Any hope of the Phoenix Suns re-signing Amar'e Stoudemire(notes) has vanished, according to ESPN. An ESPN source says that Stoudemire, who will choose not to opt into a contract that would pay him around $17 million next year to stay in Arizona, isn't even considering re-signing a long-term deal at this point: "He is done," the source said. "He's gone." The final nail in the coffin was the stepping down of general manager Steve Kerr, who Stoudemire's agent had begun conversations with. "Kerr wanted a little raise, (owner Robert) Sarver wanted him to take a pay cut," one source told ESPN. "There's no other way to spin it." According to ESPN, a second source said Kerr also wanted more money for the coaching staff, video crew, front-office secretaries and all the other people that helped produce a trip to the conference finals. Source: Y! Sports
Latest Rumor ... Chris Vernon hosts a radio show in Memphis and he interviewed Sonny Vaccaro, who has worked for Nike, Adidas and Reebok, on Thursday. Vaccaro, according to Vernon, made a prediction as to where Suns forward Amar'e Stoudemire will be playing next season. Vernon, via his Twitter page, wrote: "Sonny Vaccaro just said on the show that he is convinced that Amar'e Stoudemire will be in Miami next year." Stoudemire has said he will opt out of his contract if an extension is not signed with Phoenix by June 30. Stoudemire, who lives in Miami in the offseason, has been working out and earlier this week both his knees had MRI tests. Stoudemire is seeking a max contract from the Suns and other teams, too.
