The Suns would do so by also executing a sign-and-trade deal with Chicago and Hakim Warrick, who finished last season with the Bulls.

The Suns agreed to a four-year, $18 million deal with Warrick on Thursday night after Stoudemire had rejected the Suns’ five-year, $96.6 million offer that included partial fourth- and fifth-year guarantees.

If the Suns do a sign-and-trade for Stoudemire first, they could receive a trade exception of up to about $17 million in return, unless a Lee contract is included. The Suns would then use part of that exception for the first $4 million year of Warrick’s contract in a sign-and-trade with Chicago.

Chicago could benefit by getting a second-round draft pick from Phoenix, which might be able to get a second-round pick and a trade exception or Lee from New York. The Knicks benefit with a small bump in cap space by starting Stoudemire’s contract at a lower first-year salary because the deal can have 10.5 percent raises via Phoenix rather than 8 percent raises if done by New York.

Otherwise, the Suns, after more than two years of considering trading Stoudemire, would see him leave for New York without any compensation, other than getting salary-cap relief and no longer being a luxury-tax-paying team.

“If we can do something to help Phoenix, we will,” Stoudemire’s agent, Happy Walters, said.

NBA free agents can’t sign until Thursday.

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Contra Costa Times

By Marcus Thompson

Sure, the Warriors have three power forwards already. Still, they have their sights set on Knicks All-Star PF David Lee.

Several sources told me the Warriors are trying to do a sign-and-trade with the Knicks for Lee. I’m not sure of all the details, but I would call it a long shot. Probably nothing will happen until LeBron James makes up his mind. And there is no telling what kind of domino effect his decision will have, so it could be possible. It would likely require guard Monta Ellis (though in my opinion, Lee is much more appealing if he can play with Ellis and Stephen Curry). And, yes, the Warriors will probably have to overpay to get him.

Lee averaged 20.2 points and 11.7 rebounds last season, which in this market just might land him a max contract. I don’t think he’s a max contract player, but he might end up having New Jersey and Miami and Toronto bidding for him, which will certainly help his pockets.

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Minneapolis Star Tribune

Agent Mark Bartelstein says he has been talking to Wolves boss David Kahn frequently and said the Wolves have the ability to make salary-cap moves and could sign his client David Lee before all the bigger dominoes tumble in this NBA free-agency game.
Bartelstein followed what Lee said himself Saturday night at the airport after his nine-hour visit to Minnesota and called Lee’s trip a “great visit.”

“They’ve got some ability to make some moves quickly so they’d have the ability to sign David,” Bartelstein said from his Chicago office. “They have a lot of interest. Yes, I’ve been talking to David quite a bit.

“We’re sorting through a bunch of stuff. Hopefully we’ll have a decision in the near future.”

The Wolves either would have to work a sign-and-trade involving Al Jefferson with New York through a third team — Knicks won’t take Al straight up now that they’ve agreed to terms with Amare Stoudemire, if they ever would have — or trade Jefferson’s $13 million contract for a non-guaranteed contract such as Dallas’ Erick Dampier.

Lee, an unrestricted free agent, met with Chicago and Miami on Friday, then flew to Minneapolis on Saturday and toured Target Center and the city as attended a few innings of the Twins-Tampa Bay game as well.

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