“He’s a big piece to the puzzle,” coach Mike Woodson said. “It’s a major loss to what we’re trying to do but we’re going to have to wait on him and continue our climb.”

The team announced on Saturday evening that Stoudemire is expected to undergo a knee debridement sometime in the coming week. A debridement is a form of arthroscopic surgery that removes debris. And it’s just the latest in a long list of knee ailments for the 30-year-old veteran.

Stoudemire first felt soreness in both knees earlier Saturday and sat out of the morning shootaround. An MRI later Saturday revealed surgery was required. Per the six-week timetable, Stoudemire could miss the remainder of the regular season. If he is off the floor for the full six weeks, the earliest Stoudemire would return is April 20, three days after the final game of the regular season.

“We’ve just got to patiently wait and hope that everything goes well,” Woodson said.

Stoudemire missed the first two months of the season while recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. The procedure also was described as a debridement. The timetable for Stoudemire to return from the surgery earlier this season was six to eight weeks, and he needed the full eight to get back.

Stoudemire also underwent microfracture surgery in October 2005, but bounced back well from the procedure.

Still, the procedure can be a red flag for teams. Stoudemire’s contract with the Knicks — a five-year, $100 million pact — is uninsured because of his history of knee issues. Stoudemire is under contract through 2014-15. He is scheduled to make $19.9 million this season and a combined $45 million over the final two years of his deal.

Asked if he was concerned that Stoudemire would struggle to bounce back from this most recent ailment, Woodson expressed optimism.

“I hope not; Amar’e works hard,” the coach said. “I give him a lot of credit for that. He wants to play and be on the basketball floor so I can’t help but think that he’s going to put the time in … to get back out on the floor to help us.”

Stoudemire had been playing on a 30-minute restriction to preserve the health of his knees this season, per instructions from the Knicks’ medical staff. In 29 games this season, the 10-year veteran averaged 14.2 points and five rebounds in 23.5 minutes, shooting 57 percent from the field. In recent weeks, he’d established himself as a strong low-post threat off the bench for the Knicks (38-22).

“When you start playing playoff basketball you need some post up play … [and] that’s where Amar’e was so valuable for us,” Woodson said.

Stoudemire’s injury isn’t the only health concern for the Knicks. Carmelo Anthony missed his third straight game on Saturday with a lingering right knee injury.

“We have to just go out there and find ways to win,” small forward Steve Novak said before the Knicks’ 113-84 rout of the Utah Jazz. “Obviously, those are our main two throw-it-to-and-then-create-their-own-shot scorers for us, so I think our approach just has to be a little bit different.”

An extended stretch without Stoudemire means more playing time for the recently acquired Kenyon Martin, who showed some remorse for Stoudemire.

“It’s part of sports, we all know that, so we’ve got to come together as a team,” Martin said. “That’s why I’m here, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity to get some more playing time. It’s a very, very unfortunate situation.”

Ian Begley is a frequent contributor to ESPNNewYork.com. ESPNNewYork.com contributor Jared Zwerling contributed to this report.

The post Amar’e Stoudemire to miss 6 weeks appeared first on IdealCapper.

The Lakers heard Cuban’s advice and didn’t appreciate it.

“We’re aware of Mark Cuban’s comments and feel they are inappropriate,” Lakers spokesman John Black said in a statement. “As to the issue itself, we will not comment publicly on the amnesty issue as it relates to any of our players.”

The Lakers will not file a formal complaint to the NBA about Cuban’s comments, but the league could choose to fine the Mavs’ owner after reviewing the interview.

Bryant had little reaction when asked about it before Friday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

“I’ll bet he did,” Bryant said with a chuckle when asked if he’d heard what Cuban said.

Cuban got himself into some hot water during an appearance on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM’s “Ben and Skin Show” when the topic of the Lakers came up.

“If you look at their payroll, even if Dwight (Howard) comes back, you’ve got to ask the question: Should they amnesty Kobe?” Cuban said. “You just don’t know, right? It’s the same reason I wouldn’t get rid of Dirk (Nowitzki). I’ll take a hit for a season rather than get rid of Dirk. That’s just it. I’ve made that commitment to him over the years, and he’s returned that commitment. Maybe that’s selfish, but that’s just the way it is.

“So I’m just saying that hypothetically. When I say amnesty Kobe, I don’t think they’d do it, but they’ve got some choices to make. Now, they’re in a big market, but they’re still limited. The Knicks, the same thing. Boston, same thing.”

Bryant is on the books for a league-high $30.45 million salary next season, the last year of his contract.

The Lakers’ payroll is slightly more than $100 million this season and will probably be in that same range next season if Howard re-signs in the offseason.

This is the last season of a dollar-for-dollar penalty for teams over the luxury tax limit ($70.307 million this season). Beginning next season, the luxury tax starts at $1.50 per dollar and escalates for every $5 million a team is over.

If the Lakers are $30 million over, their luxury tax bill would be a whopping $85 million next season.

If L.A. trims the payroll down to $20 million over the tax, the Lakers still would get hit with a $45 million bill. And they’d be subject to the even heavier repeater rate in 2014-15, although Steve Nash’s $9.7 million salary is the only contract on the Lakers’ books for that year right now.

Next season is the Lakers’ last chance to amnesty a player, and Bryant is one of four players the Lakers can do it to. The others are Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace and Steve Blake. If the Lakers waive any one of those players this summer, they would not have to pay luxury taxes on their salaries, but they would still have to pay that player’s salary.

The Lakers will play the Mavericks in Dallas on Sunday.

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The announcement was made Monday, a day after the Bills closed out another disappointing season with a 28-9 win over the New York Jets.

Buffalo finished 6-10, and Gailey leaves with a 16-32 record. There was no immediate word on the status of general manager Buddy Nix.

In a hopeful season after signing star defensive end Mario Williams to a $100 million contract, the Bills reverted to their ways of the past, failing to make the playoffs for a 13th straight year, the NFL’s longest active drought.

Gailey met with his players during the team’s annual exit meetings and informed at least one of his players that he expected to be fired.

Gailey addressed reporters for a little over a minute, and declined to take questions.

He thanked both Nix and team owner Ralph Wilson for the opportunity, and said he understood the reasons behind the decision. Gailey also announced that his entire staff had been fired.

“I understand this is a business. We didn’t get the job done,” Gailey said, reading from a Bills pad on which he had jotted down a few notes. “I’ve been called two other times to get things turned around, was able to do it. We weren’t able to get this one done soon enough and I understand that completely.”

Gailey’s eyes then welled with tears when he credited Bills fans for their loyalty, and Buffalo for being a passionate football city.

“I think that the next staff will have a great opportunity for success, and make this another great football franchise,” Gailey said. “This will probably be, and I say probably, but I think it will be the first place that’s ever fired me that I’ll pull for.”

Gailey had at least one more season left on his contract.

It’s the latest twirl of the coaching carousel in Buffalo.

The Bills are on their fifth coaching search since Wade Phillips was fired following the 2001 season. Phillips, who took over in 1998 after Hall of Famer Marv Levy retired, was the last coach to get the Bills to the playoffs. That was in the 1999 season, when Buffalo lost the AFC wild-card playoff to Tennessee on a last-second kickoff return, the “Music City Miracle.”

Gailey took over in January 2010 after a tumultuous season in which Dick Jauron was fired in November, leaving defensive coordinator Perry Fewell to finish out the season on an interim basis.

It’s unclear whether Nix will be overseeing the next coaching search. Nix was at the Bills’ facility on Monday.

This was Gailey’s second NFL head coaching job. He went a combined 18-16 in two seasons at Dallas before being fired following the 1999 season despite leading the Cowboys to the playoffs each year. He spent six years as head coach at Georgia Tech, where he had a 44-32 record before being fired after the 2007 season.

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