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Amar'e Stoudemire comfortable in Dallas, but will 'see what teams are saying'

Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Amar'e Stoudemire chose the Dallas Mavericks once, and it sounds as if he's ready to double down on that decision this summer.

The Mavericks beat out several other contenders for Stoudemire's services after he was bought out by the New York Knicks in February, signing him to a one-year deal at the veteran minimum. That means the 32-year-old will once again be a free agent come July 1.

"I'll make my rounds and see what teams are saying," Stoudemire said Wednesday of his future. "But I think Dallas is a place where I feel comfortable here. I have a chance to have great success here with this franchise. We'll see."

Stoudemire has the luxury of having earned an estimated $143 million as a professional, enough that he's on record as valuing the chance to win over the opportunity to pad his bank account further. His comments also suggest he'll definitely be playing a 14th NBA season, something he more or less confirmed in March by saying he has "a lot of youth in these legs."

The formerly explosive power forward may never be able to manage an 82-game slate or a heavy minutes load thanks to troublesome knees that require regular rest, maintenance and wine baths, but he remains a productive offensive contributor. 

In 59 games this season, he averaged 11.5 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 55.7 percent, a far cry from his peak, but solid for a reserve frontcourt player.

Whether the Mavericks are similarly interested in a reunion isn't clear yet. It figures to be a busy offseason for Dallas with Tyson Chandler hitting unrestricted free agency and the team reportedly interested in LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan. (Dirk Nowitzki has even volunteered to come off the bench, if it makes sense.)

Stoudemire figures to be a low priority as a result, and with several teams likely to be interested, it's far from a certainty that he returns.

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