Earlier this week, Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported that the Suns' stance on trading Amare Stoudemire "has advanced from accepting calls to placing them," an indication the team is serious about moving him. But today, Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Suns owner Robert Sarver is now personally involved, as well, reaching out to at least two fellow owners in an attempt to get a deal done. Stoudemire has told reporters numerous times that the team's motivations for trading him were purely financial, and after hearing how eager Sarver is to part with the All-Star big man, it's not hard to believe him.
Will Sarver's meddling muck things up for the Suns? Steve Kerr's colleagues around the league seem to think so:
"It makes [the owner] look too motivated," said one Western Conference GM who was aware of Sarver's calls. "It makes them look desperate."Kerr hasn't impressed many people with the job he's done since moving into the front office, but an overeager owner throwing all of the team's leverage out of the window certainly won't make things easier going forward.
As an Eastern Conference GM wondered: "What in the world are two owners going to come up with that the GMs haven't already discussed?
"This is how bad deals happen."
It's possible (and perhaps even likely) that Sarver is more interested in saving a buck than getting the most talent -- after all, the last time Kerr made a deal at the deadline he ended up with a 350-pound albatross around his neck. Yes, Shaq's been productive this year, but his presence is responsible for Stoudemire's decline, and his unmovable contract is the reason why the team is forced to trade Stoudemire.
One thing is for sure: Stoudemire will be wearing a different uniform by Feb. 20, the day after the trading deadline. There's no shortage of interested suitors, so even if Kerr can't manage to get the best deal done, he'll certainly be able to get a deal done.
