NBA Rumor Mill: Amare 50-50 on Suns in Fall, Birdman Nuggets' Top Priority & Is Beating Kobe the Ultimate Challenge?

After a great Playoff run to the NBA Finals, in spite of the pathetic officiating, the Orlando Magic and L.A. Lakers are on a collision course for NBA supremacy. While we wait until Thursday for the Game 1 tip-off, we've got the best rumors throughout the league, and we won't walk away without shaking your hand afterward. Amare to Atlanta? It's A Possibility For those Phoenix Suns fans who were okay with the teams' late season meltdown because of the impending return from Amare Stoudemire, you might want to settle down with the Playoff predictions. In fact, the Arizona Republic reports that the talented big man may not even be back with the Suns to start the 2009-2010 season. Last Friday, Stoudemire discussed a host of questions about his rehabilitation from his damaged retina to the chance that he may head to the ATL. "They would love for me to be in Atlanta," Stoudemire said before adding, "I still should be in Phoenix next season." Hmm, that can't make you feel very good if you're in Phoenix. Stoudemire also told a D.C. radio station that there was "a 50 percent chance" he would return to the Suns this fall. When you hear something like that, how can you build around Amare, honestly? Isn't there a point where you finally have to make the move? The guy has been involved in more trade rumors since Kevin Garnett in the days he was wasting away in Minnesota. If Amare wants to be the alpha dog on this team, as he contests is the case, he can't cast such uncertainties in the off-season. It's detrimental to his relationship with the organization and the chemistry the team hopes to build. Nuggets Want Birdman To Fly Back It's almost impossible to explain how much Chris Andersen means to the Denver Nuggets. He was 2nd in the league in blocked shots per game, incredible considering that he doesn't get starter's minutes. That is the reason that The Birdman is the Nuggets top priority this summer, says the Denver Post. He is one of possibly seven free agents, which is going to make it very difficult to keep the same roster. While Andersen maintains that he wants to return, his asking price will likely dictate who the Nuggets have to let go. They can not afford to let a high energy guy like Andersen go, especially with how incredibly inconsistent the Nuggets are on defense. They were applauded by media pundits up until the L.A. series, when they fell apart in spite of their seemingly athletic superiority to L.A. Is Beating Kobe How One Measure's NBA Success? There are certain degrees in which an NBA player can measure his career's success by. For many, the MVP symbolizes a step into the best of the best, and we all know how important winning a championship can be when it comes to public perception. Ask Charles Barkley about it. But is one of the most important criteria currently beating Kobe Bryant? It is according to Slate. An article discussing the merits of beating The Black Mamba says, "Playing Kobe Bryant is the biggest occasion in the league. From the moment he went pro, Bryant's obvious, self-conscious ambition was to be the next Michael Jordan, the player against whom all other players would be measured. In his own way, Kobe has reached that goal. It's just that other players like the way they measure up. This doesn't mean that Bryant is easy to beat. If it were easy, nobody would care, and Kobe would be another Jerry Stackhouse or Vince Carter on the scrap heap of failed Next Jordans. Bryant is a ferocious competitor, a preposterously skilled and creative scorer, a stifling defender. He's just not impossible to beat." Let's clear up some of the hyperbole that is floating around. Kobe Bryant is not the next Michael Jordan. There will never be another player like Michael Jordan. We all know this and those that disagree are blinded by bias or a fading understanding of how important and great His Airness was. However, there are few players that anyone currently gets as excited to play than Kobe. In that respect, and only that respect, is the comparison accurate.