SNY's Ian Begley confirmed that the New York Knicks attended a workout that former forward Amar'e Stoudemire held on Monday in his quest for an attempted NBA comeback. Despite his efforts, a new report indicates a reunion is unlikely.
The 36-year-old who retired from the NBA in 2016 will not be making a return to the franchise, according to the New York Post. Stoudemire, a 15-year vet, spent 2010 to 2014 with the Knicks. His spell in New York was filled with injuries and only one All-Star appearance in his first season with the team. Stoudemire's deal with the Knicks at the time was a five-year contract worth $99.7 million.
In that first season as a Knick, Stoudemire averaged 25.3 points and 8.2 rebound per game. He also appeared in 78 games. In the ensuing three seasons, Stoudemire played in 47, 29 and 65 games, respectively. After a knee injury, Stoudemire was waived by the club in 2015. He went on to play for the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat before retiring from the NBA. He signed a one-day deal to retire with the Knicks in 2016, officially.
Stoudemire did not retire from basketball though, having spent time playing professionally in Israel and most recently appearing in the Big3 league where he expressed interest in a return to the NBA. That culminated in Monday's workout, which reportedly had 15 teams viewing it, in total.
The Knicks already added heavily to their PF position with Julius Randle as the marquee signing, however, another addition, Reggie Bulluck is now restructuring his recently signed two-year, $21 million deal with the Knicks due to health concerns from the team. If accomplished, Begley also reports the Knicks are "hopeful" of landing forward Marcus Morris after ESPN first reported that he may not sign on the dotted line with the San Antonio Spurs after all.
Morris, 29, reportedly had a two-year deal in place with the Spurs but has yet to sign it officially, so the Knicks may swipe in to add him, further making a Stoudemire deal unlikely.
