No trade for Stoudemire

June 28, 4:43 AMGolden State Warriors ExaminerVittorio Tafur

Previous Next

11 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Golden State Warriors Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

No thank you.

Before we get into how the Minnesota Timberwolves and Stephen Curry saved the Golden State Warriors Thursday night, we have a story to tell.

It was 2002 and the Warriors had the No. 3 pick in the draft. As is always their luck, it was a two-star draft (Yao Ming and Jason Williams) followed by solid players and question marks. Golden State general manager Garry St. Jean was looking at Mike Dunleavy, Drew Gooden and Caron Butler, ignoring growing whispers of a 6-foot-10 high school phenom being the next Kevin Garnett.

Amare Stoudemire's dad died when he was 12 and his mother was in and out of prison. Some scouts called  him a head case and the word uncoachable was being thrown around. St. Jean, still smarting from the Latrell Sprewell scandal, was not about to take any chances -- he didn't even bring Stoudemire in for a workout. The Phoenix Suns, on the other hand, brought him in and were so awed at Stoudemire's feats around and over the basket, they quickly cut things short, downplayed the workout to the media and prayed daily that he would still be available at No. 9.

He was, and he's had some great moments with Steve Nash and the Suns. But now Phoenix is looking to shake things up, first unloading Shaquille O'Neal and then offering Stoudemire to the Grizzlies and the Warriors. Memphis was offered Stoudemire for Rudy Gay and the No. 2 pick. They declined. Golden State was told it would take Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright, Marco Belinelli and the No. 7 pick for Stoudemire.

And the Warriors were close to doing it, just having to swallow down Stoudemire's contract extension like that scratchy, second pill. It doesn't go down easy, the thought that Golden State would have to give him three more years plus the two years he has left on his current deal for a grand total of $95 million, but the last pill does eventually go down your throat. The Warriors didn't have much use for the No. 7 pick if all it was good for was Arizona forward Jordan Hill (a poor man's Channing Frye).

But then Minnesota inexpicably took two point guards, Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn, with the fifth and sixth picks, and suddenly Stephen Curry was available for the Warriors. The leading scorer in college last season, a guy who Larry Bird said "can shoot as well as anyone I've ever seen," a guy who can play shooting guard or backup point guard today and maybe starting point guard some day. ... Nelson said sorry, Phoenix, you're not getting the No. 7 pick anymore. How about just the three guys, or maybe we can throw in Kelenna Azubuike?

Uh, no. The Suns, thrilled when Curry lasted until 7th, were now sick. No deal.

Unless Nelson changes his mind and includes Curry in the deal or upgrades Wright to Anthony Randolph, this train has left the station. If Phoenix unsuccessfully shops Stoudemire around the league and gets desperate, it might come back to the Warriors later. Hopefully, they won't. I love watching Stoudemire, as he is one of the few guys in the league who can be unstoppable offensively. But he had major knee surgery three years ago and eye surgery last year, and worse ... I think St. Jean's early fears were actually legit -- Stoudemire does have an attitude and he is kind of uncoachable.

For all the criticism that Shaq got for things not working out last year in Phoenix, he actually had a pretty good season, It was Stoudemire who sulked and went through the motions after he lost a lot of his office space inside to Shaq. It's Stoudemire who sometimes forgets to play defense or block out or go for the rebound. I could be wrong, and I usually try and stay away from character assassination, but Stoudemire looks to me like the guy who would rather average 30 a night on a losing team than 17 on a winning team.

No thanks. I will keep Biedrins and Wright. And Curry, of course.