Amar'e Stoudemire considering contract buyout

Veteran big man Amar'e Stoudemire hopes to play Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets. That in itself would qualify as news -- Amar'e has barely played over the last month due to his ragged condition.

Oh, but there is a twist -- this could be his last game ever in the orange and blue. Amar'e recently admitted to Marc J. Spears that he will spend the All-Star Break considering a buyout, freeing him up to sign with a contender:

"It's not an easy decision to make," Stoudemire told Yahoo Sports. "Over time, we will see how things pan out. You give yourself a break during the All-Star break. You think about it with your family. …That will give me a good solid week on how to weigh out the rest of the season."

The Knicks would rather focus on negotiating a buyout with Andrea Bargnani, because duh, but they'll probably be willing to acquiesce to Amar'e's wishes.

Would a playoff team take a chance on STAT? Absolutely. I mean, have you watched the Clippers recently?

Personally, I had been hoping he would make it the rest of the season so the Garden crowd could give him a proper sendoff for his five years of service. Then I saw this:

Amar'e Stoudemire has talked to friends about potential buyout w/the #Knicks but his close relationship with Dolan makes it a tough decision

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) February 6, 2015

Nope. Nooooope.

I now insist Amar'e join another team. We have to get him away from Dolan before the guy has a chance to meddle in his impending free agency. We can't have Jimmy D barging into Phil Jackson's office next summer demanding he give Amar'e a $5 million bonus for every time he shows up to a kazoo happening.

I like Amar'e as a person, and I think he can help the right team coming off the bench. I also know that the Knicks are not that team. The recent play of Lou Amundson has demonstrated both their need for bigs who understand help defense, and the importance of auditioning players for next season. Buy out Amar'e and Bargs, then use the roster spots on some D-Leaguers. Also, please do this:

If Amar'e agrees to a buyout, the Knicks will need another veteran big to sit around in street clothes. May I suggest pic.twitter.com/CZdqjOBcVf

— Joseph Flynn (@ChinaJoeFlynn) February 6, 2015

And so let us wish Amar'e Stoudemire the best of luck. Grab a bottle of used bathtub wine and pour it on the curb.