Chris Sheridan said that the Suns still could trade Amare Stoudemire for financial reasons, during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take. Financial reasons will drive the Suns decisions between now and Thursday.

Sheridan says the Suns are a team that will lose $30 million if they stand pat. They want to move Shaquille O’neal primarily because that would take them from losing $30 milion, back to a positive $10 million.

Sheridan says that Robert Sarver is in Western Alliance Bancorp, and that company has lost 80 percent of it’s value in the past two years.

And this is why a trade involving Amare Stoudemire is still a possibility. There is a good chance the Suns will not be able to unload Shaquille O’neals contract and therefore, they will have to seek other avenues for financial relief.

If the Bulls were to trade Drew Gooden, Tyrus Thomas, and Cedric Simmons for Amare Stoudemire, Louis Amundson, and Matt Barnes, the Bulls would be saving the Suns a little more than $16.93 million next year (Sheridan’s Shaq number is exaggerated as not all of it would be under the luxury tax), in addition to $4.24 million in savings this year.

If the Bulls were to use their trade exception in a second part to the deal to take back Jared Dudley, the Bulls could sneak the Suns under the luxury tax this year, and save the Suns an additional $1.12 million this year and an additional $1.31 million next year.

This trade of Amare Stoudemire to the Bulls would save the Suns a total of $23.6 million in salary, and this is why a trade is still possible. Yes, a trade of Shaq for expirings would save more, but they aren’t likely to find a trading partner that gives them that package for Shaq.

In addition to these savings, the Suns would get extra savings from their share of the luxury tax revenue, as they would now be under the luxury tax in both seasons.

This is why the Bulls continue to have a shot at Amare Stoudemire. Trade talks in the NBA die and come back to life. That’s the nature of trade talks in the NBA. Even if talks are dead right now, there is always the chance that the talks resume. The Bulls and Suns will have talks on Thursday, to think they would not is naive.

Anything you read about the Bulls not being sure about the trade because the Bulls think Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, or multiple draft picks is too much to give up for Amare is likely not true. The recent play of Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah isn’t good enough to halt an Amare Stoudemire trade.

Instead, the financial side of things would be why the Bulls turn down a potential trade for Amare Stoudemire. If the trade I proposed above (including Dudley for the trade exception) were the one to go through, the Bulls would take on an extra $7.07 million for this season. The Bulls would then have to spend $20.38 million more than they are obligated to right now, next season. And that is without Ben Gordon in the mix yet, who the Bulls would have to pay double the dollar for, as they would already be in the luxury tax.

In addition to these expenses, the Bulls would lose out on their share of the luxury tax revenue.

While this wouldn’t sink the Bulls into the red, it would cut into the Bulls profits quite a bit. Although these amounts would be somewhat mitigated from the extra revenue the Bulls would receive from making the playoffs, and extra ticket sales. (The Bulls have not been selling out every game this year).

For this reason, an Amare Stoudemire trade, if it does happen, might be accompanied by a salary dump of Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, and/or Andres Nocioni. If the Bulls are unable to lessen their salaries from dumping one of those players, the Bulls could just let Ben Gordon walk in free agency. The latter option would make the Bulls far less competitive.

While the Amare Stoudemire trade is a home run trade basketball wise, the ownership group has to be less than ecstatic about taking on all the extra money.

If the Bulls somehow do end up in a position to reject an Amare Stoudemire trade, it will be a financial decision, not a basketball decision.

-The savings and spending numbers for this year should only be taken as estimates, as it is impossible to determine how much money has already been paid off.
-Next years numbers are based off the luxury tax staying the same at $71,150,000 and use the Shamsports.com salary data.

According to the Phoenix Sun’s blog, Bright Side of the Sun, an Amare Stoudemire trade to Chicago may be on it’s way to completion.  Here is what Phoenix Stan had to say:

Also hearing Monday or sooner an Amare to Bulls trade will be announced possibly involving Dudley and Amundson with Drew Gooden and Tyrus Thomas coming back along with another player.

I am not a big fan of this trade if that’s what ends up happening.

Phoenix Stan seems to be pretty reliable. At the beginning of the month, he made a post about how he has learned that the Suns have decided to trade Amare sooner rather than later, and described the trade as an addition by subtraction move. He also broke the Terry Porter firing last Monday, long before the media began to have reports on it.

In order for the proposed Suns package to work, Joakim Noah would have to be the third Bulls player involved.

If the trade is completed tomorrow, that gives the Bulls ample time to see if they can do anything to address the center position, because I don’t think anyone wants to see Aaron Gray starting for the rest of the year.

Nothing is confirmed as of yet. But all signs are pointing to Amare Stoudemire being a Chicago Bull.