Amar’e Stoudemire’s improved health and performance on the court were one of the few encouraging signs for Knicks fans this season, but the New York Post reported Monday that there’s a chance he won’t stick around after his current contract expires in 2015.
According to the Post, Stoudemire might play for the Israeli team — Hapoel Jerusalem — he co-owns as part of a four-man ownership group.
“We’ll see,” Stoudemire told the newspaper. “You can’t rule anything out. The future is unknown, and so if I have an opportunity to (play in Israel) and am still in great health, it would be great. I have one more year left on my deal, and we’ll go from there.”
While the option makes for an interesting potential change of scenery for Stoudemire, it seems unlikely that such a move actually would happen.
Phil Jackson, the Knicks’ new president, is partial to having a team that can run a triangle offense, which Stoudemire is well-suited for with his ability to dominate in the low post.
In the meantime, Stoudemire probably will just enjoy the recent success of his (Israeli) team, and with a long, playoff-less offseason ahead of him, he could even head to Israel to watch the team play in the championship series.
“They did great,” he said. “We finished the top team in Israel, which is beyond expectations.”
As for Knicks fans, they probably just wish Stoudemire would bring some of that success back to New York.
