3:27 PM: I'm home. Here are some updates on what I mentioned earlier.
- The Knicks met with Dwyane Wade. this morning. He said he was "intrigued" by their pitch. That's about all you can ask for at this point.
- Afterward, Donnie Walsh and friends sat down with Chris Bosh. That meeting just ended, clocking in at just over an hour. It remains to be seen why this conference was so much shorter than the others. Perhaps Bosh doesn't really project as a future billionaire?
- Meanwhile, all the talk surrounds Amar'e Stoudemire, who is rumored to be in talks for a 5-year max contract with your New York Knicks. Tommy Dee has been on top of this one the whole time. Howard Beck assures us that this is nowhere near done, but that it's a likely scenario what with all the monies being offered.
- In a move that had been rumored for weeks, Sergio Rodriguez finally signed with Real Madrid. Best of luck to Sergio. For old time's sake, let's get one more of these.
- Just to update on Osborn's post, Ridiculous Upside has the Knicks' full roster confirmed here. Lots of familiar faces.
9:42 AM: Morning, chimichangas. I hope y'all got a good night's sleep and a nutritious breakfast (perhaps some morning chimichangas?), because it's time for some more free agency madness. Here's what's shakin' this mornin':
- The Knicks' tour bus hits Chicago today. There, the Knicks will meet with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. According to Alan Hahn (subscription needed), the Wade meeting will take place rather soon, at 10 AM.
- A handful of sources, including the beloved Tommy Dee, are indicating that the Knicks and Amar'e Stoudemire have a great deal of mutual interest. Tommy's hearing that deal-specific talks have already commenced:
A source close to Amar’e's camp informs us that the Suns big man is ready to come to NY and that they are currently, "figuring out the numbers."
I’ve somewhat posted conflicting reports about Amar’e and Miami because I’m getting info from everywhere, but it sounds like he’s ready to commit to the Big Apple and it’s a numbers crunch.
Stoudemire is a terrific player, but I worry about how much he'd bring to the table as a solitary acquisition. The prospect of Amar'e in New York raises a lot of questions. How valuable is Stoudemire without Steve Nash feeding him? Would such a signing hasten the pursuit of a top-notch point guard (and/or the one free agent wing who hasn't been gobbled up yet)? How much of an improvement over David Lee would Amar'e be? Does the difference in asking price reflect that? Would I be wise to purchase a new apostrophe key? Should I start doing pinky exercises?
Stoudemire is set to meet with the Knicks on Monday, but Tommy hears that he's already in New York.
- I'm heading up to SNY studios this morning to sit down with the aforementioned Mr. Dee and hopefully get to the bottom of all this.
In the meantime, comment along (I need to hear how you guys feel about Amar'e) and et us know anything of interest that you read or hear. I'll be updating throughout the day.
Remember to drink plenty of water and do what Toney Douglas do (which is redundant, because Toney Douglas stay hydrated). Have an excellent day.
Li'l update: At his new CBS gig, Matt Moore dissects the Knicks' pitch to LeBron James (who was that remaining free agent wing I mentioned before, in case you were uncertain). It's some wondrous propaganda.