NBA Rumors: Amar’e Stoudemire Unhappy With Role, Leaving Miami Heat

NBA rumors are swirling around Amar’e Stoudemire. According to the Bleacher Report, the 6’10”, 240 pound center is unhappy with his role on the Miami Heat roster. Head coach Erik Spoelstra decided to play small forward Justise Winslow at the center position because Hassan Whiteside is out injured. That doesn’t sit well with Stoudemire. The belief is that he will be leaving the franchise via free agency this summer. Considering his age, it will be interesting to see if Amar’e gets signed.

There aren’t too many guys in the NBA that can play small forward and center. Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors comes to mind. He’s 6’7″, 220 pounds, but is effective at both positions. Justise Winslow is 6’7″, 225 pounds. However, he is no Green. Winslow simply does not have that type of versatility. That’s why it came as quite a shock when Erik Spoelstra used the rookie at center. Amar’e Stoudemire wasn’t just surprised, as he was quite upset to have been bypassed by his head coach.

Losing to the Toronto Raptors means that the Miami Heat are now looking towards the summer and next season. Hassan Whiteside becomes a free agent. There’s no guarantee that he is coming back to the Heat. If he leaves, then the center position becomes a priority for Miami. Team president Pat Riley will be searching for a replacement. It’s unlikely that Amar’e Stoudemire is viewed as either a short or long term solution there.

A better option for the Miami Heat would be Bismack Biyombo. The Toronto Raptors star is 6’9″, 230 pounds. That’s not the prototypical size for a center. However, Biyombo has shown that he can handle the position. He should be available via free agency this summer because Bismack is expected to opt out of his contract. The 23-year-old Biyombo is a better long term solution for the Heat than the 32-year-old Amar’e Stoudemire.

As far as options in the NBA for Amar’e Stoudemire, there might be some. The San Antonio Spurs might be losing the legendary Tim Duncan to retirement this summer. Though he’s not known for being unselfish on offense, Stoudemire might be able to fit in with the Spurs. Gregg Popovich has a knack for figuring out how to utilize players. San Antonio might be the best option for Amar’e if he is looking to win his first championship in the National Basketball Association.

Another potential landing spot for Amar’e Stoudemire might be the Los Angeles Clippers. Team president and head coach Doc Rivers is concerned about his front court depth. Blake Griffin missed a significant amount of time because of injuries and a suspension. Stoudemire can provide minutes behind Griffin at power forward and DeAndre Jordan at center.

Amar’e Stoudemire also might have options overseas. NBA players have found their way over to China because plenty of those teams are still willing to take the chance of them. Michael Beasley was forced to go overseas because executives in the National Basketball Association did not want to give him a chance. After building up his name value again, Beasley was brought back to the United States by the Houston Rockets, where he might have found himself a home.

With only so much time left to be a professional basketball player, it makes sense that Amar’e Stoudemire would want to get on the court as much as he possibly can. He’s going to try to see if the opportunity is there in the NBA. If not, then he needs to make a big decision about what he wants to do with the rest of his career.