Are the Spurs Trying to Trade For Amare Stoudemire?

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According to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, they’re giving it a shot:

Multiple league sources say the Spurs’ front office has researched and debated pursuing Stoudemire to play alongside Tim Duncan.

There are questions for the Spurs to answer: Would they be willing to part with the personnel – including possibly Manu Ginobili – to make a deal happen?

Do the Spurs want to re-sign Stoudemire to a contract extension and swell their payroll?

Do they believe Stoudemire could be the difference for their fifth championship?

All questions with no clear answers for the Spurs – yet.

Nevertheless, the possibility of an athletic, offensive force like Stoudemire has become too irresistible to easily dismiss. The Spurs (25-18) have lost five of their past six games, and have fallen into sixth place in the Western Conference.

“They know they’ve got to do something,” says a source familiar with the front office’s thinking. “They feel like they’ve got to at least look at this … and they are.”

A straight up swap of Manu and Stoudemire won’t work, salary-wise, so the Spurs will have to give up more than just the Argentinian. And considering a trade like this would put Phoenix in immediate rebuilding-mode next season, the Spurs will most likely have to part with one of their younger pieces, namely George Hill, DeJuan Blair, Malik Hairston and/or Ian Mahinmi.

One scenario is sending Manu, Ian Mahinmi, and Matt Bonner and his expiring contract to Phoenix for Stoudemire. This all depends on the Suns’ opinion of Mahinmi, of course.

If the trade occurs, it gives the Spurs one of the most talented and imposing front lines in the league, and provides an immediately more athletic core. A fast break of Tony Parker (even with plantar fasciitis), Richard Jefferson and Stoudemire could rival any in the league. Also to note, Stoudemire is a fantastic pick-and-roll player on offense. And the pick-and-roll is, of course, the bread and butter of the NBA.

But what happens to the defense?

Amare Stoudemire is not a highly regarded defender, other than his shot blocking from a position of help defense, so concerns on the defensive end are justified. Stoudemire, though, could alleviate the problems the Spurs have faced when playing small ball, giving the Spurs the flexibility to have the athleticism of small ball, while sporting the two towers of yore.

The Amare-to-the-Spurs rumor is just that right now, a rumor. It comes from a very reliable source, but at this point, it is still a rumor. As inconsistent as the Spurs have been this season, it is irresponsible for the front office not to inquire when a talent such as Stoudemire is available. It could cost San Antonio a folk hero and an identity, but is the payoff worth it? There are an extraordinary amount of variables at play here. What say you Spurs fans?

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  • Tristan Wilkins

    was that really coach Pop above? if so, r u for this deal? I think alot of or play’s come threw manu, who makes up for this if we trade? I want to see a big dominant force next to timmy d. He deserves it, right? Think about Bynum/Gasol/Odom. How can we match that now? We need a big. But at Manu expense?

  • Frank

    The Spurs need someone who can bring a defensive presence. I don’t see that happening by acquiring Amare. However, I think it would be best to trade Jefferson to an eastern conference team. The Spurs would be dumb to trade Blair, Hill or both. Time will only tell.

  • agutierrez

    Does anyone recall what happened to Terry Porter when he tried to instill some basic defensive principles at Phoenix? Amar’e was out to lunch the whole time. Beyond that, the guy’s just stupid. And smarts does count for something in b-ball. I know, give up TP for Amare and then sign Nick van Excel … I hear he’s available.

  • Errin

    We shouldn’t trade TP for him but if they want Manu or RJ we should pull the trigger. I know we have alot of Manu maniacs out there but yall should quit living in the past our roster as it stand now would be looking at another first round exit or 4-1 near sweep if we play LA. Stop lying to yourself and yes I know pop is a somewhat genius but this team is simply just not good enough to win it all point blank period…Make the trade and let the best power forward ever go out in style with 5 rings that would make him the best player of his era!!!

  • Hurm66

    The initial reaction to trading Malik Rose was not great and let’s face it - he isn’t Manu. They should be very careful with this.

    There are teams with decent pieces that need to shed years and salaries - this is where we can get something solid in return for RJ.

    Think Troy Murphy in Indiana. Golden State. Washington. The Clippers (still the one team I believe Pop really wants to trade with - RJ is an LA native and he can get Baron and Camby, who he has wanted for years, for RJ and TP - who I also believe would like to be in LA - just not the Lakers - for Eva’s sake). These are the teams we should be targeting.

    Should Splitter arrive next season, we could also part with a draft pick since he will be our rookie in the rotation. Keep the core together. I agree with some of you - make a small, couple of years, offer to Manu now and watch him go off.

    I know it sounds crazy, but this trade actually works:
    http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine

    RJ, McDyess and Finley for McGrady. Houston is desperate to get something for him and this way they get some talent and shed some salary.

    The Spurs? Well they get to rent an admittedly creaky superstar who has miles but is fresh (this season), naturally gifted and possibly playing with a ferocious chip on his shoulder looking for a contract.

    The biggest problem with TM is that he has franchise talent and gets paid like one, but he’s really the most gifted sidekick ever. He has been leaned on too much in the playoffs - he’s more Pippen than Jordan, although at their peaks, he is far superior to Pippen in every way talent-wise, but has always been expected to be Jordan-esque. That’s not his game.

    Besides if it doesn’t work - guess what team is right back in the free agent mix this off-season? I really believe Houston takes a hard look at that offer. I would part with our core or youth, but salary relief, some talent and a pick should do the trick for them.

  • Hurm66

    I meant to say I wouldn’t part with our core or youth - we have expiring contracts and not as toxic ones that can be moved instead.

  • rj

    amare would finally give duncan the help that he has needed since nazi. i’m not sure how well amare’s basketball IQ can hold up to the nuances of the popovich system. plus, i really don’t think we can afford to keep him in san antonio. but even amare must believe that his presence with the spurs brings him closer to a championship than the suns playing at their very best. as for his poor defense? pop and timmy would beat that out of him

    i am all for moving richard jefferson and he seems like a good fit for phoenix. he has played some PF in our small ball rotation which would bode well for phx. i think that trading manu would take a bigger chunk out of that “CORPORATE KNOWLEDEG” considering his intagibles are well…intagible. but i would understand this move because, essentailly, we are in panic mode.

    i would elect to move RJ first for a servicable, defensive minded SF and either cash considerations or whatever. but if manu goes, business is business.

  • Bushka

    I’d rather eat my own legs.

    In other words i’m in the naysayers on this one.

  • mvg03

    Everyone thats saying they dont want STAT and the reason not being because there love for Gino is lying. Stat would make us a much better team! I love Manu as much as the next guy but he is getting older and hasnt consistently showed the old manu. Just flashes of his former greatness. Loyalty to players has kept this team down in the past. Its about getting another ring while timmy is still a dominant force. I applaud our front office for having the basketballs lol to even consider this.

  • SpursManiac

    What in the world is going on? I cannot believe we are even having this discussion. Trade Manu? That is sacrilege PURE and SIMPLE. Not only NO, but HELL NO …… what are you people thinking? Amare is a cancer and would be bad for team chemistry. And he is lazy and will not defend; which in Pop’s world is a huge NO-NO. Fuhgedaboudit !!

  • Hicksy

    Only one person on this ‘team’ is untouchable and that’s Timmeh, everyone else we should be at least
    be looking to make the most of what we have with the expirings we have (In no universe do we want to give up HILL/BLAIR) we should be able to get that defensive minded wing and true big (by true I mean back to the basket shot blocking MONSTER!!)
    Come on SPURS FO I have total faith in you

    GO SPURS GO!!!

  • G-Man

    I would not be happy to see Manu go. He is our heart and I think we must really look hard at this. Now, if we trade him AND get him back then fine via FA, but RJ is not a Spur-type.

    I would consider the following: trade RJ to Phoenix in a deal to land Amare, two trade RJ and others to NO for Emeka and Posey r to Washington for Haywood and Jamison/Butler. The last one interests me a lot due to Jamison being a class act who can play two positions and Haywood is a strong defender. I love Emeka and Posey as well.

    Eitherway, SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN SOON.

  • Kaveh

    I don’t like this trade for the Spurs or the Suns for that matter.

    First off, for the guys who say we should give crap and get Amare for it (Finley, Bonner, Mason, etc.), i say wake the heck up. It doesn’t matter whose blog you go to, there are always fans who say: “let’s trade the janitor and a cup of soup for Lebron/Kobe. Can you imagine us, signing Dwight and Chris Paul in the offseason, and then we would have a starting 5 of C. Paul, Kobe, Lebron, XXX, Dwight. Can you imagine that starting 5? And all we will be giving up is the janitor and the soup. Plus, Dwight and Paul will sign for the Vet’s minimum since they have all the money and will be playing for a title. So it costs us nothing.” Wake up fellas. Your miracle fantasy trades aren’t going to happen.

    If you want Amare, you will have to give up something of VALUE. Why would the suns trade garbage for Amare if Amare has an expiring contract? It makes absolutely ZERO sense. They will only trade Amare for VALUE. That includes Manu, but may require even more like some young pieces or future draft picks.

    Now, assuming you guys do have to give up Manu + future draft picks and/or some current young talent, then the trade makes little to no sense. Despite what you guys think of Manu, you still desperately need him. His PER is the same as Amare’s. His play is more inspirational than Amare’s. And quite frankly, if i’m in the playoffs, i’d rather have Manu than Amare.

    Amare wouldn’t even fit in here. You guys don’t need a complete overhaul, but rather some tweaks. Like a big athletic defensive stopper/stat stuffer like Anthony Wrandolph. An athletic defender at the 3 spot with some range, etc.

  • Kaveh

    What you people seem not to understand is that no team in the league would take RJ’s contract FOR FREE! Why would anyone want a player, who is NOT expiring this year, that is not worth anything close to his salary? And on top of that, you want them to trade an EXPIRING contract like Amare, who is also an ALL-STAR?!>!

    That’s the dumbest thing i’ve ever heard in my life. Like i said in a prior post, why not just trade Bonner/Mason for Kobe/Lebron, then ask the magic to release Dwight’s contract, and then resign him for the Vet minimum, and do the same with Chris Paul? Then you’ll have a starting 5 of Chris Paul, Kobe, Lebron, Duncan, Howard, and the bench will have Parker, Manu and the rest of your guys. That’s much better than Jefferson for Amare right? Then, just in case of injury, sign on a 25 year old shaq who still exists in my memory, and have him lead you to victory.

  • T Maginn

    amare may do well in the spurs system if we get him without giving up manu, Id rather see something like camby and battier some defense and we need to quit jackin up threes we are starting to look like the phoenix suns or those other run and shoot teams we used to beat with good d make em play our style hard nosed defense ugly wear them out ball

  • Cory Clay

    @Kaveh, you make me laugh. While Richard Jefferson hasn’t fit in here I think he would do very well in Phoenix with Steve Nash setting him up on fastbreak after fastbreak.

    Let’s not forget Jefferson has had typical Jefferson of past seasons type games with the Spurs, the problem is those games come when Parker is not dominating the ball. Parker is a point guard that drives to the basket looking to score and dish off only once all his scoring opportunitites have been closed off, Nash would be setting up Jefferson all day.

    But I’m not going to lie, I like some of the lineups in your post, Kobe, Lebron, and Dwight Howard as Spurs! Unbelievable!
    Since it is obvious you have a ton of basketball knowledge can you tell me how we can make those things happen, I would really appreciate it.

  • DAVID

    How about bringing UDOKA back. You would put him in only on key defensive plays (he is SF like RJ)

  • http://yahoo.com Logan

    I think getting Amare would help the Spurs because he can help Duncan around the post,he can bring dominance in the paint.I’m a Spurs fan and people say that he can’t play defense.The truth is he can,because when he plays against us,when the Spurs are winning,Amare can’t handle Duncan anymore.If the Spurs are losing,Amare will dominant the paint,get the and ones, and help the Spurs to become a contender team in the playoffs 2010.I will make a 3 team trade Spurs,Suns,and Sixers.

    Spurs - Amare Stoudemire and Andre Iguodala

    Suns - Ian Mahinmi and Matt Bonner

    Sixers - Michael Finley and Malik Hairston

  • Jordan

    Amare will make us closer to a championship team and as much i would like the spurs to win a championship this year its not worth it. It would kill me to see ginobili in anything other than silver and black! make a move spurs but keep Manu out of it!

  • bryce

    i know this isnt gonna happen….http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine

  • bryce

    my bad i copy/pasted wrong thing

  • Mark

    I do think the Spurs need to make a move, but it should not include Manu. And I wouldn’t want that idiot Stoudemire because of what he said about Bowen and Manu during the 2007 playoffs. He’s a trash-talker, can easily get techs, and like some of y’all said, he’s not a great defender. I would rather see the Spurs try to pursue Camby again, Haywood or if possible (most likely won’t happen), Bosh. But yeah, the Spurs should not trade any of the Big 3, Hill, Blair, Mason, or Bonner.

  • Michael

    You know what do it. Manu deserves better than the spurs, hes the sparker and half the time spurs trades go wrong. Jeffersons been a disappointment and they kept Jacque clown over Beno. If you pay close attention the games its obvious Manu is one of the only ones trying and you can’t see that just by looking at stats. Manu is there when its crucial for a run, without him the spurs would rarely make comebacks from being down in score.

  • http://yahoo.com Nicolas Dixon

    I think the Spurs should get dwight howard and Mickell Piterus they need and both offense and defense Howard is good a that And Peitrus is a good three point shooter

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