Amare Stoudemire wurde am 16. November 1982 in Lake Wales, Florida geboren. (Klicken Sie hier für eine vollständige Auflistung der heutigen Sport-Geburtstage.) Seine Eltern, Carrie und Hazell, hatten bereits einen Sohn, Hazell Jr. Amare begrüßte später einen jüngeren Halbbruder namens Marwan. Lake Wales ist eine Stunde8217s Fahrt von Disney World, aber ein Planet-and-a-half weg in jedem anderen Sinne. Die Dinge bewegen sich langsam in diesem Teil von Zentral-Florida. Zu langsam für einige. Die Verlockung der Lincoln Avenue kann überwältigend sein, und die Chance, einfaches Geld zu machen, wenn harte Arbeit (oder keine Arbeit) alles ist, was du weißt, kann sogar die besten jungen Leute in die Irre führen. Amares Mutter überquerte in ihren jugendlichen Jahren. Ihre Leute wählten Orangen im Frühjahr und wanderten in den New Yorker Staat jeden Herbst während der Apfelsaison. Sie arbeitete die Felder mit ihrer Familie, aber sie arbeitete auch das System. Carrie wurde viele Male wegen Verbrechen wie Kleiner Diebstahl und Fälschung verhaftet. Zuerst stahl sie zum Spaß, oder für Taschenwechsel. Aber später hat sie es getan, um zu überleben. Bold, brash und nachgedacht, ihre starke Persönlichkeit half ihr nicht, sobald ihre legalen Probleme begannen. Das Beste, was Carrie passierte, war, Hazell zu treffen und zu heiraten. Er machte Landschaftsbau und Rasenpflege, trainierte die Pop-Warner-Fußballmannschaft, die seine Söhne spielten, und blies ein mittleres Saxophon. Er war ein großer, mächtiger Mann, der wusste, wie er seine Jungen in Einklang bringen sollte. Er erinnerte sie ständig daran, hoch und talentiert zu sein.8221 Hazell Jr. war ein großer Basketball - und Fußballstar in seinen Gymnasiasten. Acht Jahre älter als Amare, stand er 6-10 und erbte seine Vater8217s lange Arme, Fasskiste und Out-of-the-Gym-Hopfen. Hazell Jr. war bekannt für alle als 8220Baby Shaq.8221 Von Amare8217s eigenen Eintritt war sein großer Bruder ein überlegener Basketballspieler als Teenager und kann noch alle diese Jahre später sein. Hazell Jr. spielte High School Ball mit den Gleichen von Peter Warrick, aber die Schlagzeilen, die er packte, waren eher von der Polizei-Blotter-Sorte. Als es Zeit war, sein Talent zu einem College-Stipendium zu machen, wollte niemand ihn anfassen. Die Stoudemires geschieden, als Amare jung war. Er spaltete Zeit mit seiner Mutter und seinem Vater. Carrie heiratete Artis Wilson 1990 und hatte Marwan. Sie lebten mehrere Jahre im Hochland New York. Amare und Hazell Jr. lebten auch in diesem Teil des Landes. Von seinen frühen Jugendlichen verwandelte sich Amare zu einem Fußballspieler. Er stellte sich als Empfänger für Florida State, Florida oder Miami, und dann als Star in der NFL. Amate auch herumgelaufen mit Basketball. Sein Bruder hatte ihn gelehrt, wie er seinen Körper und seine Sprungfähigkeit benutzt, um Gegner einzuschüchtern, und durch die sechste Klasse konnte er auf dem Spielplatz umgekehrte Dünen machen. Amare8217s Basketball-Held war Shaquille O8217Neal, der nur ein paar Meilen die Straße in Orlando spielte. Er erinnert sich daran, ihn auf Inside Stuff zu beobachten und zu sehen, wie viel Spaß er hatte. Amare wurde verrückt, als Shaq ein Backboard gegen die New Jersey Nets zerstörte. Als Amare 12 war, beschloss sein Vater, ein Trucking-Geschäft zu starten. Die Dinge blickten nach der Familie auf. Als Hazell anfing, die gelegentlichen Brustschmerzen zu fühlen, ignorierte er es trotz einer Familiengeschichte von Herzproblemen. Sure genug, eines Morgens Amare8217s Dad didn8217t aufwachen Die Familie implodierte bald darauf. Carrie, verzweifelt, um für ihre Jungs zu sorgen, war in und aus dem Gefängnis. Hazell Jr. war auf den Straßen verloren. Manchmal hatten Amare und Marwan nirgendwo hin. Sie blieben oft bei Burney Hayes, einem örtlichen Polizisten, der die Jungen in einer Ecke seines Anhängers schlafen ließ. Hayes überzeugte Amare, den Fußball aufzugeben und sich auf den Basketball zu konzentrieren. Dies war, wie er voraussagte, seine beste Chance auf eine Ausbildung und ein besseres Leben. Amare dachte, Hayes8217s Vorschlag machte viel Sinn. Bald entschied er, dass nichts ihn davon abhalten würde, ein NBA-Star zu werden. Das Rennen war am8212 er musste seinen ersten Pro-Deal tinten, bevor seine Familie den Punkt ohne Rückkehr passierte. Amare war bemerkenswert gut ausgestattet, um diese Odyssee zu beginnen. Neben seinem erstaunlichen Basketball-Talent hatte er einen coolen, analytischen Geist. Er wusste, wie man Leute lernte und wie man Leute benutzte, bevor sie ihn benutzten. Amare8217s wertvollste Vermögenswert mag die Schutzhülle gewesen sein, die er um sich selbst geschaffen hat, nachdem sein Vater gestorben ist. Er weinte an diesem Tag und weinte nie wieder. Seit er eine Art emotionale Taubheit umarmt hat. Er wird nie zu hoch oder zu niedrig. Und er vergißt ihm niemals seine letzten Worte: 8220Der Himmel8217s die Grenze, Amare.8221 Stehend 6-6 von seinen frühen Jugendlichen, musste Amare sein Spiel schnell entwickeln. Er war immer in der Lage, frei in Pick-up-Spiele zu arbeiten, indem er seinen großen Bruder für ihn stören ließ. Aber der Teenager hatte praktisch kein formales Coaching oder jede Art von Erfahrung in organisierten Ligen. Amare trat ein AAU-Team über den Sommer und bewies, dass es nur so viel Coaching gab er. Seine Macht und Vorfreude machte ihn zu einer Kraft als Verteidiger und Rebounder. Seine Schnelligkeit gab ihm einen Zug, den niemand verteidigen konnte. Amare würde einen Pass in den niedrigen Pfosten packen, seinen Verteidiger auf eine oder andere Weise begehen, und dann drehen und einfach den Ball über sie fallen. Er hatte auch einen schönen kleinen Springer, den er beim Korb benutzt hatte. In seinem ersten AAU-Turnier wurde er MVP genannt. AUF DAS RISE Wort verbreitete sich über Amare, und in kürzester Zeit begannen die Anwerber aus dem Holz zu kommen. Nicht nur College-Trainer, sondern auch High-School-Scouts. Einer war Joel Hopkins von Mt. Zion Christliche Akademie in Durham, North Carolina. Die Vorbereitungsschule war die Heimat eines der Welt8217s besten Reifen Programm. Als Amare akademisch für sein Neulingsjahr am Wales-See erklärt wurde, sah er Mt. Zion als der logische nächste Schritt in Richtung der Profis. Die Eagles waren glücklich, Amare zu haben, trotz seiner miserablen akademischen Rekord. Es war nicht so, dass er ein dummes Kind war. In der Tat, auf einem IQ-Test am Lake Wells, erzielte er höher als fast jedes Kind in der Schule. Amare teilte den Boden am Berg. Zion mit einem Paar zukünftiger College-Standouts, Harvey Thomas und Jonathan Hargett. Er profitierte auch von seinem ersten echten Coaching-Unterricht. Vor dem Amards-Junior-Jahr brach sein Trainer vom Mt. Zion, um seine eigene Schule zu bilden, Emmanuel Christian Academy. Amare und alle, aber drei seiner Teamkollegen stimmten ihm zu, ihm zu folgen, aber die Schule faltete vor der Saison. Amare ging zurück nach Florida und lebte mit Travis King, dem Trainer des Fastbreak USA Kader, der in AAU Turnieren konkurrierte. Nach einem Sommer für König und an der Sommerschule in Orlando, um seine Noten zu bekommen, kehrte er zum Mt. Zion. Aber er verließ Durham kurz danach und schrieb sich bei West Orange High in Orlando an. Als die Basketball-Saison herumging, war Amare nicht in Uniform. Nach seinem Mt. Zion-Transkripte, er war akademisch unzulässig8212a behaupten, er streitet bis heute. Er glaubt, dass seine Aufzeichnungen als 8220payback8221 verurteilt wurden, um die Schule zweimal zu verlassen. Zu seinem Verdienst blieb er konzentriert auf seinen NBA-Traum und war aus Mühe. Als Amare mit König herauskam, zogen er und Marwan mit Bill Williams ein, ein örtlicher Minister mit schattiger Vergangenheit. Diese Beziehung war auch kurz. Williams wurde auf Bestechungsgebühren verhaftet, wegen des Verbrechens verurteilt und ins Gefängnis geschickt. Der nächste Erwachsene in Amare8217s Leben war eine Bekanntschaft von Williams8217s, Marc Little. Er erklärte Amare, dass seine karierte Vergangenheit ihn verletzen würde, als es Zeit gekommen war, in seinem Basketball-Talent einzuzahlen. Williams schwor, ihm zu helfen, den Rekord gerade zu setzen. Ein Teil seiner Ratschläge könnte gewesen sein, um ein Adidas Sommerreifen-Lager im Jahr 2001 zu Gunsten von Nikes abzublasen. Was auch immer die Wahrheit war, Adidas war sauer, Nike war begeistert, und Little verteilte hausgemachte Pressemappen, als Amare die besten Jugendlichen im Land aussah wie Kinder. Unter den Amare, die auf dem Hof verlegen waren, waren Dajuan Wagner, DeSagna Diop, Ousmane Cisse und Tyson Chandler. (Amarersquos donnernd dunkel über Chandler wurde eine Instant-Nike-Camp-Legende.) Auch legendär waren seine Eins-zu-Fünf-Forays zum Reifen, die in der Regel schlecht endete. Amare war ein toller Spieler zu sehen, aber er hatte grundsätzlich keine Ahnung, was er tat. Dennoch erreichte er sein Ziel, die Nation8217s Top-Rangliste zu werden, die in sein älteres Jahr der High School ging. Vor dem Hof spielte Amare es schlau. Als HBO über seine verdrehte Geschichte hörte, näherten sich die Produzenten, um ein Segment für Real Sports zu machen. Er stimmte zu, sein Leben bis zu den Medien zu öffnen, weil er wusste, dass die Basketball-Aufnahmen, die es beinhalten würde, von Millionen gesehen werden würden. Die Show, die ausgestrahlt wurde, war ein armes Kind, das von einer Tragödie umgeben war, die durch ein herzloses System gemischt wurde. In Wirklichkeit kam Amare schlau seinem entscheidenden Ziel näher. Jeder Zug, den er machte, wurde entworfen, um seine Basketball-Fähigkeiten zu aktualisieren und zu präsentieren. Mit seinen Graden richtete sich auf und sein älteres Jahr näherte sich Amare, um die Vollprechung von College-Personalvermittlern zu fühlen. Er war am meisten beeindruckt von John Calipari und sagte dem Memphis-Trainer, den er gerne für ihn spielen würde. Doch schon bevor die Kampagne begann, wurde es klar, dass das College wahrscheinlich nicht in der Zukunft von Amare8217 sein würde. Er war sehr geschickt, wenn er Personalvermittler benutzte, was er brauchte. Er hatte sogar eine Sneaker-Gesellschafterin unterrichtet, um 100 in sein Mom8217s Ladenkonto im Gefängnis einzureichen. Jede Schule, die ihm ein Stipendium gab, würde unter einer sofortigen NCAA-Untersuchung sein, so dass jeder weg war. Das war gut mit Amare. Seine Augen waren immer auf den Profis gewesen. Er widmete seine Senior-Saison, um die Aufmerksamkeit von NBA-Scouts zu ergreifen. Amare eingeschrieben bei Cypress Creek High. Am Stadtrand von Orlando gelegen, war die Schule nicht Teil des Basketball Mainstream. In der Tat, Cypress Creeks größter Anspruch auf Ruhm ist seine preisgekrönte Marschkapelle. Nur ein zurückkehrender Reifenspieler, Wächter Tony Pratt, hatte einen Schuss auf den College-Ball zu spielen, und zwei der Teamrsquos projiziert Starter waren Benchwarmers im Jahr zuvor. Der Trainer, Earl Barnett, war so aus der Schleife, als er hörte, dass Amare im Bezirk wohnte, hatte er keine Ahnung, wem die Leute sprachen. Er würde es bald genug herausfinden. Obwohl aus der Form und mehr als ein wenig verrostet, war Amare ein Wirbelwind, der Tausende in eine Turnhalle zog, die selten Massen in den Hunderten gesehen hatte. Einige Spiele war er fantastisch, andere war er nur sterblich. Aber selten wurde ein Viertel vergangen, in dem er nichts getan hat, was den Kiefer fallen ließ. Trotz Cypress Creeks ho-hum 16-13 Rekord, wurde Amare Florida8217s Mr. Basketball genannt, durchschnittlich 29 Punkte, 15 Rebounds und sechs Blöcke pro Contest. Nach Saison8217s Ende, stand Amare 6-10 und wog eine Rock-solide 240 Pfund. Stehend neben den nation8217s anderen Spitzenschülern bei 2002 McDonald8217s All-Star Spiel, er buchstäblich sah aus wie ein Mann unter Jungen. Als der Tag des Tages näherte, stimmten die meisten NBA-Pfadfinder zu, dass Amare der eindrucksvollste Sportler im Entwurf war. Sein Talent war roh, aber wie ignorieren Sie einen dreistöckigen senkrechten Sprung von einem Mann, dessen Größe einige Mannschaften von seinem Hintergrund erschreckt wurden. Könnte ein Kind, das grundsätzlich keine Eltern mit den Herausforderungen des Pro-Basketballs beschäftigt hatte. Manche dachten, er würde lebendig gegessen werden, aber ein paar Mannschaften sahen seine Erziehung auf den anderen Weg an. Amare hatte unvorstellbare Schmerzen überlebt und sich mit Situationen beschäftigt, die weitaus bedrohlicher und komplexer waren als alles, was er in der NBA stellen würde. Die Phönix-Sonnen gehörten zu den wahren Gläubigen. Den Prozess zu unterstützen, war Amare8217s Agent, John Wolf, der hinter den Kulissen arbeitete, um Interesse unter dem Phoenix-Messing zu erzeugen. Wolf war Dee Brown8216s Agent gewesen, und Brown8212an Exekutive mit dem Orlando Magic8212had führte ihn zu Amare. Wolf hat später Amare einen Multi-Millionen-Dollar-Sneaker-Deal von Nike bekommen. Tyson Chandler, 2002 Legenden Nach der Verabreichung eines psychologischen Tests erkannten die Sonnen, dass der Übergang zur NBA eines der einfachsten Dinge wäre, die Amare in seinem Leben tun würde. Phoenix-Besitzer Jerry Colangelo gab dem Jungen die Daumen hoch und sagte, dass er das gleiche Gefühl bekam, als er das erste Mal Kobe Bryant beobachtete. Amare reiste nach New York für den Entwurf und wurde mit dem neunten Pick von den Sonnen aufgenommen. Der Teenager war der einzige Gymnasiast an diesem Tag. Wie bei den meisten Dingen in Amare8217s junges Leben, wurde das Silberfutter schnell von einer dunklen Wolke überschattet. Carrie Stoudemire hätte ihren Sohn nicht für jeden Tag verpasst. Nicht einmal eine Bewährungsverletzung. Sie durfte nicht Florida ohne Erlaubnis verlassen, aber sie reiste nach New York für den Entwurf sowieso. Carrie wurde bei ihrer Rückkehr verhaftet und vier Monate lang eingesperrt. Um den Übergang von Amare8217 in das NBA-Leben zu erleichtern, fragten die Sonnen das Veteranenzentrum Scott Williams, um den Jugendlichen unter seinem Flügel zu nehmen. Williams hatte seine Eltern in einem Mord-Selbstmord verloren, also teilte er eine ähnlich alptraumhafte Kindheit mit dem Rookie. Mittlerweile hielt der Assistent GM Mark West, ein ehemaliges Zentrum, einen scharfen Blick auf die Ausgaben und die sozialen Verstrickungen. Amar war nicht dumm. Er wusste, dass er Baby war. Aber er erkannte auch ein Sicherheitsnetz, als er einen sah und es schätzte. Anstatt sich gegen diese Kontrolle zu landen, umarmte er sie vollständig. Es war lange her, seitdem jemand dort gewesen war, um seinen Rücken zu sehen. Amare konzentrierte sich auch darauf, ein solider Bürger zu sein. Als der Verkehr ihn spät für ein paar Vorsaison Praktiken machte, zog er 10 Minuten weg von der Arena. Er vermied Nachtflecken und beschränkte seine Ausflüge auf die örtliche Mall. Er trat sogar der klassischen NBA-Rookie-Behandlung bei, traf Taschen, brachte Donuts zu Shootarounds und zerriß Bälle nach der Übung. Teams mögen gern ihre jungen Spieler kennenlernen8217 Eltern. Im Fall von Amares Mutter, die bei einer Verurteilung hörte, dass Sommer für ihre New York Bewährung Verletzung stattfand. Sun Trainer Frank Johnson begleitete Amare zurück nach Florida für das Verfahren und sprach mit Carrie für mehr als zwei Stunden. Sie erzählte Johnson alles, was sie dachte, er sollte über Amare wissen, und machte deutlich, dass, wenn die Sonnen ihn nicht richtig behandeln würde, würde es die Hölle bezahlen. Johnson hat das nicht für eine Sekunde in Frage gestellt. Die Mutter war eine ehrliche Kraft der Natur. Amare hat auch eine Kraft der Natur bewiesen. In den Sonnen, trat er ein gutes, junges Team8212die Kader war 25 oder jünger, einschließlich Punkt Wächter Stephon Marbury und vorwärts Shawn Marion. Die Hoffnung war, dass er sich innerhalb einiger Jahre zu einem Schlagspieler entwickeln würde, und Phoenix wäre ein Meisterschaftsbewerber. Fast von Amares am ersten Tag mit dem Team, erkannten seine Kollegen, dass sie ihm Platz geben mussten. Er packte Rebounds mit erschreckender Wildheit, und als er eintauchte, schickte er eine Nachricht an alle an den Hof, nicht nur die andere Mannschaft. Aber Amare war auch einweichen Tonnen von Basketball-Informationen. Während seiner herrlichen Gymnasiasten bekam er selten eine Basketballtheorie. Auf halb durch die Vorsaison mit Phoenix gab er den Reportern zu, dass er in ein paar Wochen mehr über Basketball gelernt hatte, als er in seinem ganzen Leben hatte. Amare begann die Saison als Tom Gugliotta8217s Backup, und dann stieg auf die Startaufstellung, als Googs ging mit einer Verletzung kurz vor Thanksgiving. Die Sonnen wurden ein anderes Team8212a Siegerteam8212und ihr Rekord stieg stetig über .500. Amare, inzwischen, zeigte Verfeinerungen zu seinem Spiel, das nicht dort gewesen war, ein paar Monate früher. In der Regel, was auch immer Nuancen Trainer zeigte ihn in praktiziert zeigte sich in Spielen innerhalb von ein oder zwei Wochen. Das Fangen des Balls in der niedrigen Post ist oft eine der schwierigsten Fähigkeiten für junge Power-Spieler zu meistern, doch Amare tat es wie ein Profi. In der Tat, Teamkollege Penny Hardaway8212who Amare hatte in seinen Tagen mit den Magic8212told Teamkollegen verwurzelt, dass der Teenager den Ball nach unten gezogen, wie auch Shaq in seiner Rookie-Saison getan hatte. Und einmal Amare bekam beide Hände auf den Ball in der Nähe des Korbes, vergiss es. Jemand wurde plaziert. Als eine unerwartete dritte Scoring-Option öffnete Amare den Boden für Marbury und Marion, und die beiden Sterne blühten. Die Sonnen waren auf dem Vormarsch. Der härteste Teil von Amare8217s Übergang zum Proball war der Mangel an Pfeifen. Er war überrascht über die Menge an Holding, die von NBA-Beamten nicht enttäuscht wurde. Unfähig, die Position zu bekommen, die er gewohnt war, wurde er manchmal frustriert. Als Trainer Johnson sich mit ihm setzte, beklagte Amare, dass Verteidiger drängten und packten. Johnson sagte ihm, er solle mich zurückschieben. Amare8217s Augenbrauen hob sich, die Glühbirne ging weiter, und er begann zu kämpfen. Die Headliner der 2002 NBA Draft Klasse, 2002 SLAM Andere High Draft Picks hatten unvergessliche Anfänge, aber schließlich wurden sie von den Veteranen in die Schule gebracht. Es war ein sicheres Zeichen, dass Amare kein Blitz in der Pfanne war. Eine ungeschriebene Regel in der NBA, die sagt, dass Sie leihen Rookies eine Lektion, wenn sie versuchen, auf dich zu verdunkeln8212a wenig 8220welcome, um die Liga8221 Nachricht, wie es war. Interessanterweise wurden keine solchen Meldungen an Amare geliefert, der flach war, um die Liga zu verraten. Anstatt ihn an der Felge herauszufordern, stützten sie sich und ließen ihn sein Ding machen. In Amare8217s ersten Treffen mit Kevin Garnett, ließ er 38 auf dem All-Star-Zentrum und fügte 14 Rebounds. Michael Olowokandi versuchte, Amare auf einem seiner bösartigen Dunks zu stoppen und lebte es, es zu bereuen. Paul Piece forderte Amare mit einer Fahrt und bezahlte sie mit zwei Zähnen. In seinem ersten Contest gegen Shaq hielt Amare seinen eigenen in einem Suns-Sieg und erzählte Reportern, dass es der lustigste war, den er in den Jahren hatte. Sobald das Wort ausstieg, dass Amare eine Drohung für 20 war, sah er eine stetige Diät von Doppelteams, eine Taktik, die ihn verwirrte. Das Fehlen der Finesse, um aus der Mühe herauszukommen, hat er gewöhnlich nicht den Ball auf den offenen Mann schnell genug getreten. Trainer Johnson konnte die Rookie8217s Frustration sehen und fürchtete, was er tun könnte, wenn er zu weit gedrückt wurde. Jeder so oft würde er mit Amare herumscherzen, um das Eis zu brechen und irgendein ernstes Gemetzel zu vermeiden. In Privatbesitz arbeitete Johnson auch an Amare8217s Psyche. Er sagte dem Kind, dass er sich nicht allzu voll werden sollte, und demütig zu bleiben. Wenn er jemals Gespenster oder Eitelkeit sah, versprach er, dass er Amare auf der Stelle benützen würde. Mit Amare spielen so grausam, die meisten der Liga8216s Experten prognostiziert er würde die Wand um 40 Spiele treffen und beginnen, seinen Rand zu verlieren. Aber er stürmte durch die Mittellinie und behielt seine Intensität. Und während Houston Rookie Yao Ming alle Schlagzeilen erzeugte, zog Amare mehr Bretter herunter, erzielte mehr Punkte und protokollierte mehr Minuten. Und die Sonnen waren in der Playoff-Jagd, während die Rockets aus Konkurrenz sanken. Amare8217s Leben weg von der court8212a große Sorge auf first8212Schritt auch reibungslos zu gehen. Er war mit dem Jugendfreund Michael Walker, und Marwan lebte in der Nähe mit ihrer Mutter. Sobald sie in der Lage war, kam Carrie nach Phoenix, wo Amare er einen Mercedes gekauft hatte, 40.000 in Schmuck und legte sie in einem Haus auf. Obwohl sie einige der Leute in ihrem neuen Leben entfremdet hat, blieb er ihr je loyal. Während andere Carrie als 8220karriere kriminell sahen, sah sie eine Frau, die sich so sehr um ihre Söhne kümmerte, dass sie bereit war, Gefängnis zu riskieren, um sie zu bekleiden und zu füttern. Es gab immer noch Bedenken über die Familie Amare8216. Seine Mutter liebte es, die Dinge aufzurütteln, und das hatte den Potentail, um zwischen Amare und den Sonnen, seinen Teamkollegen und Nike Spannungen zu schaffen und die neuen Beziehungen, die er bildete, zu stören. Es gab auch die Frage seines Bruders, der in New York für den Umgang mit Drogen und anderen schweren Verbrechen inhaftiert war. Auf dem Hof aber waren die Dinge viel vielversprechender, obwohl die zweite Hälfte Phoenix ausstieg. Dennoch waren die Sonnen noch mit einem Rekord von 44-38 fertig und schnappten den letzten Playoff-Spot im Westen. Marbury und Marion gossen in 20-25 Uhr eine Nacht und Johnson benutzte seine Bank gut und fand viele Minuten für Support-Spieler Casey Jacobsen, Bo Outlaw und Joe Johnson. Amare landete bei 13,5 Punkten pro Spiel auf 47,2 Schießen, packte fast neun Rebounds pro Nacht und war sechster in der Liga in Offensive Boards, mit 250. Amare Stoudemire, 2002 Showcase Amare kante Yao für die Rookie des Jahres Award, immer die Erste High Schooler jemals, um diese Ehre zu verdienen. Er führte alle Rookies in Rebounds und Freiwürfe und war Zweiter in Punkten, blockierte Schüsse und Minuten gespielt. In den Playoffs, die Sonnen fast überfallen die Spurs, verlieren in sechs Spielen. Amare hob seine Kerbe, aber er konnte nicht enthalten San Antonio8217s Twin Towers. Die Spurs gingen weiter, um die NBA-Meisterschaft zu gewinnen, aber sie vergaß nicht, wie sie mit Amare und den Sonnen kamen. Phoenix begann die Saison 2003/04 mit großer Hoffnung, es zu den Playoffs für ein zweites Jahr zu machen. Aber als das Team langsam anfing, verlor der Trainer Johnson seinen Job. Er wurde durch seinen ehemaligen Lead-Assistenten Mike D8217Antoni ersetzt, der auch nicht direkt das Schiff erreichen konnte. Es wurde schlimmer, als Amare seinen linken Knöchel Anfang Dezember gegen die Boston Celtics verstauchte. Die Verletzung veranlasste ihn, 18 Spiele zu verpassen. Als Amare zurückkam, fand er sich unter einer Vielzahl neuer Teamkollegen. In einem der jahrgrößten Trades, schickten die Sonnen Marbury und Hardaway nach New York für Antonio McDyess, vier weitere Spieler und eine Reihe von Draft Picks. Phoenix war eindeutig in die Zukunft geraten, weil die Gegenwart so düster war. Die Sonnen beendeten die Saison um 29-53, daneben im Westen. Amare tat alles, was er konnte, um das Team zu heben, aber seine Stütze war viel zu schwach. Er erhöhte seine Punktzahl auf 20,6 ppg und zog neun Bretter eine Nacht. Er und Marion teilten die Last die meisten Spiele, vor allem mit McDyess langsam, um von einem Sortiment von Verletzungen zu erholen. Ab März spielte Amare wie ein All-Star. Im April, er durchschnittlich ein Doppel-Doppel in sieben Spielen, gießen in fast 30 Punkte ein Wettbewerb. Wenn nichts anderes, zeigte Amare Management, dass er früher als später gewinnen wollte. Die Sonnen haben die Nachricht laut und deutlich. In der Offseason, machten sie große Schlagzeilen, unterzeichnen Punkt Wache Steve Nash zu einem langfristigen Deal. Der Umzug hatte eine Kräuselung über das gesamte Team. DAntoni ließ Nash das Tempo alle Chancen, die er bekam, die eröffnete mehr Gelegenheitsmöglichkeiten für Phoenixs junge Flügelspieler, vor allem Marion, Johnson und Quentin Richardson. Im Gegenzug gab es weniger Druck auf Amare, um die Last zu tragen, eine Entwicklung, die seine Reifung zu einem wahren Stern beschleunigte. Die Sonnen begannen die 2004-05 Saison im hohen Gang und nie verlangsamt. Dank Nash, verwandelte Amare einfachere Eimer, mit seiner Geschwindigkeit und Athletik zu out-run größer, langsamer Gegner. Als die Kampagne fortschritt, stellte er auch eine stärkere Präsenz in der Farbe. Doppel-Doppel in Punkte und Rebounds wurde die Norm für ihn. Er schrieb sechs im Februar, fünf im März und acht im April. Auf der ganzen Seite produzierte Amare bessere Zahlen. Bei 56 aus dem Feld war er einer der besten Schützen der Ligen, und er belegte den fünften Platz bei 26 Punkten ein Spiel. Die gegenüberstehenden Mannschaften nahmen es an, ihn zu verschmutzen, ihn an die Linie zu schicken, 795 mal, Tops in der NBA. Er ließ sie bezahlen und verbesserte sein Foul-Shooting auf 73. Phoenix entwickelte sich mittlerweile in das NBAs unterhaltsamste Team. Die Sonnen kehrten ihre Aufzeichnungen um, und dann einige, gehen 62-20, um die Top-Samen im Westen zu erfassen. Nash verdiente Ehrungen als Liga MVP, DAntoni wurde Trainer des Jahres genannt, und Amare zog Lob geweckt, sowohl für seine Produktion auf dem Hof und seine gewinnende Haltung. Trotz ihrer beeindruckenden regulären Saisonzahlen war die Jury auf den Sonnen in die Playoffs gegangen. Verteidigung ist der Name des Spiels in der Nachsaison, und wenige dachten, dass Phoenix genug davon spielte, um ein ernster Titelkämpfer zu sein. Die Sonnen beherrschten jedoch die überfüllten Memphis Grizzlies in der ersten Runde ohne Probleme. Amare sah ein bisschen nervös in seinem Playoff-Debüt aus, aber er fand seinen Rhythmus über die nächsten drei Wettbewerbe, als Phoenix in einem Vier-Spiel-Sweep kreuzte. Von dort aus trat Amare eine Kerbe auf. Angesichts der Mavericks in der nächsten Runde war er praktisch unaufhaltsam. Dallas versuchte eine Vielzahl von Verteidigern gegen ihn, aber er war entweder zu schnell oder zu stark für jeden von ihnen. Amare dominierte früh in der Serie, durchschnittlich 35 Punkte und 15 Rebounds wie die Sonnen gewann zwei von drei. Als Dallas mit Doppel - und Dreifach-Teams gegen ihn antwortete, packte Nash den Scheinwerfer und füllte seinen ehemaligen Verein mit ein paar Monsteraufführungen. Der Ein-Zwei-Punsch erwies sich als zu viel für die Mavs, mit Phoenix, der die Serie in sechs Spielen nahm. Amare setzte sein inspiriertes Spiel in Spiel 1 gegen San Antonio in der Western Conference Finals fort und legte 41 Punkte auf Tim Duncan und die Spurs ab. Aber seine Bemühung war nicht genug, um einen Sieg zu liefern. Der Veteran Spurs verdrängt Phoenix in fünf Spielen und schlug die Run-and-gun Suns bei ihrem eigenen Spiel. Amare Stoudemire, 2003 Die New York Times Magazin Amare war wieder in vollem Gesundheit für den Beginn der 2006ndash07 Saison. Wieder einmal haben er und Marion zusammengearbeitet, um Gegner zu platzieren. Amare führte den Verein mit einem 20,4 Scoring-Durchschnitt, während er und Marion oft für 20 oder mehr Rebounds eine Nacht kombiniert. Vor der Saison versprach Amare Phoenix-Fans, dass er das All-Star-Team machen würde. Er tat das und mehr und erzielte 29 Punkte im Mittelklasse-Klassiker. Die Sonnen beendeten das Jahr mit 61 Siegen und einem anderen Pacific Division Titel. Nach der Saison wurde Amare zum First-Team All-NBA ernannt. Amare trat es in die Playoffs, steigern seine Nummern auf 25,3 Punkte und 12,1 Rebounds pro Spiel. Die Sonnen besiegten die Lakers in der Eröffnungsrunde in fünf Spielen. In der Entscheidung, Amare führte Phoenix mit 27 Punkten und 16 Rebounds. Die Sonnen trafen die Spurs in der nächsten Runde und fanden sich in einem anderen Nachsaisonkrieg. Die Spurs beschlossen, ihre Größe und Kraft zu verwenden, um die Sonnen zu verlangsamen. Sie schickten Nash auf die Bank in Spiel 1 mit einer Schärfe in die Nase. San Antonio gewann die Eröffnungsneigung, aber Phoenix verzehrte die Serie mit einem Spiel 2 Sieg. Danach rief Amare die Spurs ein schmutziges Team an und erwähnte Manu Ginobili und Bruce Bowen mit Namen. San Antonio gewann Spiel 3, und die Sonnen sprangen zurück in Spiel 4. In den abnehmenden Minuten dieses Wettbewerbs, schob Robert Horry Nash in den Torschützen Tisch. In der anfänglichen Rüstung verließen Amare und Boris Diaw die Bank. Obwohl sie sich nicht in den Kampf verwickelt haben, wurden sie beide für Spiel 5 suspendiert. Mit zwei Schlüsselteilen ihrer Frontlinie fehlten die Sonnen nicht einen hektischen San Antonio-Anstieg zurück und sie verloren diesen entscheidenden Wettbewerb. Die Spurs verpackten die Serie mit einem Sieg in Spiel 6. Mit 25, Amare weiter als Allround-Star in 2007ndash08 zu entwickeln. Er führte den Verein wieder in Scoring, durchschnittlich 25,2 Punkte pro Spiel, um mit 9.1 Rebounds zu gehen. Er schoss 59 aus dem Boden und überstieg 80 aus der Linie zum ersten Mal. Er spielte auch in seinem dritten All-Star Game. Als die Sonnen Shaq in einem Februar-Handel für Marion aufnahmen, hatte Amare keine Schwierigkeiten, sein Spiel mit seinem neuen Teamkollegen zu mischen. Newcomer Grant Hillmdashhealthy für eine changemdash war ein wertvoller Beitrag auf dem gegenüberliegenden Flügel wie Phoenix kreuzte zu 55 Siegen, gut für den zweiten in der Division hinter den Lakers. Noch einmal fiel Phoenix zu den Spurs in den Playoffs. Nach dem Anschauen von Michael Finley und Duncan traf die Clutch-Drei-Zeiger, um einen möglichen Serienwechsel-Doppel-Überstunden-Sieg in Game 1 zu vereiteln, gingen die Sonnen leise und verloren in fünf. OrsquoNeal, der Spieler erworben, um Phoenixrsquos halfcourt Vergehen in den Playoffs zu helfen, verpasste die Hälfte seiner 64 Freistöße in der Seriemdashincluding einige am Ende von Spiel 5. Amare Stoudemire, 2007 Topps Nach der Saison verließ DrsquoAntoni Phoenix, um die Knicks zu trainieren. Er wurde von Terry Porter ersetzt. In der Vorsaison drängte Porter seine Spieler, sich mehr auf die Verteidigung zu konzentrieren, und er verlangsamte die dynamische Straftat nach unten. Amare war mit dem langsamen Tempo zufrieden, aber er war mehr mit seinem rechten Auge beschäftigt, das im Oktober verletzt wurde. Ärzte sagten zu Amare, dass er eine Brille tragen müsse, aber er hat sie nach ein paar Wochen geworfen. Er verletzte das gleiche Auge wieder in einem Februar-Spiel und musste Chirurgie für eine freistehende Netzhaut zu unterziehen. Er vermisste den Rest der Saison 2008-09. Amare führte den Verein zum Scoring und Rebounding zu der Zeit. In 2009ndash10 fanden sich die Sonnen wieder in einem Kampf um die Pacific Division Krone mit den Lakers. Und wieder kamen sie kurz auf und gewannen 55 Spiele zu LArsquos 57. Amare führte das Team mit 23,1 Punkten und 8,9 Rebounds ein Spiel. Er hat auch ein Team-bestes 34,6 Minuten pro Wettkampf gefeiert. Die Nachsaison startete zu einem wackligen Start, als die Sonnen Game 1 zu Hause zu den jungen Portland Trailblazers sank. Aber Phoenix erholte sich, um vier der nächsten fünf zu holen, um die Serie zu gewinnen. Jeder hat dazu beigetragen, darunter Nash, Hill, Jason Richardsonmdashpicked up von der Charlotte Bobcats die vorherige yearmdashand junge Channing Frye. Als nächstes waren die gehassten Sporen. Für Phoenix-Fans, schlagen San Antonio war so groß wie das Erreichen der NBA Finals. Amare führte die Sonnen zu einem Schwung. Er war der Highscorer in Game 2 und Game 4, und er führte Phoenix mit 24 Rebounds in den ersten beiden Wettbewerben. Aginst die Lakers in der Konferenz Finale, die Sonnen sank die ersten beiden in LA. In Spiel 3 war Amare in Brand und brannte die Lakers für 42. Im entscheidenden Spiel 5 waren die Sonnen bereit, einen auf LArsquos homecourt zu stehlen, aber Ron Artest folgte einem Kobe Bryant Miss an der Summer für einen deflating 103ndash101 gewinnen. Im Spiel 6 sahen Phoenix-Fans bestürzt auf, als Amare viel von dem Spiel auf dem Umkreis verbrachte. Immer wenn er fuhr, verschlangen die Lakers ihn. Obwohl er 27 erzielte, fand er nie seinen Rhythmus. Mittlerweile erhielt Artest einen offenen Jumper nach dem anderen und tötete die Sonnen. Die endgültige Punktzahl war 111ndash103 zu Gunsten der Lakers. LA hatte das bessere Team, aber Phoenix hätte die Serie leicht machen können. Im Juli war Amare einer von mehreren Sternen in einem ungewöhnlich robusten Free-Agent-Markt. Der große Name war LeBron James. Die Knicks, in der Hoffnung, King James zu zeigen, wie ernst sie über das Gewinnen waren, unterzeichneten Amare zu einem langfristigen Deal. Im Hype verloren war die Tatsache, dass Amare eine kühne Aussage selbst gemacht hatte. Als er seinen alten Trainer auf eine mittelmäßige Mannschaft zurückkehrte, machte er sofort die Knicks ein Playoff-Contendermdash und hoffentlich einen Magneten für andere Qualitätsspieler. Auf der Pressekonferenz, die die Unterzeichnung verkündete, verglich der Teamrsquos-Ansager Al Trautwig den Moment für den Handel für Dave DeBusschere im Jahr 1968, der einen Wendepunkt für die Franchise markierte. Amare hat Knicks nicht enttäuscht. Anfang des Jahres, er aufgereiht eine Franchise-Rekord neun 30-Punkte-Spiele in einer Reihe. Noch wichtiger, die Knicks waren in acht dieser Wettbewerbe triumphierend. Amare wurde als Starter für den East All-Star-Kader ausgewählt und erzielte 29 Punkte in einem 148ndash143 Verlust. Amare Stoudemire, 2010 SI für Kinder Mit einem lang ersehnten Playoff-Liegeplatz in den Karten, entwickelte New York ein Drei-Mannschaft-Deal während der Pause, die Carmelo Anthony und Chauncey Billups in der Orange und Blau setzen. Die zusätzlichen Fähigkeiten und Erfahrungen hatten Knick Fans träumen von einem Rennen am Finale. Amare beendete die Saison durchschnittlich 25,3 Punkte und 9,1 Punkte pro Spiel, und er war eine Kraft auf Verteidigung. Mit der Hilfe des Veteranen Billups konnten die beiden Superstar-Stationen den Ball teilen und einen anständigen Rhythmus finden. However, by playoff time, Amare was worn down. He tried to play in the opening-round series against the Celtics, but he was not 100. Boston swept New York out of the postseason, although the series could have broken differently. The Knicks narrowly lost the two opening games on the road. Had they secured even one victory in Boston, the outcome might have been very different. Next came the long-anticipated lockout. Amare was tempted to play pro ball in Israel, but he stayed in New York to participate in the contract negotiations and rehab his back. When play resumed in the shortened season, the Knicks had made a key deal to land Tyson Chandler, a major presence in the paint who promised to take some of the defensive burden away from Amare. With a rock-solid front line, the Knicks needed to find the right mix of young and old in the backcourt to move deeper in the playoffs. The team got an unexpected bump from 23-year-old Jeremy Lin, a rookie guard from China. Lin assumed the role of Steve Nash in New Yorkrsquos up-tempo offense and began playing like an All-Star. Basketball in the Big Apple was fun again, as quotLin-sanityquot transformed the Knicks into one of the leaguersquos tougher matchups. Unfortunately, tragic struck when Amarersquos brother Hazell ws killed in a car accident in February of 2012. Devastated by the news, Amare immediately flew down to Florida to be with his family. He put no timetable on his return. Amare has dealt with his fair share of adversity throughout his life. Again, he will be tested as he deals with the emotional fallout from his brotherrsquos death. Meanwhile, New York is counting on Amare to take them bacl to the top of the basketball world. He is a leader, an inspiration and, the team hopes, a teacher for the young stars that will be playing in New York over the next few years. Paired with Carmelo, Amare creates all sorts of matchup problems for opponents. How that translates into victories remains to be seen. So much of winning in the NBA transcends skill and involves outlook and attitude. A coach can only do so much to get his young players to buy into a style and a system. Having a player like Amare on the court takes this message the rest of the way. Carmelo Anthony, 2011 SLAM When you see Amare take off to the basketmdashrising with such force and throwing it down so hardmdashyoursquod swear he was an Allen Iverson clone. Itrsquos when he landsmdashand you realize hersquos a half-foot taller than most of the other guys on the courtmdashthat you are truly awestruck. That used to be the entirety of Amarelsquos offensive game. Today he uses his sure hands, quick feet, good first step and great leaping ability to trigger a variety of scoring moves, including soft jumpers and baby hooks. Some predicted Amare would turn into the same player as Karl Malone. Amare lacks the outside shot of the Mailman, but he has become more consistent with his mid-range jumper. He also will use his left hand, and he knows what his options are when the double-team is coming. He shoots free throws well enough so that fouling him is at best a risky option. Amare is a quality defender and aggressive rebounder. He racks up a fair number of fouls, but rarely commits silly ones. Although no one would call him a slick ball handler, he is a superb finisher on the break, and he knows how to hang on to the ball when opponents are jabbing and swatting at it. Amare Stoudemire, 2011-12 Knicks ProgramWere dealing with that word that you hate to use that we have to rebuild. But we will rebuild. Schnell. Im not going to hang around here for three or four years selling this kind of song to people in Miami. We have great, great fans. Theyre frustrated. Theyve been used to something great over the last 10 years, and so right now were taking a hit. I think we can turn this thing around You can use that word rebuild. But were going to do it fast. What followed could well be the most extraordinary 13-game winning streak in league history. The streak helped to stave off what many believe would have been a Heat firesale at the Feb. 23rd trade deadline. While Rileys willingness to sell of pieces such as Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside was likely always overblown, the consensus now seems to be that the streak has flipped Miami from sellers looking to trade pieces for future assets to buyers looking to solidify a potential playoff push. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. The streak revealed some possible building blocks for the future, but it wasnt necessarily real. Or sustainable. The Heat still need to reload. And, as Riley said, they need to do it quickly. The reasons why are readily transparent. The Heat figure to have a ton of financial flexibility this summer. Based upon the leagues current 102 million cap projection for next season. Miami currently projects to have as much as 13 million in available cap space (assuming Josh Richardsons non-guaranteed minimum salary is retained). With Bosh relief. the total will grow to 38 million. It could grow further, to 40 million if Dion Waiters were to decline his player option (3.0 million), to 41 million if Willie Reed were to do the same (1.6 million), to 44 million if the Heat were to waive and stretch the salary of Josh McRoberts (6.0 million). From that, the cap room required by the Heats first-round draft pick (assuming Miami keeps it) would need to be subtracted. It the Heat continues to hover around the playoffs, the pick would cost another 1.5 million or so in cap space, leaving Miami with anywhere from 37 million to 43 million with which to attack free agency next summer. Read more8230 Please note that this post contains details about a provision in the new CBA that will take effect next season. The applicability of these rules to the Chris Bosh situation has not yet been definitively established. While nothing in my review of the specific sections of the new CBA that pertain to the matters described in this post would suggest they would not apply , the new CBA does contain a blanket provision that states that a player8217s salary with respect to any salary cap year covered by a contract entered into prior to July 1, 2017 will be calculated in accordance with the rules then in effect. That provision could be interpreted to exclude Bosh (and any player whose contract was signed under the current CBA) from the provisions of the new rules described in this post. I will try to get confirmation when I can. In the meantime, I can say with absolute certainty that the rules described herein would apply to any player whose situation does not span two CBAs :). Please also note that I humbly believe there to be a minor issue with the drafting of the new CBA that pertains to the topics discussed herein. I believe Article XXII, Section 11(g) should reference Article II, Section 3(n), rather than Article II, Section 3(l). I make this suggestion because the language, as written, makes no intuitive sense (at least to me) my suggestion fixes the issue. The following post utilizes the provision as I believe the NBA intended it to be drafted. Finally, please note that for more details covering all aspects of the Chris Bosh situation 8212 including his contract, insurance, the rules for cap relief, the potential subsequent rescission of such cap relief, and the mechanisms the Heat can employ to protect itself against such an event, among various other aspects 8212 I might recommend you see this post. It was a year ago today, Feb. 9, 2016, that Chris Bosh played his last NBA game. The one-year anniversary that nobody wanted is here. With it, the Miami Heat is now eligible to apply to have his substantial salaries 8212 23.7 million for this season, 25.3 million for 2017-18 and 26.8 million for 2018-19 removed from its cap sheet. The process, designated for long-term injury situations, which well call the long-term injury cap clearance process, would go like this: Following the now-completed waiting period (1). the Heat would apply to the NBA to have Boshs salary removed from its cap sheet on the basis that it believes he is dealing with a career-ending medical situation. The league and the players association would then jointly select a physician to review the situation. Salary cap relief would be granted if the physician determines that Boshs condition is career-ending, or severe enough that it would subject him to a medically unacceptable risk of suffering a life-threatening or permanently disabling injury or illness. The Heat would receive the associated cap relief upon waiving him. It seems almost certain that the Heat would be granted the relief. Read more8230 The cap jumped from 58.7 million in 2013-14, to 63.1 million in 2014-15, to 70.0 million in 2015-16. Thats a near 20 percent growth in just two years. But its nothing compared to what happened this season. On the strength of new national TV rights deals with ESPNABC and TNT, the cap soared higher than helium-sucking angels: to 94.1 million. The outsized growth was projected to continue. At the start of the regular season in October, the league was projecting salary cap of 103 million for 2017-18, and a salary cap of 107 million for 2018-19. But the growth, at least for now, is finally starting to taper off. At the Board of Governors meetings in New York on Dec. 15, teams were advised that cap projections were declining: For 2017-18, the salary cap is now projected at 102 million, with a luxury tax threshold of 122 million. For 2018-19, the salary cap is now projected at 103 million, with a luxury tax threshold of 125 million. The drop in the latter season is particularly rattling 8212 not only because it represents a 4 million drop, but also because it represents just a 1 million increase over the previous season projection. Are league-wide revenues finally beginning to slow Read more8230 The future of star Carmelo Anthony with the New York Knicks has become a daily source of intrigue. There has been widespread speculation that team president Phil Jackson and perhaps others within the organization want to trade him, and rebuild around second-year big man Kristaps Porzingis. Trade scenarios, however, are exceedingly complicated for a multitude of reasons. The most obvious: Anthony has a no-trade clause. Which essentially means he can refuse to be traded, or pick his destination if he were to agree. According to Marc Stein and Chris Haynes of ESPN, Anthony has said he 8220would have to consider8221 waiving his no-trade clause if the Knicks ultimately decided to go in a different direction. But, even then, it wont be easy. Anthony, 32, is making 24.6 million this season. Hell make another 26.2 million next season, and 27.9 million in 2018-19 if he chooses not to exercise his early termination option (ETO). His contract also contains a 15 percent trade kicker, which could pay out more than 9 million if he is dealt and can only be reduced in limited circumstances. The Knicks have reached out to three teams to gauge potential trade interest: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics. Read more8230 Theyve got an undeniably talented group of youngsters who have the potential for excellence. Theyre one of four teams which rank top 10 in the NBA in both offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency. And they have a top 10 NBA record. On the other hand, they sit in the bottom half of the Western Conference playoff standings. They havent won a single post-season game since 2010. And theyve been waging a losing battle against injury for years, which makes it nearly impossible to tell how well their pieces fit together or how good they can be. The lack of clarity is becoming a serious problem for the small-market organization, as it navigates whether its even possible to pay its five when-healthy starters 8212 George Hill, Rodney Hood, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert within the confines of a luxury tax threshold which they have been historically adverse to cross. Gobert already got his big-money extension this past October a four-year, 94 million payout that kicks in next season. His fate is secure. Hill and Favors are each currently eligible for extensions of their own, ones that could leverage Utahs 13.6 million of available cap space to renegotiate their current salaries as the baseline for it. But neither is likely to happen. Favors is five years younger than Hill and still very much in his prime, but hes also under a low-value contract through next season and could be the odd man out if there is to be one. Hill is perhaps the more deserving and better long-term fit of the two, but he seems to prefer to hash things out in free agency this summer. Hood will be eligible for an extension of his own starting this coming July, which would kick in when his rookie-scale contract expires at the end of next season. Hes a solid two-way talent. He won8217t be cheap. And then theres Hayward, the heart and soul of the franchise, who will become a prized free agent this summer if he declines his 16.7 million player option by his June 29 deadline. The last time Hayward hit the open market, as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2014, talks with the Jazz broke down to point where he was forced to pursue other options. Utah could have kept him off the market had they negotiated a contract extension the prior October, but Hayward was reportedly seeking a four-year deal valued at 50 million while the Jazz reportedly held firm at 48 million. The hard line ultimately proved costly. Rather than even attempt to negotiate a new deal that could have extended as long as five years the following July, the Jazz made known its intention to match any offer sheet Hayward signed. He went on to sign a four-year, 63 million max offer sheet with the Charlotte Hornets on July 10, 2014. To make the deal particularly unpleasant for Utah, the Hornets threw in a 15 percent trade kicker and a player option on the final season. They matched anyway. Nearly three years later, that contract sets Hayward up for one of the leagues most intriguing summer scenarios. Read more8230 At the highest of levels, not much would change in the new deal. The split of league-wide revenues will remain the same the players will be virtually assured to receive a 51 percent share (as they are in the current agreement). The salary cap will be calculated the exact same way. The luxury tax will be calculated the exact same way, and teams will be penalized just as severely for crossing it. Rather than pushing for sweeping changes, the NBA was clearly focused on one thing 8212 stopping superstar players from leaving their teams in free agency. Since 2010, several top-tier players have left as free agents, including LeBron James and Chris Bosh (2010), Dwight Howard (2013), and Kevin Durant (2016). Carmelo Anthony (2011), Chris Paul (2011) and Kevin Love (2014) also forced trades under the threat of leaving their teams with nothing in free agency. To stop the flow, the league created new rules that provide huge financial incentives for a select group of top-tier players to stay with their existing teams rules with which the players (the union for whom was led by the players who would benefit the most) were more than happy to oblige. Read more8230 When the NBAs new collective bargaining agreement becomes official, benefits should abound for both players and teams. Minimum salaries, rookie-scale contracts, the mid-level exception, the bi-annual exceptions, and maximum salaries are all increasing, which should placate most players. Various rules will be implemented to entice players to remain with their existing teams, which should placate most teams. But all those changes do come at a consequence it will be more difficult for teams to rebuild through free agency, teams like the Miami Heat. The Heat is, as president Pat Riley declared, a rebuilding team. But Miami has compiled a solid core of multi-talented youngsters 8212 in guards Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson, forward Justise Winslow, and center Hassan Whiteside 8212 from which to work. And it has a strong lead guard in Goran Dragic to spearhead the charge. Imagine, for a moment, a Dragic Johnson Richardson Whiteside four-man unit. In an offense system designed to capitalize upon it, what was once a shocking inability to space the floor predicated largely on the always imperfect backcourt tandem of Dragic and Wade could now be considered a strength. And depending upon where Richardson who led the entire NBA in three-point shooting percentage after the All-Star Break, at 53 percent and Johnson who shot 41 percent on three-pointers last season (excluding heaves), despite often being miscast on offense as a point guard, which has continued on this season at full detriment to his development level off with their shooting, a potentially big one at that. That type of shooting could provide Whiteside now a franchise cornerstone with his four-year, 96.4 million contract secured the much-coveted floor-spacing into which to maneuver. At 7-feet, 265-pounds, and with a ridiculous 7-foot-7-inch wingspan, Whiteside alters the geometry of the game. He8217s not at all a back-to-the-basket big 8212 and the Heat is doing the offense a huge disservice by treating him as such 8212 but he can a huge initiator of offense, whether or not he ever even touches the ball. He hasn8217t yet mastered the art of either the pick or the roll, but he has the tools to become of the best roll men in the NBA. And, even if not, his mere presence in the paint sucks in defenses with more force than a Dyson. That yields tons of garbage points and offensive rebounds for him, and open shots for others. This Heat team may not be showing it on the court thus far this season, but it has the potential to be fast in transition and to capitalize upon a type of floor spacing in the half court it hasn8217t had in quite some time. Imagine what Dragic, a relentless attacker of the rim, and Whiteside, a dominant interior presence, could do in an offense that spaced the floor around them. Is it so preposterous to envision a constant stream of Whiteside pick-and-rolls, and swished corner three-pointers when defenders rotate away from Heat shooters to try to stop it Is it so preposterous to imagine that with Whiteside down low Richardson and Johnson to space the floor around him and Dragics speed and ability to break down a defense that the team could develop into be a force with which to be reckoned, if they8217re able to add a star player or two 8212 perhaps a power forward to replace the unfortunately departed Chris Bosh, a small forward that would allow the Heat to stagger Johnson and Richardson, or both The organization has maneuvered around various salary cap issues in order to maximize its free agency options to achieve that goal. The summer of 2017 will be a particular emphasis, with the Heat able to begin the process of removing the salary of Bosh from its cap sheet on or after Feb. 9, 2017 and the salary of Johnson set to soar the season thereafter. But the new agreement, when ratified, will have several implications for the Heat in pursuit of its desired summer of 2017 rebuild. Read more8230 The Houston Rockets apparently never actually signed Donatas Motiejunas. But whether they did or did not sign him is irrelevant. In both cases, the Rockets could have conditioned the contract (in a case where they didn8217t sign him, as a condition to offering the contract and in a case where they did sign him, as a condition to the validity of the contract in accordance with Exhibit 6) on him passing a physical exam. The Rockets did so condition it, and Motiejunas failed. Which returned him to restricted free agency once again. After consultation with the league office to find an amicable solution to a contentious situation, the Rockets have renounced their rights to Motiejunas, making him an unrestricted free agent. He is now free to sign with an team except the Brooklyn Nets, who are prohibited from signing or acquiring him until December 9, 2017. The Houston Rockets and Donatas Motiejunas have agreed to a new contract. The Rockets8217 first refusal exercise notice to match the offer sheet Motiejunas signed with the Brooklyn Nets has been withdrawn, and the new deal will presumably be signed shortly. The new deal will contain the same basic structure as the offer sheet (as detailed herein), including 31 million in base salary, 4 million in likely bonuses and 2 million in unlikely bonuses. It will have a salary cap hit for this season of 9.3 million (equal to his 8.3 million base salary, plus 1 million in likely bonuses). The primary differences between the new deal and the offer sheet will be that: (i) the guarantee on Motiejunas8217 second year salary will get pushed back to July vs. March 1, and (ii) the Rockets will be able to trade Motiejunas without restrictions after the end of the season (i. e. the end of the regular season or, if he8217s on the playoff roster, after the Rockets either win the title or are eliminated) vs. being restricted from trading him without his consent for one year. The lengthy saga, however, is not quite over just yet. The Rockets could have conditioned the new contract on Motiejunas passing a physical examination (Exhibit 6 to the Uniform Player Contract). The determination would be made in the sole discretion of a physician designated by the Rockets. The exam would need to be completed within three business days of executing the contract (which, if it were executed today, would be by next Wednesday) and the results would need to be reported to Motiejunas within six business days of executing the contract (which, if it were executed today, would be by the following Monday). If the physician appointed by the Rockets determines that Motiejunas has failed his physical, he would be returned to restricted free agency. Whatever happens, t he Nets are now officially prohibited from signing or acquiring Motiejunas for one year from the date the first refusal exercise notice was withdrawn (i. e. until December 9, 2017 or thereafter). Donatas Motiejunas is having a tough time navigating the difficult world of restricted free agency. There are two types of free agency in the NBA: unrestricted and restricted. Both types of free agents are free to re-sign with their prior teams. An unrestricted free agent is free to sign with any other team as well, and there8217s nothing his prior team can do to stop it. A restricted free agent can also sign with any other team, but his prior team can retain him by matching the terms of that offer. This is called the 8220right of first refusal.8221 Restricted free agency is allowed only in limited circumstances: For first-round draft picks who complete all four years of their rookie-scale contracts, and for players who have been in the league for three or fewer seasons. Only these players qualify for restricted free agency, and only if their prior teams first submit to them a 8220qualifying offer at some point between the day following the completion of the NBA Finals and the subsequent June 30. A qualifying offer is a standing offer of a one-year guaranteed contract, which the player can accept at any time while it remains outstanding. Motiejunas was the twentieth pick in the first-round of the 2011 NBA draft. After having completed the fourth and final year of his rookie-scale contract in 2015-16, the Houston Rockets tendered a 4.4 million qualifying offer on June 30, 2016. Motiejunas therefore became a restricted free agent this summer. Read more8230 Update (102216): The Heat has chosen to waive Briante Weber and Beno Udrih, and keep Rodney McGruder. The Heat8217s backup point guard duties effectively therefore fall to Tyler Johnson. The final 15-player roster is as follows: Goran Dragic, Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson, Wayne Ellington, Dion Waiters, Rodney McGruder, Justise Winslow, Chris Bosh, Josh McRoberts, Derrick Williams, James Johnson, Luke Babbitt, Udonis Haslem, Hassan Whiteside and Willie Reed. The summer of 2016 was perhaps the most polarizing and divisive in Miami Heat history. For Pat Riley, it was largely about two things: Retaining Hassan Whiteside, and maximizing flexibility to target a whale to complement him in the future. Despite the ensuing hell-fire it would cause. Dwyane Wade is gone, having felt disrespected by Riley for years. He would argue that Rileys refusal to offer one last long-term contract, one befitting the most vital player in Heat history whose 13-year tenure spanned nearly half the teams 28-year existence exemplifies that disrespect. That in the wake of LeBron James leaving two summers ago, Riley clearly made retaining Chris Bosh his first priority (offering a full five-year, 119 million max contract) while leaving himself toiled with a sub-par offer for a talent of his caliber (15 million, with a player option for a second season at 16 million). That the offer was better last summer (20 million), but only after owner Micky Arison intervened when highly contentious negotiations with Riley had stalled and only in exchange for an even shorter term (one year). That Riley clearly made his first priority for this season to retain Whiteside, and his second priority to pursue the never realistic pipe dream that was Kevin Durant. Wade is no third option particularly after what had happened the prior two summers, and particularly when successful pursuits of the first two would severely limit that which would be left over for the organization to compensate himself. After all, it was only Rileys failed pursuit of Durant that made even the two years and 41 million he did offer possible. The initial offer was downright appalling (some speculating in the neighborhood of 10 million per season). He would argue that Riley didnt even have the decency to present that 41 million offer. That Riley never even met with him this summer. That his inaction was intentional. That every move he made this summer had an ulterior motive. That he never truly wanted Wade back. Riley would surely object to the assertion that Wade was disrespected. He would argue that he was fully prepared to honor the two years and 42 million remaining on Wades contract, which wouldve been sixth highest in the NBA, in the summer of 2014 it was Wade who chose to opt out. He would argue that offering a string of shorter-term deals is not a sign of disrespect but rather a sign of compromise toward a common goal, in which the Heat could gain flexibility and Wade could benefit financially for enabling it. That these past two summers were a perfect microcosm. Wade had petitioned for a three-year deal paying out in the range of 45 million to 50 million in the summer of 2015 adding the one-year, 20 million deal he took that summer to the two years and 41 million he was offered in July totals to 61 million. Both would be right. And both would be wrong. But did Riley truly want Wade back I strive to make my work unique, creative, insightful and unlike any others. I hope you feel that it is. But I ask that you please not simply copy it. If you find it helpful as you create or edit your own work, I ask that you please either ask permission or provide proper credit. While this is just a hobby for me. pending my ability to, you know, make money off of it :). its still every bit as painful. If you enjoy my work, why not donate If so, you would join the following people as a much appreciated donor: Andrew Montgomery, Randall Evans, Jaike Hornreich, lleland CARNEY, david schur, Michael Gouker, Eric Chan, Michael Moore, Vernon Wright, David Rosenblatt, Adam Schwartz, Kevin Mayer, Carlos Celaya, Azam Masood, Brian London, Alfredo D Xiques, Michael Cupino, Nexmark, Inc. Dan Abbott, Michael McKie, Matt Elijah, Arthur Sher, David Perez, Bob Dinterman, Miguel Rodriguez, Joe Aboulhosn, Steven Madsen, Randolph Wolpert, Joshua Coussa and Richard Arias. Total Donations Received to Date: 746 (Updated Through 022617) The Finances The InjuriesULTIMATE Questrade Review 2017 Questrade has emerged as the online brokerage leader in Canada by catering superbly to all mainstream investors. They have the lowest commissions in Canada through a democratic pricing structure, alongside excellent research tools and solid trading platforms. Questrade is also rated as the fastest growing financial service provider in part due to outstanding customer service. 9660 Scroll Down For The In-Depth Review WrittenUpdated by Emma Li on Saturday, February 25 2017 Editor Rating: ( 90 ) User Rating: ( 95 ) W hen it comes to investing in 2017 the trading landscape is bathed and bursting at the seams with countless financial brokerage houses. Big names like BMO InvestorLine, RBC Direct Investing, TD Direct Investing, Interactive Brokers, Scotia iTrade, and at least a dozen more are available to chose from. Sadly, through deeper analysis one can8217t easily distinguish distinctive differences amongst them, especially within the circle of the big banks. Most brokerage firms primarily make their revenue through new and inventive concoctions of countless and ongoing fees pushed onto their account holders. Such fees include, but are not limited to, administrative fees, set-up fees, activity fees, inactivity fees, hidden fees, and after-hour fees. These added costs might be fine and dandy for the fractional percentage of high-volume traders simply because their sheer trade volumes and realized gains can potentially offset those expenses over time. However, for the rest of us those added and consistent fees are a reminder that over time 8220the house always wins8221. Use Offer Code: Canada to receive 50 in Free Trades from Questrade. Beginning investors will usually look to their local bank to open their trading account primarily out of convenience since they already possess one or more personal chequingsavings accounts with that bank and so opening a trading account is a mere phone call away. The unfortunate disaster with that approach is that big banks, and for that matter, virtually every other brokerage firm in Canada will charge you an arm and a leg for any kind of activity you do (and don8217t do) in your trading account. Yes, even in this expansive internet age where everything is self-serve 247 convenience, commission schedules across the board are long, robust, and very much corporate bottom-line friendly. With standard rates at 29-49 per trade being commonplace one can8217t help but question if the entire industry is part of some price-fixing scheme. Where are the choices The Rise of Questrade . Founded in 1999 this company wanted to do and be something different. Seeing the growing discontent of active and inactive traders alike who were tired of watching their market gains washed away in a deluge of new brokerage fees by other companies Questrade began a process of streamlining the entire investment approach. And in so doing I think they8217ve done a pretty impression job. In the rest of this review I will explore Questrade and their collective offerings in terms of the good and the bad. First a little about me. I am not an aggressive highly active trader. Most times I will take the buy-and-hold approach as my tried-and-true investment style. And so when I buy into a company I do so for the long-term. However, at times I do get that itch and begin trading like a crazy person but this does not happen often. Questrade offers a well-crafted industry unique 8216democratic pricing8217 stock trading commission: 1cent per share with a minimum charge of 4.95trade and a ceiling maximum commission charge of 9.95 8212 ideal for long-term investors. Active traders (or anyone at anytime) have the alternative option of 1cent per share (1cent minimum 6.95 maximum), or a 4.95 flat stock commission charge 8212 ideal for high volume share trades. Options investing for these active users come with an attractively low 4.95 75cent per contract. And the process of enrolling into this alternative program simply involves subscribing to one of Questrade8217s several advanced market data plans. This should be glanced at again It is not a typo Questrade offers the cheapest trades in all of Canada. Their price point is so impressive that it actually encourages new andor small investors to jump in and take part in the investment game while also enticing disgruntled active traders of other brokerage firms to transfer in (at no charge). They make it abundantly clear that they don8217t charge setup fees, annual fees, nor inactivity fees (more on this later) on any of their services which is a welcome change to the industry norm. However, for those looking for more of an actively managed portfolio touch there is a specialty service they offer at a nominal annual fee. This will be discussed in-depth later in this review. There are a few other noteworthy perks provided by Questrade. The first is the ability to buy ETF (Exchange Traded Funds) funds at no commission charge 8212 they are free to buy With so many investors turning to ETFs these days due to their low MERs and diversified reach it is a wonderful breath of fresh air to be able to do so at no cost. Questrade may be one of the first discount brokers in Canada to do such a thing, and I applaud them. Secondly, Questrade offers IPOs (Initial Public Offering). For those not familiar with IPOs, these are simply the first sale of new issues by a private company to the public. Questrade regularly has access to a wide range of new offerings, making them available to clients. Questrade offer several types of accounts: Margin Accounts (e. g. Individual, Informal Trust, Business) Registered (e. g. TFSA, RRSP, RESP) Forex (FX) and Contract For Difference (CFD) Trading Managed Investing (e. g. Individual cash, Registered, Corporate cash) And provides access to the following services: 1cent per share 8211 4.95trade minimum 9.95 maximum charge Portfolio IQ (Managed Investing) Cost varies 8211 0.35 to 0.70 (minimum of 2,000 in assets) New Account Sign-up The process of opening an account online is remarkably intuitive, painless, and very quick (2 minutes for your general account, access to practice platforms, and community discussion 20 minutes total for opening trading accounts). You will need your social insurance number (SIN), bank account information, and employer details (or source of income if unemployed). And although they have an offline printout alternative I highly recommend their secure online process instead because it reduces the amount of write-in errors and legibility issues, and supports DocuSign for the online signing process. Use Offer Code: Canada to receive 50 in Free Trades from Questrade. Sign-up Start Page Account Selection Agreements One of the first things you must do while signing up is to create a user ID and password for your new account. In earlier days Questrade had an automated process that generated and emailed this password, and along with your email address served as your primary login credentials. This old way became a potential vulnerability and so they thankfully changed it back in 2011 to what they have now. The benefit of creating your own user ID and password also makes it much more convenient to return to an incomplete application at a later time. Sessions time out after 30 minutes of inactivity giving you ample time to collect required documents and credentials, and review your inputted details. Questrade offers two collections of accounts: Self-directed and Managed Investing. If you want to have full control over your account(s) then self-directed is for you. For those who want a professionally managed approach handled by a real staff (Questrade Wealth Management division) behind the scenes that carefully considers your personal goals and risk tolerance to match, manage, monitor, and adjust for the best investments without your daily involvement then managed investing (known as Portfolio IQ under Questrade8217s lexicon) is the best option. However, unlike self-directed, Portfolio IQ does come at a price 8212 a 14year minimum management fee. In my opinion self-directed is all one will ever need considering how making informed investment decisions is quite simple for even newcomers these days and to compound on this, self-directed accounts have no fees (outside the usual trade commission) associated with them unlike their managed investing cousins. I8217ll go in-depth on their managed investing offering in a later section. After signing up online (don8217t forget to use the Questrade offer code during sign up) you are able to immediately login to your new account and have a look around. However, to officially activate your account (to begin trading) an initial deposit is required 8212 self-directed: 1,000 for margin accounts, 1,000 USD for forex accounts (CAD deposits are auto-converted to USD), 5,000 to trade option spreads, 25,000 to writesell uncovered options, and managed investing (Portfolio IQ) requires at least a 1 initial deposit. Once this initial minimum deposit has cleared Questrade emails you a confirmation message. For offline applications you will be contacted by a representative confirming trading can begin. It takes 1-3 business days from signing up for your account to begin trading. The longest part of the process is waiting for the funds to be received and processed by Questrade. Once everything is a go, maintaining a minimum equity balance of 250 is essential to keeping your active account in good standing. Questrade supports several methods to fund your account including EFT (from CAD bank accounts), wire transfers, cheques, pre-authorized deposits, money orders, drafts, stock certificates, broker-to-broker transfers, and from other existing Questrade accounts (under your name). It should be noted though that you cannot use the EFT method to send USD to your Questrade account. The reverse is possible where you can withdraw USD funds to a USD bank account (they require a void check or a pre-authorized deposit agreement form signed and stamped by the bank). To deposit USD you can set up a pre-authorized deposit agreement with Questrade which takes about 1-5 business days, or send a certified chequebank draft to their office, or wire transfer the USD funds directly to your account. Alternatively, you can also convert your existing CAD balance (within your account) to USD using the Exchange Funds tool (found under Requests ) which can take up to 24 hours to process, or take advantage of Norbert8217s Gambit (successful conversions have been confirmed). Funding your margin (or other non-registered) account by either currency type will automatically be placed into a sub-account (more about sub-accounts later) of the same type (they do not perform automatic conversions 8212 you must execute the request on your own). Electronic withdrawals take roughly 3 business days to process and arrive into a bank account. An interesting related note is that Questrade continues to be the only brokerage in Canada to allow dual-currency (CAD and USD) to be held simultaneously inside registered accounts (i. e. RRSP, RESP, TFSA, LIRA, RIF, LIF) which in and of itself will save a tremendous amount of money from unnecessary conversion fees. Please be aware that Questrade rolled out a subtle but important revision to its inactivity fee policy. It8217s actually not that bad when you peruse the details. If anything it8217s quite reasonable. As has been long known Questrade does not charge an inactivity fee, but this policy adjustment can potentially charge 24.95 (no tax) per calendar quarter. If, however, you make at least one commissionable trade per quarter (once every 3-months) you will not get charged any inactivity fee at all. If you are inactive for a quarter and do get charged this fee, but then go about making at least one trade in the following quarter you will receive up to 24.95 in commission-free trades. Charitable and forex accounts, individuals 25 years of age or younger, as well as any new account opened for only 6-months are exempt from this fee (you will not get charged for being inactive). Also, all clients of Questrade, and households having the same physical address, with combined equity assets of at least 5,000 are exempt. For most investors this change is trivial since their assets are almost always over 5,000, and so will never get charged this inactivity fee. As I pointed out earlier, I think this change is perfectly reasonable and still miles better than all other discount brokerage houses who not only charge an inactivity fee, with no exceptions, they do so more frequently (each month) and tack on countless hidden fees which Questrade does not. Member Login Your account8217s primary client control portal is known as Questrade Account (alternatively, some like to call it myQuestrade ) and, quite simply put, it is a beautiful experience with well thought out organization and visual appeal. Someone put a lot of love into this area 8212 providing a consistent fully immersive and responsive experience, accessible on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. This portal fully integrates trading and account management together very seamlessly giving immediate access to buysell securities, work with research tools, make use of a bustling library of partner apps (and developer8217s API), view your account activity, analyze balances and positions, manage your personal details, view statements, make fund transfers inout of your accounts, uploaddownload your documents, exchange CADUSD currency, take corporate action on shareholder communications, transfer positions, open additional accounts, retrieve tax slips, exercise options, and interact with mutual funds. Questrade Account Investment Summary Mutual Fund Centre Upon logging into your account for the first time you are asked to select a default home base. A home base is where you would like Questrade to directly place you each time you log in. You have a choice of either the trading platform or account management. Although it8217s a convenient time saver you can jump between each at any time via an always-visible top menu bar. Once you8217ve made your choice Questrade walks you through an interactive user guide on how to use the environment. Accounts 8217s consist of 10 numerical digits (e. g. 12345678-90). This is a big jump from their pre-2011 6-character alphanumeric size and as such some external banks have been reported to still impose an 8-character limit for payee accounts when you attempt to send money to Questrade. To get around this you only need to provide the 1st 8-digits of your Questrade account and the funds will still arrive successfully. If at anytime you need help on practically anything you can always use the online Questrade Live Help session (usually accessible from the top or right-hand side of Questrade8217s site) 8212 operational on weekdays (excluding holidays) from 7:30am 8211 8:00pm ET. I have found that using Live Help is much quicker than calling their offices. And after speaking to several of their online representatives (those who deal with potential new accounts and others who deal with existing accounts) I found them to be very well-informed, professional, and quick in their responses. They all also took the extra time to provide web links for further reading which was a nice bonus. Account Activity History Located under Reports are a slew of subcategories providing details about trading and general account activity. Some of these subcategories include: Investment Summary (pictured above), Investment Return . Account Activity . Statements . Trade Confirmations . and Tax Slips . When Questrade made significant changes to its UI back in 2011 they in effect moved all trading activity history into the client portal. This is a very welcome change because prior to this all trading activity history was provided by a third-party clearinghouse company called Penson Financial Services and you had to use a completely different site and another set of login credentials to get access to this information. Thankfully those days are long over and you can now get a list of all your investments (stocks, funds, bonds, etc), current cash balances and positions (in CAD and USD), total equity, buying power, and more all within one location. Trading history is maintained for 36 months while eStatements, generated monthly, are stored for 7 years. Tax slips (e. g. T3, T5, T5008) are also available electronically for each year. Trade Confirmations Statements Account Activity Although Questrade8217s Trade Confirmations database claims to carry trading details dating back to January 1st, 2009 we found that activity done prior to February 4th, 2011 requires members to visit the old Penson site. And that those interested would need to have their old 6-character Questrade account (s) because the Penson site does not know anything about the existing 10-character account representations. Here is a quick peek at what the Penson trade activity site looks like. Trade Activity (up to Feb 2011) As stated above, this Penson site is only relevant to existing Questrade members who wish to access archived trading activity prior to February 2011. All new members can ignore what I just said and skip to the next paragraph. But for those interested in Questrade8217s chronological history 8212 as noted and visually seen above 8212 trade activity was outsourced and as such the first noticeable difference was that the web UI was completely different and very behind in the times. At the time it was still very surprising that with the skill set and desire by Questrade to offer a clean and friendly UI experience on their main web domain that they didn8217t feel it necessary to pony up the cash to in-house these account activities, nor had the motivation to request web-service APIs from Penson giving them free rein to skin over the original Penson experience. Although the details held within Penson were extensive it was cluttered and confusing. The trade and settle date balances took 24 hours to be reflected in history the same was true with buying power which updated once, at the start of each day. Most of what was found in this old Penson site is now integrated into Questrade trading platforms, discussed later. Questrade margin accounts (for stocks amp options trading) are comprised of two sub-accounts 8212 one for Canadian funds, the other for U. S. funds. This is very convenient since it reduces unnecessary conversion charges when trading U. S. instruments. So, transactions on U. S. equity stays as USD unlike most other brokerage firms which will perform conversions back to CAD right away. For example, with Questrade things like U. S. dividend income from U. S. traded stocks will remain as USD and automatically be deposited into your U. S. sub-account. Funds can be moved between sub-accounts using Questrade8217s Exchange Funds feature, but just take note that this will involve a conversion based on the spot rate at the close of market in Toronto plus a spread fee (1.99 for both margin and registered accounts if total equity exceeds 100K this drops to 1.70 for margin and 1.00 for registered). A better approach for converting between USDCAD, however, would be to use the Norbert8217s Gambit technique because it virtually eliminates currency exchange fees (it involves using tickers DLR. TO, DLR. U.TO and journaling over your holdings to one or the other). Questrade highly encourages the viewingdownloadingprinting of previous month statements (as pdf files) made available in Questrade8217s client portal for all account activity at no charge. However, for those who still insist on mailed paper statements, they can do so at a hefty 20statement which can be requested by contacting them directly by phone or through Live Help. And, as a handy note, shareholder communication often times are sent through normal mail. Through the use of the free InvestorDelivery service you can set up to receive all of your investor correspondence electronically, if you desire. Trading Platforms And so begins a new era in trading platforms for Questrade. For as long as we can remember Questrade had been chugging along with their capable, but aging, platforms: QuestraderWEB, QuestraderELITE, and QuestraderPRO. Although QuestraderWEB had been renovated considerably all three had been in the wild for well over 10 years. They all performed quite well in their own right but had not kept up with the times as was evident with the offerings at other discount brokerage houses. Questrade marked a new chapter with the introduction of the Questrade IQ suite. Questrade has been doing a lot of work behind the scenes to revamp their investor8217s trading experience. When they released a whole new layout for the Questrade Account client portal one couldn8217t help but head scratch and wonder why their trading platforms never received the same treatment. Well, the answer can8217t be clearer: they were being updated as well 8212 it just took them a while. The epiphany was realizing that having three separate desktop trading platforms was confusing and so they opted to retire all three in favor of a single, more modern trading platform known as Questrade IQ. Questrade IQ is a suite composed of three flavors: Questrade Trading . a fully functional web-based trading platform (for WindowsMacsLinux users on Google Chrome 52, Firefox 48, Safari 9 for Mac Users, Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge) Questrade IQ Edge . a streamlined desktop-based trading platform (for Windows 78.110, macOS 10) and Questrade IQ Mobile . their first mobile entrant in the field of trading (for iPhoneiPod Touch iOS 6, and Android OS 4.1). This entire collection is free for all members and includes snap quote live CanadianU. S. streaming Level 1 data, research tools for fundamental and technical analysis, a charting package, and more. At times market data can be delayed (up to 15 minutes) and when this happens a cute clock icon appears on-screen to let you know of the streaming hang-up. And although it is made available for free, these platforms can be upgraded to include one of three data packages or add agrave la carte feeds. Now, let8217s take a closer look at each of these unique platforms and what they have to offer. Questrade Trading Questrade IQ Edge Questrade IQ Mobile Questrade Trading, is a plugin-free web-accessible platform built on HTML5 and is designed to be accessible on almost any device. It is craftily integrated into the Questrade Account portal and is reachable through the Trade button at the top menu bar. It can even be set up to be your home base when you log in. Questrade Trading is very feature-packed and serves as the primary gateway platform for most users entire trading experience. It also serves as Questrade8217s answer for those who, for one reason or another, may not have access to (or be compatible with) IQ Mobile or IQ Edge. This would be the perfect choice for Linux desktop users or the ever growing presence of tablet carriers. Because it is a fully compliant HTML5 browser-based responsive experience, unlike the others, it does not require a download or any third-party add-on to be fully functional. Taking a spin with this platform was an incredibly liberating experience 8212 an excellent amalgamation of power and usability. It introduces the concept of Gadgets into the platform lexicon. A gadget is an arrangeable user-customized window of a view into your tradingmarket details. Gadgets include, but are not limited to: Activity (a logs viewer), Balances, Time and Sales (current global activity of a stock), Level 1 Quotes, Level 2 Quotes (if you paid for this addition), News, Orders, Charts, Position Summary, and Watch List. Questrade Trading was surprisingly lightning fast and responsive in every web browser we tested. Memory and CPU footprint usage was astonishingly small despite the depth of options, activity, and functionality it had to offer. Sessions don8217t appear to have any inactivity time limit. A nice bonus feature of this platform was being able to start a trading task on one device (e. g. a home PC) and then effortlessly shift to another device (e. g. smartphone or tablet) to complete it. This is an invaluable little addition because it can allow one to carefully construct lengthy trading procedures while permitting free movement during busy schedules. Unlike its IQ Edge cousin, however, Questrade Trading cannot change its colour theme appearance 8212 it8217s always in a light theme. On the plus side though, any custom changes you make to the layout are automatically saved and restored if you leave and return to the platform. Notable differences between this platform and the rest of the family include the lack of multi-leg option orders, no alerts, nor workspaces amp heat maps. If you are looking to use one or more of those missing features then you should opt for IQ Edge instead. Layout 8211 Trading Platform Balances 8211 Trading Platform Activity 8211 Trading Platform Questrade IQ Edge is the big boy of this suite. It only comes as an install-based native PC (or Mac) desktop application engineered specifically for active and pro traders. IQ Edge allows for an unlimited amount of workspaces (Questrade Trading only allows for one). A workspace is a screen area allowing one to open and customize a new set of gadgets or windows for a particular purpose that suits a trading environment style. Multiple easily navigable workspaces is a valuable asset to active traders. The other big difference between IQ Edge and Questrade Trading is that IQ Edge offers a more advanced plate of options for order entries: conditional orders (e. g. trigger orders at a specific time, price, or volume automatically), bracket orders, more extensive alerts, multiple order entry windows, notification emails when something is purchased or sold, and the ability to order anonymously. There are a few subtle differences too. IQ Edge allows for extensive gadget customizing which takes them well beyond what is possible in Questrade Trading. However, most of these customizable features are visual (e. g. float, pin, drag-drop, resize, colourize, blink text) it depends on the gadget. Curiously, gadgets don8217t have a snap-to feature in IQ Edge and so they do not auto-arrange when the main application window resizes. It was a bit inconvenient but not a deal breaker because most people just position their gadgets at a particular spot and maintain the application window at a set size. Interestingly, any gadget customization you make in IQ Edge does not transfer over to Questrade Trading (assuming the same gadget exists), and vice versa. However, ticker symbols and related data inside gadgets (e. g. alerts) are properly maintained and do transfer over between webdesktop environments. IQ Edge colour themes range from dark (default), light, and sky blue. One additional allure of IQ Edge is that it gives a trader the sense of comfort knowing their platform8217s trading activity will not be delayed or experience hiccups as might be the case if using a web browser. IQ Edge was written from the ground up using optimized C code and deployed for IntelAMD processors ensuring the speediest of responses for the most diehard of active traders. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing there is no 64-bit version for IQ Edge on the PC. For Macs it is natively 64-bit. It will still run normally on 64-bit Windows systems, it just won8217t be running as efficiently as it could be. Here8217s hoping that in the near future an optimized 64-bit Windows version of IQ Edge will be made available. Layout 8211 IQ Edge Charts 8211 IQ Edge Order Entry 8211 IQ Edge And now we shift our attention towards Questrades other important platform: Questrade IQ Mobile 8212 their very simple, very capable mobile trading platform. Operating anywhere at any time, this app is available for iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Android devices from their respective app stores. Questrade had originally planned to release a similar version for Windows Phone and Blackberry but, understandably, due to their diminishing marketshares the idea was scrubbed late in the development cycle. As such, those devices will need to use their browser-based alternative: Questrade Trading. We found that IQ Mobile8217s feature set is nearly identical to their Questrade Trading platform, with incorporated visual tweaks to better suit portable device operability. It8217s all here, including research tools, charts, options trading, and Level 2 data. You can even perform account management actions directly within the app. The visual layout and organization of features is very well thought out. We were able to navigate and use the app with extreme ease. Although they conveniently provide an interactive help tool within the app we found there was little need for it because everything just made sense. After using this platform for several days it8217s clear to us Questrade is aiming to make IQ Mobile as feature-rich as IQ Edge over time. There is no question that this is an integral component to Questrade, and quite possibly is the most important of this entire suite in terms of long-term growth since most people will continue to be looking to their phones (and other portable devices) as their primary hub to the markets. So i8217m sure this will be greeted with overjoyed smiles by active traders who have been yearning to be more fully unshackled from their IQ Edge desktops. On the go is here to stay so it only makes logical sense that Questrade will be continuing their trend of integrating more Edge-like whiz-bang functionality into IQ Mobile, surely pushing it well beyond its web-based sibling. The hope though is that Questrade will carefully walk that mobility tightrope by maintaining the app8217s unique user-friendly intuitiveness to ensure mass appeal, while still including more sophistication to keep their active trading population happy and, at the same time, nurturing a new generation of on the go investors who will now have access to a growing toolset of advanced capabilities as their confidence and portfolios grow. Quote 8211 IQ Mobile Options 8211 IQ Mobile Level 2 Data 8211 IQ Mobile Unquestionably, this new trading platform suite is a giant leap in the right direction for Questrade. The collection encompasses everything QuestraderWEB, QuestraderPRO, and QuestraderELITE (their now-defunct older trading platforms) had and some. And this suite does so in the most intuitive, comprehensive way. By taking the bold step to retire their older platforms by supplanting them with an agile next-generation trading environment is a sign that Questrade cares deeply about providing the best experience for the casual trader and demanding active user. Interestingly, upon further investigation we found that new releases for this suite is always consistent and swift 8212 a major new release occurs every month 8212 bringing with it a slew of enhancements and bug fixes, based on direct user feedback of their online community discussion forum: The Exchange . A few other unique features which I am surprised other brokerages have not yet duplicated is, firstly, the clever partnerships Questrade has with third party websites (e. g. iShares ETFs) 8212 providing one-click Buy Now buttons across the web 8212 permitting on the fly quick trades that whisk the buyer back into the IQ platform to complete the pre-filled order ticket. And secondly, a feature called Margin Power (for self-directed accounts) which, by its name, gives you a clue on at what it does. By linking your existing TFSA account to your margin account it increases your buying power within your margin account by leveraging the assets you already hold in your TFSA making it enormously convenient to enter new positions without requiring a transfer of new cash or selling existing securities. Both features are wonderfully handy The long requested single sign-on feature is now available for Questrade members. You now use one user ID and password to access the trading platform, Questrade Account, and the Exchange. This saves a tremendous amount of time because in the past Questrade had originally required at least three different sign-on credentials to access each of their trading landscapes, and so to no surprise this was a heavily requested feature. We welcome its addition. To get a better feel of what Questrade IQ has to offer here is a collection of video tutorials overviewing this trading platform8217s most common features. Videos 8211 Trading Platform Videos 8211 IQ Edge Videos 8211 IQ Mobile Although we briefly mentioned in passing their older predecessor platforms, to give you a better sense of who Questrade is and how much they8217ve improved, what follows are images of their previous generation trading platforms. Prior to IQ, Questrade offered a few other trading platforms for stocks and options: QuestraderWEB, QuestraderPRO, and QuestraderELITE. QuestraderWEB was their web-based application with a very pretty and intuitive user interface. It was Questrade8217s only free platform and required the Java plugin within your browser to function correctly. QuestraderPRO and QuestraderELITE were desktop applications requiring a monthly subscription fee. QuestraderWEB QuestraderPRO ELITE A little note on exchange and ECN fees. These are the fees Questrade is forced to charge you when you make a transaction that removes liquidity from the market (i. e. buying at the ask or selling at the bid). Although these fees translate to mere pennies for most traders one can avoid paying them altogether by executing transactions as a limit (or stop) order at the bidask instead of as a market order request. For U. S. stocks you can also send orders to non-direct access ECN networks (LAMP, MNGD, or POST) to avoid these fees. Most people will sign-up for the standard marginal account which gives you access to borrow funds at an amount more than your current cash balance. This extended buying power ability is very useful and can come in handy when you need to jump on market opportunities. Assuming you8217ve bought on margin and haven8217t settled your stocks after 3 days of the purchase the margin interest rate is prime 2.5 which is inline with most brokerages. One of the selling points Questrade likes to bring up is that for mutual funds they will rebate the trailer fees. They call this their Mutual Fund Maximizer. Trailer fees are commissions by fund management companies paid to your brokerage house for being the retailer that sold you your fund(s). This commission is an ongoing source of revenue for your brokerage as long as you keep holding onto those fund(s). You don8217t see this fee because it is part of the MER of the fund. So Questrade is willing to rebate this fee back to you each quarter. But there8217s a catch. You need a minimum of 36,000 in mutual fund holdings to be eligible for this rebate. The reasoning is simple. There is a processing fee of 29.95month so the rebates will start paying back if your mutual fund holdings is worth more than 36,000 (based on a 1 trailer fee). Portfolio IQ (Managed Investing) Self-directed investment empowerment (aka DIY trading) is offered by virtually all discount brokerages and has been a popular preference by the general public due to the myriad of easy-to-use tools and support made available to an investor desiring to control every aspect of their interests. With this style of investing customers have always been able to sculpt their own investment strategy, define their portfolio, buy and sell securities, and more. However, there is another option. For those with very little time while continuing to carry big investment ambitions Questrade introduced Portfolio IQ, the alternative to self-directed investing. Really known as managed investing, Portfolio IQ takes away the stress of investment decision making and puts them in the hands of portfolio managers of their Questrade Wealth Management division. Who doesn8217t want to take it easy and watch their money grow towards financial independence with little effort It8217s a dream come true The difficult part with that dream is figuring out how exactly to do that. This is where Portfolio IQ comes to the rescue. Becoming Canada8217s first online wealth management service, Portfolio IQ debuted as a definitive market disrupter by making managed investing accessible to everyone. Traditionally, managed investing has been an exclusive club for the uber-rich but Questrade, keeping to its roots of bringing all things restrictive to the masses, decided to do away with convention. Opening a Portfolio IQ account is straight-forward and only requires 1. As an extra bonus, this review8217s Questrade offer code can also be used when opening this type of account. Once open you8217re taken through a simple-to-use point-and-click questionnaire to set up an investor biography that identifies your risk tolerance, existing financial circumstances, market knowledge, and investment ambitions all of which is used to better crystallize the best portfolio for you. What8217s also great is that if your goals change then you can return and adjust your bio to keep things in balance, which will automatically update your underlying portfolio model accordingly. All the portfolios deal exclusively in ETFs (composed of a mix of various sectors, markets, and countries) and come in 5 flavors: With the added benefit of taking full advantage of tax-loss harvesting and providing a last quarter management fee refund guarantee if not fully satisfied for any reason, Portfolio IQ is an extraordinary entrant into the managed investing arena and has that perfect resonating mix all investors, big and small, crave when they daydream of an unshackled financial tomorrow. IPO Centre Participating in initial public offerings (IPO), secondary issues (additional sharesbonds offered by a public company), and structured products has always been the holy grail for many investors since the incredible euphoric frenzy of the 1990s internet IPO boom. Historically, because first issues usually tick up on first day closings it8217s logically understandable why so many want in 8212 it8217s a quick way to make an easy buck However, due to the natural laws of supply and demand interest in these new issues almost always outstrip the quantity made available and therefore only insiders, well-connected bigwigs, and the very rich are usually the only ones who have access to them nepotism and cronyism at its undemocratic finest. For generations the general public has had little access to IPOs. There was a brief moment in time when Wit Capital, an internet startup of the 90s, briefly unlocked this secret world, but it was short-lived. Questrade became one of the new Canadian trailblazers to usher in a sledgehammer back into this world for the masses. The Questrade IPO Centre, showcasing mostly Canadian equity, fixed income, and structured products, list newly available issues and previous offerings (for historic analysis). Their respective facts, investor summary, terms, and preliminary prospectus are also readily accessible. For instant notification of newly announced IPOs and secondary issues clients are encouraged to subscribe to the IPO Bulletin. Independent testing revealed that notifications were indeed right away. The centre is reachable on the desktoplaptops. smartphones, and tablets. When you see an IPO or other new issue you like, it8217s a simple click, tap, or a trade desk call away to express interest. An expression of interest makes Questrade aware you are putting in a commitment to buy a number of shares. However, this does not guarantee you will actually get any or all of the shares you8217ve requested. If a client places an expression of interest on the website, the trade desk will contact the client to confirm the order within an hour (rare cases may take up to 24 hours). There is a 5,000 minimum requested amount for submitting an IPO order. Some companies going public may even ask for an amount over and above this, but the majority of the time it won8217t be above the 5,000 Questrade minimum. Once the order is confirmed Questrade passes along the interest to the offering8217s underwriter. Although not possible right now, soon clients will be able to submit their expression of interest through the trading platform to reduce wait time and eliminate the need for a Questrade representative call-back to confirm the order. Cancelling an interest request can be made within two business days (this may vary depending on the province) after receipt or deemed receipt of a prospectus and any amendment (found at the online centre). All IPO and secondary offering purchases are commission free. Processing time for orders can vary but usually it takes around 3 weeks from when the underwriters first launch the IPO and when the offering closes. For some secondary offerings and preferred treasury shares times can be shorter. Once allocations from the underwriter are received Questrade informs clients via email or phone. Allocations, however, may be distributed on a pro-rata basis if an IPO is oversubscribed (the number of shares requested by all interested parties is greater than what Questrade received), and so, as mentioned earlier your original interest amount may not necessarily materialize to what you actually get. For example if Questrade receives a 50 allocation on their total order amount, they would then allocate 50 to their client8217s original order. Although the IPO Centre mostly has Canadian offerings, U. S. IPOs do show up from time-to-time as well. It8217s because of Canadian security regulations that U. S. and other foreign-based companies must file their prospectus in each province individually in order to be sold to residents of that particular province. Because many companies in the United States may feel that doing an IPO in Canada could be an added expense (e. g. listing fees, legal fees, French language requirements) and that domestic demand in the U. S. is enough to satisfy how much capital they want to raise, it8217s only logical that most offerings will be Canadian by nature. Interestingly, many international miningresource companies will choose to file a prospectus and raise money within Canada, and choose to be listed here as well. TSX has a very large mining focus in general. Registered accounts (e. g. RRSP, TFSA) are also eligible to hold the vast majority of IPOs and treasury offerings. However, some IPOs may not be eligible due to their companyoffering structure and how widely held it is. The centre is a very welcome sight and seems well positioned to grow into something incredibly special. Sadly, no word yet if and when Questrade will be issuing their very own company IPO When making trades one of the primary concerns held by most people is security. Like banks, most discount brokerage companies deploy different protection strategies to secure your account such as randomizing security questions, displaying pre-selected image captchas that only the account holder would know, two-step and two-factor verification, or even providing digital key devices which in conjunction with your secret password must be pressed to generate the final half of the login passcode each time. Questrade8217s security measures have improved dramatically over the years. For example, upon sign-up for a new account you are required to create a user ID, password, and set up a few security questions. User ID8217s are required to be 8-20 characters long while passwords must be at least 8 characters in length and include an uppercase, lowercase, and numerical (or symbolic) character. Although this seems like a standard approach across the web this is actually new and a big improvement for Questrade. They also now include extra verification steps such as when you attempt to log in to your account from an unrecognized system you are prompted with one of your security questions. An optional PIN can also be setup to help you get faster service when calling in. Security advice is made available outlining how to protect yourself by taking precautionary steps like using anti-virus software to keep your computer clean. Interestingly, they have made the extra effort by partnering with Symantec, using Norton Anti-virus to continuously scanmonitor their own internal files, ensuring your investments and privacy on their end are secure. Questrade was also one of the few discount brokerage firms that were not affected by the Heart Bleed Bug 8212 they were protected all this time. Although they don8217t have security guarantees against intruders breaching accounts on your end, if there is fraudulent activity and it8217s proven to be due to the negligence of Questrade they are in a position to cover your loss. Also note that Questrade is a CIPF member, and so Canadian investors are covered up to 1,000,000. Final Thoughts Reviews online are overwhelming negative towards Questrade. Prior to writing this review I decided to read many of these complaints so that I could be aware of and keep an eye out for any of these problems. I even took note on exact steps for some of these problems with hopes of recreating them. I had originally planned to share a collection of these complaints but seeing as how many of them might have already been resolved by Questrade I felt the company deserved another look before passing judgment. So after spending a number of days using their entire suite of online tools, making trades, and attempting to recreate customer complaints I can report back and say that I did not experience a single issue. My conclusion is that either Questrade had fixed several of these earlier problems or these complaints were from beginning traders who were not familiar with the platform nor company policies. Overall my experience with Questrade was a very pleasant one. Their 8220killer app8221, so to speak, is free (no commission charge) ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) and that one can execute trades as low as 1cent per share (4.95 minimum) with no catch. It doesn8217t get any sweeter than that In rare instances I sometimes come across other brokerages offering promotionals at 4.95trade but when you dig deeper into their fine print it almost unequivocally is for 8220big fish8221 traders who must spend upwards of 100,000month in trading activity to be eligible for the 4.95 offer. Clearly not for the average consumer. Obviously this is not the case with Questrade. Questrade8217s low commission rate is so good it serves as an enticer to make more trades more often and not have to hesitate by attempting to time the market in hopes of covering commission costs. I am happy to see Questrade has made many brilliant enhancements over the years including, but not limited to, a unified single sign-on approach that provides a more consistent milieu. There are a few areas that can be improved such as full gadget settings retention across different trading platforms, but with such dramatic savings found among all their services it seems understandable that one can8217t always have everything. So I will give them a pass on that. Should you join Yes 8212 a resounding YES Questrade offers a remarkably rich tapestry of features well tailored for new investors and seasoned traders. For someone like me, as a casual trader, who has experienced headaches with other brokerage firms it8217s nice to finally find a good home at Questrade who doesn8217t play games nor charge exorbitant fees. Questrade fits my needs perfectly and helps unlock my potential as a growing investor. And at the end of the day isn8217t this what we really hope a respectable brokerage firm provides us Use Offer Code: Canada to receive 50 in Free Trades from Questrade when signing up for a new account.
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