With Nets superstar Deron Williams breaking the ice by agreeing to terms to play in Turkey if the NBA lockout lasts for a long time, will Knicks Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony follow suit?
Highly doubtful.
Happy Walters, the agent for Stoudemire, said the Knicks power forward is not thinking along those lines.
“I don’t think anyone is thinking about playing overseas at this point — certainly not Amar’e,” he said.
Playing in Israel would be a natural for Stoudemire, who has said he has Jewish roots, owns a Star of David tattoo, is kosher and visited The Holy Land last summer.
But Stoudemire has too many insurance and injury issues to think about.
Because of his retina surgery and 2005 microfracture right knee surgery, the Knicks could not get insurance on Stoudemire’s $100 million contract for a career-ending injury. That is why most NBA teams shied away from Stoudemire last July during free agency and the Suns only offered him three years guaranteed.
If Stoudemire gets hurt overseas, the Knicks assuredly would not have to pay him. Hence, Stoudemire would have to get his own expensive insurance policy to protect himself, and it would be difficult to get because of the nature of his injury.
Stoudemire and Anthony also are rehabbing injuries this summer. Stoudemire still is rehabbing his pulled back muscle, an injury that ruined the Knicks’ first-round playoff series. As The Post already reported, Anthony has been rehabbing his right-elbow bursitis at the Knicks training facility and was not permitted to lift weights or shoot.
Former Knicks guard Stephon Marbury, who has been playing in China, told The Post this month he believes a flood of players will go overseas, some to China. Kobe Bryant has talked about having a barnstorming tour of China with NBA players.
The big question is whether Stoudemire will play in London for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team after the Knicks requested he withdraw from Team USA’s World Championship team last August because of insurance issues.
A pool of 34 players will be considered. There is no training camp this summer. A source said Stoudemire’s cause was not helped by not playing for Team USA last summer, but he will be a consideration.