Amare Stoudemire ble født 16. november 1982, i Lake Wales, Florida. (Klikk her for en fullstendig oversikt over dagens sportsdagsdager.) Hans foreldre, Carrie og Hazell, hadde allerede en sønn, Hazell Jr. Amare senere ønsket velkommen en yngre halvbror ved navn Marwan. Lake Wales er en time8217s kjøretur fra Disney World, men en planet og en halv unna i alle andre forstand. Ting beveger seg sakte i denne delen av sentrale Florida. For sakte for noen. Lure av Lincoln Avenue kan være overveldende, og sjansen til å gjøre enkle penger når hardt arbeid (eller ikke noe arbeid) er alt du vet kan føre til selv de beste ungene på vei. Amares mor krysset over i tenårene hennes. Hennes folk plukket appelsiner om våren og migrert til New York State hvert fall under eple sesongen. Hun jobbet med feltene med familien, men hun jobbet også med systemet. Carrie ble arrestert mange ganger for forbrytelser som smålig tyveri og forfalskning. Først hun stjal for moro skyld, eller for lommeskifte. Men senere gjorde hun det for å overleve. Fet, brash og opinionated, hennes sterke personlighet hjalp henne ikke når hennes juridiske problemer startet. Det beste med Carrie var å møte og gifte seg med Hazell. Han gjorde landskapsarbeid og plenpleie, trente på Pop Warner-fotballaget hans sønner spilte på, og blåste en gjennomsnittlig saxofon. Han var en stor, kraftig mann som visste hvordan han skulle holde guttene på plass. Han minnet stadig dem til å stå høyt og talentfull.8221 Hazell Jr. var en stor basketball - og fotballstjerne i videregående dager. Åtte år eldre enn Amare stod han 6-10 og arvet faren8217s lange armer, fatkiste og treningshopp. Hazell Jr. var kjent for alle som 8220Baby Shaq.8221 Ved Amare8217s egen opptak var hans storebror en overlegen basketballspiller som en teenager og kan fortsatt være alle disse årene senere. Hazell Jr. spilte videregående ball med likeså Peter Warrick, men overskriftene han grep var mer sannsynlig å være av politiet-blottende variasjon. Da det var på tide å forvandle talentet til et college-stipend, ønsket ingen å røre ved ham. Stoudemirene skilt da Amare var ung. Han delte tid med å leve med sin mor og far. Carrie giftet seg med Artis Wilson i 1990 og hadde Marwan. De bodde i flere år i New York. Amare og Hazell Jr. bodde også i den delen av landet. Ved sine tidlige tenåringer ble Amare til en ganske fotballspiller. Han avbildet seg som mottaker for Florida State, Florida eller Miami, og deretter som en stjerne i NFL. Amare lurte også rundt med basketball. Broren hans hadde lært ham hvordan han kunne bruke sin kropp og hoppe evne til å skremme motstandere, og i sjette klasse kunne han gjøre omvendte dunker på lekeplassen. Amare8217s basketballhelte var Shaquille O8217Neal, som spilte bare noen få miles opp veien i Orlando. Han husker å se ham på Inside Stuff og se hvor mye moro han hadde. Amare ble gal da Shaq ødela et tavla mot New Jersey Nets. Da Amare var 12, bestemte faren sin å starte en transportvirksomhet. Ting så opp for familien. Da Hazell begynte å føle en og annen brystsmerte, ignorerte han det i en familiehistorie av hjerteproblemer. Visst nok, en morgen ble Amare8217s far ikke våknet. Familien imploderte kort tid etterpå. Carrie, desperat å sørge for guttene hennes, var inn og ut av fengsel. Hazell Jr. var tapt på gatene. Til tider hadde Amare og Marwan ingen steder å gå. De bodde ofte hos Burney Hayes, en lokal politimann som la guttene sove i et hjørne av sin trailer. Hayes overbeviste Amare om å gi opp fotball og konsentrere seg om basketball8212, han forutslo, ville være hans beste sjanse til en utdannelse og et bedre liv. Amare trodde Hayes8217s forslag gjorde mye fornuft. Snart bestemte han seg for at ingenting ville hindre ham i å bli en NBA-stjerne. Løpet var på grunn av at han ble blekket til sin første pro-avtale før familien hans gikk forbi. Amare var bemerkelsesverdig godt rustet til å begynne på denne odysseyen. Foruten hans utrolige basketball talent, hadde han et kjølig, analytisk sinn. Han visste hvordan man skal lese folk, og hvordan man bruker folk før de brukte ham. Amare8217s mest verdifulle ressurs kan ha vært det beskyttende skallet han skapte rundt seg selv etter at faren hans døde. Han ropte den dagen og gråt aldri igjen. Helt siden han har omfavnet en slags følelsesmessig følelsesløshet. Han blir aldri for høy eller for lav. Og han glemmer aldri sin far8217s siste ord til ham: 8220The sky8217s grensen, Amare.8221 Stående 6-6 ved hans tidlige tenåringer, trengte Amare å utvikle sitt spill fort. Han hadde alltid vært i stand til å operere fritt i pickup-spill ved å la sin storebror drive forstyrrelser for ham. Men tenåringen hadde nesten ingen formell coaching eller noen form for erfaring i organiserte ligaer. Amare sluttet seg til et AAU-lag over sommeren og viste at det var bare så mye coaching han trengte. Hans makt og forventning gjorde ham til en styrke som forsvarer og rebounder. Hans hurtighet ga ham et trekk som ingen kunne forsvare. Amare ville ta en pasning i det lave innlegget, få sin forsvarer til å begå en eller annen måte, og deretter snurre og bare dunk ballen over dem. Han hadde også en fin liten jumper han brukte når han vendte seg opp i kurven. I sin første AAU-turnering ble han kåret til MVP. ON THE RISE Ord spred seg om Amare, og på ingen tid begynte rekruttererne å komme ut av treverket. Ikke bare høyskolebusser, men også videregående skuespillere. En var Joel Hopkins av Mt. Zion Christian Academy i Durham, North Carolina. Prep skolen var hjemmet til et av world8217s beste hoops program. Da Amare ble erklært akademisk uberettiget for sitt freshman år ved Lake Wales, så han Mt. Zion som det logiske neste skritt mot proffene. Eagles var glad for å ha Amare, til tross for hans elendige akademiske rekord. Det var ikke at han var et dumt barn. Faktisk, på en IQ-test ved Lake Wells, scoret han høyere enn nesten alle barn i skolen. Amare delte gulvet på Mt. Zion med et par fremtidige college standouts, Harvey Thomas og Jonathan Hargett. Han har også hatt fordel av sin første ekte coaching-instruksjon. Før Amares juniorår brøt treneren sin fra Mt. Zion å danne sin egen skole, Emmanuel Christian Academy. Amare og alle sammen, men tre av lagkameratene, ble enige om å følge ham, men skolen falt før sesongen. Amare dro tilbake til Florida og bodde hos Travis King, treneren til Fastbreak USA-troppen som konkurrerte i AAU-turneringer. Etter en sommer som spilte for King og deltok på sommerskolen i Orlando for å få karakterene hans, kom han tilbake til Mt. Sion. Men han forlot Durham kort tid etterpå og registrerte seg på West Orange High i Orlando. Når basketball sesongen rullet rundt, var Amare ikke i uniform. Ifølge hans Mt. Sion transkripsjoner, han var akademisk ineligible8212a hevder han disputes til denne dagen. Han mener at hans dokumenter ble doktrert som 8220payback8221 for å forlate skolen to ganger. Til hans kreditt ble han fokusert på sin NBA-drøm og uten problemer. Da Amare hadde en faller ut med konge, flyttet han og Marwan sammen med Bill Williams, en lokal minister med en skyggefull fortid. Det forholdet var kortslått også. Williams ble arrestert på bestikkelsesavgift, dømt for forbrytelsen og sendt til fengsel. Den neste voksen i Amare8217s liv var en bekjent av Williams8217s, Marc Little. Han forklarte for Amare at hans skjermede fortid ville skade ham da det kom tid til å tjene penger på hans basketball talent. Williams lovet å hjelpe ham med å sette opp posten rett. En del av hans råd kan ha vært å blåse av en Adidas sommerhøvelleir i 2001 til fordel for Nikes. Uansett sannheten var Adidas pisset, Nike var glad, og Little utdelte hjemmelagde pressesett som Amare gjorde de beste tenåringene i landet som barn. Blant de Amare flau på retten var Dajuan Wagner, DeSagna Diop, Ousmane Cisse og Tyson Chandler. (Amarersquos thunderous dunk over Chandler ble en umiddelbar Nike camp legende.) Også legendariske var hans en-til-fem forays til hoop, som vanligvis endte dårlig. Amare var en fantastisk spiller å se, men han hadde i utgangspunktet ingen anelse om hva han gjorde. Likevel oppnådde han sitt mål om å bli landets topprangerte prospekt som gikk inn i seniorårets videregående år. Av retten spilte Amare det smart. Da HBO hørte om sin vridne fortelling, nærmet produsentene seg til å gjøre et segment for Real Sports. Han ble enige om å åpne livet sitt opp til media, da han visste at basketballopptakene det ville inneholde, ville bli sett av millioner. Showet som ble sendt var om en dårlig barn omgitt av tragedier som ble blandet gjennom et hjerteløst system. I virkeligheten ble Amare slynget nærmer seg sitt ultimate mål. Hvert skritt han laget var designet for å oppgradere og vise frem sine basketball ferdigheter. Med sine karakterer rettet ut og hans seniorår nærmer seg, begynte Amare å føle fullmannspressen fra høgskolens rekrutterere. Han var mest imponert over John Calipari og fortalte Memphis-treneren han ville gjerne spille for ham. Men selv før kampanjen startet, ble det klart at høyskolen trolig ikke ville være i Amare8217s fremtid. Han hadde blitt ganske flink til å bruke rekrutterere til det han trengte. Han hadde til og med snakket en sneakerfirma-rep til å deponere 100 i sin butikkkonto i fengsel. Enhver skole som ga ham et stipend ville bli under en øyeblikkelig NCAA-undersøkelse, så alle støttet seg bort. Det var fint med Amare. Hans øyne hadde alltid vært på proffene. Han dedikert sin høysesong for å få tak i NBA-speiders oppmerksomhet. Amare registrert på Cypress Creek High. Ligger i utkanten av Orlando, var skolen ikke en del av basketballen mainstream. Faktisk er Cypress Creeks største krav til berømmelse det prisbelønte marsjebandet. Bare en returpokerspiller, vakt Tony Pratt, hadde et skudd på å spille college ball, og to av teamrsquos projiserte startere hadde vært benchwarmers året før. Treneren, Earl Barnett, var så ut av løkken at da han hørte at Amare bodde i distriktet, hadde han ingen anelse om hvem folk snakket om. Han ville finne ut snart nok. Selv om det var ute av form og mer enn litt rustet, var Amare en virvelvind som trakk tusenvis inn i et treningsstudio som sjelden hadde sett folkemengder i hundrevis. Noen spill var han fantastisk, andre var han bare dødelig. Men sjelden gikk et fjerdedel der han ikke gjorde noe som gjorde din kjevefall. Til tross for Cypress Creeks ho-hum 16-13 rekord ble Amare kalt Florida8217s Mr. Basketball, i gjennomsnitt 29 poeng, 15 returer og seks kvartaler per konkurranse. Ved årstider8217s slutt stod Amare 6-10 og veide en steinfast 240 pund. Stående ved siden av de andre toppskolelærerne på 2002 McDonald8217s All-Star Game, så han bokstavelig talt ut som en mann blant gutter. Som utkastsdags nærmet seg de fleste NBA-speidere at Amare var den mest imponerende utøveren i utkastet. Hans talent var rå, men hvordan ignorerer du et tre fots vertikalt sprang fra en fyr, hans størrelse. Noen lag ble redd av bakgrunnen hans. Kunne et barn som i utgangspunktet ikke hadde noen foreldre håndtert utfordringene med pro basketball. Noen trodde han ville bli spist levende, men noen lag så på oppdragelsen hans motsatt. Amare hadde overlevd ufattelig smerte og jobbet med situasjoner som var langt mer truende og komplisert enn noe han ville møte i NBA. Phoenix Suns var blant de sanne troende. Å hjelpe prosessen sammen var Amare8217s agent, John Wolf, som jobbet bak kulissene for å skape interesse blant Phoenix-messing. Wolf hadde vært Dee Brown8216s agent, og Brown8212an executive med Orlando Magic8212had introduserte ham til Amare. Wolf fikk senere Amare til en multi-million dollar sneaker avtale fra Nike. Tyson Chandler, 2002 Legends Etter å ha administrert en psykologisk test, innså Suns at overgang til NBA ville være en av de enkleste tingene Amare ville gjøre i sitt liv. Phoenix eieren Jerry Colangelo ga ungdommen tommelen opp og sa at han fikk samme følelse for første gang han så Kobe Bryant. Amare reiste til New York for utkastet og ble tatt med den niende plassen av sola. Tenåringen var den eneste high schooleren tatt den dagen. Som med de fleste ting i Amare8217s unge liv, ble sølvforingen raskt overskygget av en mørk sky. Carrie Stoudemire ville ikke ha savnet sønnen hennes store dag for noe. Ikke engang en lovbrudd. Hun fikk ikke lov til å forlate Florida uten tillatelse, men hun reiste til New York for utkastet uansett. Carrie ble arrestert ved retur og fengslet i fire måneder. For å lette Amare8217s overgang til NBA-livet, spurte Suns veteransenteret Scott Williams om å ta ungdommen under hans vinge. Williams hadde mistet foreldrene sine i et selvmord, så han delte en lignende mareritt barndom med rookie. I mellomtiden har assistent GM Mark West, et tidligere senter, holdt et skarpt øye med Rookie8217s utgifter og sosiale entanglements. Amare var ikke dum. Han visste at han var baby-satt. Men han anerkjente også et sikkerhetsnett da han så en og verdsatt det. I stedet for å railing mot denne kontrollen, omfavnet han det fullt ut. Det var lenge siden noen hadde vært der for å se på ryggen. Amare konsentrert seg også om å være en solid borger. Da trafikken gjorde ham sent for et par preseason praksis, flyttet han 10 minutter fra arenaen. Han unngikk nattpott og begrenset sine utflukter til det lokale kjøpesenteret. Han tiltrådte selv den klassiske NBA-rookiebehandlingen, bære poser, bringer donuts til skyting og racking opp baller etter trening. Lag generelt liker å bli kjent med sine unge spillere8217 foreldre. I tilfelle av Amares mor, som fant sted ved en høringshøring den sommeren for hennes New York-parolekrenkelse. Suns trener Frank Johnson fulgte Amare tilbake til Florida for saken og snakket med Carrie i mer enn to timer. Hun fortalte Johnson alt hun trodde han skulle vite om Amare, og gjorde det klart at hvis sola ikke behandlet ham riktig, ville det være helvete å betale. Johnson spurte ikke dette for en annen8212Amare8217s mor var en bona fide kraft i naturen. Amare viste seg også en naturkraft. I solaen kom han til et godt, ung team8212halv mannskapet var 25 år eller yngre, inkludert poengvakt Stephon Marbury og fremover Shawn Marion. Håpet var at han ville utvikle seg til en innspillingsspiller innen få år, og Phoenix ville være en mesterskapskonkurrent. Nesten fra Amares første dag med laget, innså hans andre sønner at de måtte gi ham plass til å operere. Han grep tilbake med foruroligende hastighet, og da han dunked, sendte den en melding til alle på banen, ikke bare det andre laget. Men Amare var også slikke tonnevis av basketballinformasjon. I løpet av hans høytidelige høyskole dager fikk han sjelden noen basketballteori. Midtveis gjennom preseason med Phoenix, innrømmet han til journalister at han allerede hadde lært mer om basketball om et par uker enn han hadde i hele sitt liv. Amare begynte sesongen som Tom Gugliotta8217s backup, og så opp til startlinjen da Googs gikk ned med en skade like før Thanksgiving. Solene ble et annet lag8212 som vant team8212 og deres rekord klatret jevnt over .500. Amare viste i mellomtiden forbedringer til sitt spill som ikke hadde vært der noen måneder tidligere. Vanligvis, uansett nyanser trener viste ham i praktisert dukket opp i spill innen en uke eller to. Fange ballen i det lave innlegget er ofte en av de vanskeligste ferdighetene for unge maktspillere å mestre, men Amare gjorde det som en proff. Faktisk lagde lagkamerat Penny Hardaway82 som Amare hadde forankret i sine dager med Magic8212told-lagkameratene at tenåringen håndterte ballen ned lavt, så vel som Shaq hadde gjort i sin rookie sesong. Og når Amare fikk begge hender på ballen i nærheten av kurven, glem det. Noen ble etterlignet. Som et uventet tredje scoring-alternativ åpnet Amare gulvet for Marbury og Marion, og de to stjernene blomstret. Solene var på vei oppover. Den tøffeste delen av Amare8217s overgang til proball var mangel på fløyter. Han var overrasket over mengden av bedrift som gikk ubemerket av NBA-tjenestemenn. Klarte ikke å få stillingen han var vant til, ble han ofte frustrert. Når coach Johnson satte seg med ham, klaget Amare at forsvarerne presset og grep. Johnson fortalte ham å skyve og gripe tilbake. Amare8217s øyenbryn løftet, lyspæren fortsatte, og han begynte å kjempe tilbake. Hovedlinjene til 2002-NBA-utkastet, 2002 SLAM Andre høyt utkastspicks har hatt en minneverdig start, men til slutt ble de tatt i skole av veteranerne. Det var et sikkert tegn på at Amare ikke var noe blits i pannen. En uskreven regel i NBA som sier at du lærer nybegynnere en leksjon når de prøver å dunk på deg, bare 8220 velkommen til league8221-meldingen, som det var. Interessant, ingen slike meldinger ble levert til Amare, som var flat-out skremt league8217s topp stjerner. I stedet for å utfordre ham på randen, sto de av og la ham gjøre sin ting. I Amare8217s første møte med Kevin Garnett dro han 38 på All Star-senteret og lagde 14 returer. Michael Olowokandi prøvde å stoppe Amare på en av sine mer onde dunks og levde for å angre på det. Paul Piece utfordret Amare med en stasjon og betalte for den med to tenner. I sin første konkurranse mot Shaq holdt Amare sin egen i en Suns-seier og fortalte journalister at det var det morsomme han hadde i år. Når ord kom ut at Amare var en trussel å score 20, så han et fast kosthold på dobbeltlag, en taktikk som forvirret ham. Mangler finessen til å slå ut av trøbbel, slår han vanligvis ikke ballen ut til den åpne mannen fort nok. Coach Johnson kunne se rookie8217s frustrasjon og fryktet hva han kunne gjøre hvis han presset for langt. Hvert så ofte ville han jo joke med Amare for å bryte isen og unngå alvorlig blodbad. Privat, Johnson jobbet også på Amare8217s psyke. Han fortalte barnet om ikke å bli for full av seg selv og å være ydmyk. Hvis han noen gang så kjærlighet eller unnfangelse, lovet han at han ville benytte Amare på stedet. Med Amare å spille så grusomt, forutslo de fleste league8216-eksperter at han ville slå veggen rundt 40 kamper og begynte å miste kanten. Men han sprengte seg gjennom midtveismerket og opprettholde intensiteten. Og mens Houston-rookie Yao Ming genererte alle overskriftene, dro Amare ned flere brett, scoret flere poeng og logget flere minutter. Og sola var i playoff-jakten, mens rakettene sank ut av strid. Amare8217s liv borte fra retten8212a stor bekymring ved førstnevnte syntes å gå greit også. Han var rom med venninnen Michael Walker, og Marwan bodde i nærheten med sin mor. Så snart hun var i stand, kom Carrie til Phoenix, hvor Amare kjøpte henne en Mercedes, 40.000 i smykker og satte henne opp i et hus. Selv om hun fremmedgjorde noen av menneskene i hennes nye liv, fortsatte han å være lojal mot henne. Mens andre så Carrie som en 8220career kriminell, så 8221 Amare (og fortsatt gjør) en kvinne som brydde seg så mye for sine sønner at hun var villig til å risikere fengsel for å holde dem kledd og matet. Det var fortsatt bekymringer om Amare8216s familie, skjønt. Hans mor likte å røre opp ting, og det hadde potensialet å skape spenning mellom Amare og Suns, hans lagkamerater og Nike, samt forstyrre de nye relasjonene han dannet. Det var også spørsmålet om hans bror, som ble fengslet i New York for å behandle narkotika og andre alvorlige forbrytelser. På banen var det imidlertid mye mer lovende, selv om andre halvdel så Phoenix-nivå ut. Likevel er Suns fortsatt ferdig med en 44-38 rekord og snagged den siste playoff-spotten i Vesten. Marbury og Marion helles i 20-25 om natten, og Johnson brukte benken hans godt og fant mange minutter for støttespillerne Casey Jacobsen, Bo Outlaw og Joe Johnson. Amare endte på 13,5 poeng per kamp på 47,2 skyting, tok nesten ni rebounds om natten, og var sjette i liga i offensive boards, med 250. Amare Stoudemire, 2002 Showcase Amare edged Yao for Rookie of the Year-prisen, ble den Første videregående skole noensinne å tjene den ære. Han ledet alle rookies i rebounds og free throws og var andre i poeng, blokkerte skud og minutter spilt. I sluttspillet traff solene nesten Spurs, og tapte i seks kamper. Amare reiste sin scoring, men han kunne ikke inneholde San Antonio8217s Twin Towers. Spurs fortsatte å vinne NBA-mesterskapet, men de glemte ikke deres tussel med Amare og Solene. Phoenix begynte sesongen 2003-04 med høye forhåpninger om å gjøre det til playoffs for et andre rett år. Men da laget startet sakte, mistet treneren Johnson jobben sin. Han ble erstattet av sin tidligere lederassistent Mike D8217Antoni, som ikke kunne rett på skipet, heller. Ting ble verre da Amare forstuet sin venstre ankel tidlig i desember mot Boston Celtics. Skaden førte til at han savnet 18 kamper. Da Amare kom tilbake, fant han seg blant en rekke nye lagkamerater. I en av årets største bransjer sendte solene Marbury og Hardaway til New York for Antonio McDyess, fire andre spillere og en rekke utkastplukkere. Phoenix så tydelig ut mot fremtiden, fordi nåtiden var så dystre. Solene ferdig sesongen kl 29-53, ved siden av sist i Vesten. Amare gjorde alt han kunne for å løfte laget, men hans støtter var altfor svakt. Han opped sin score til 20,6 ppg og trakk ned ni stykker om natten. Han og Marion delte byrden de fleste spill, spesielt med McDyess sakte å gjenopprette fra et utvalg av skader. Fra mars spillte Amare som en All-Star. I april gjennomsnittsde han en dobbel-dobbel i syv kamper, og hendte i nesten 30 poeng en konkurranse. Hvis ingenting annet, viste Amare ledelsen at han ønsket å vinne før enn senere. Sola fikk meldingen høyt og klart. I offseasonen gjorde de store overskrifter, signeringspunktsvakt Steve Nash til en langsiktig avtale. Bevegelsen hadde en krusningseffekt over hele laget. DAntoni la Nash skyve tempoet hver sjanse han fikk, som åpnet flere scoring muligheter for Phoenixs unge vinge spillere, spesielt Marion, Johnson og Quentin Richardson. I sin tur var det mindre press på Amare å bære lasten, en utvikling som akselererte sin modning til en sann stjerne. Suns startet sesongen 2004-05 i høyt utstyr og aldri bremset ned. Takket være Nash, konverterte Amare flere enkle skuffer, med sin hastighet og atletikk til å løpe ut større, langsommere motstandere. Etter hvert som kampanjen utviklet seg, etablerte han også en sterkere tilstedeværelse i malingen. Double-doubles i poeng og rebounds ble normen for ham. Han postet seks i februar, fem i mars og åtte i april. Over hele linjen produserte Amare bedre tall. På 56 fra feltet var han en av leagues beste skyttere, og han rangert femte i scoring på 26 poeng et spill. Opposisjonelle lag tok å fouling ham, sender ham til linjen 795 ganger, topper i NBA. Han fikk dem til å betale, og forbedret sin skudd til 73. Phoenix, i mellomtiden, utviklet seg til NBAs mest underholdende lag. Solene reverserte sin plate, og noen gikk til 62-20 for å fange toppfrøet i Vesten. Nash oppnådde æresbevisninger som liga MVP, DAntoni ble kåret til årets årskamre, og Amare trakk ros leaguewide, både for sin produksjon på banen og hans vinnende holdning. Til tross for sine imponerende ordinære sesongnumre var juryen ute på Suns på vei inn i playoffs. Forsvar er navnet på spillet i postseasonen, og få trodde at Phoenix spilte nok av det til å være en seriøs tittelkonkurrent. Solene håndterte imidlertid de overmatchede Memphis Grizzlies i første runde uten problemer. Amare så litt nervøs ut i sin playoff-debut, men han fant sin rytme over de neste tre konkurransene, som Phoenix cruised i en fire-spill feie. Derfra gikk Amare opp et hakk. I motsetning til Mavericks i neste runde var han nesten ustoppelig. Dallas prøvde en rekke forsvarer mot ham, men han var enten for rask eller for sterk for hver og en av dem. Amare dominert tidlig i serien, i gjennomsnitt 35 poeng og 15 rebounds som solene vant to av tre. Da Dallas reagerte med dobbelt - og trippelag mot ham, tok Nash taket, brant hans tidligere klubb med et par monsteropptredener. En-to slaget viste seg for mye for Mavs, med Phoenix som tok serien i seks kamper. Amare fortsatte sitt inspirerte spill i Game 1 mot San Antonio i Western Conference Finals, dumping 41 poeng på Tim Duncan og Spurs. Men hans innsats var ikke nok til å levere en seier. Veteranen Spurs utflyttet Phoenix i fem kamper, og slo run-and-gun Suns i sitt eget spill. Amare Stoudemire, 2003 New York Times Magazine Amare var tilbake på full helse i begynnelsen av 2006ndash07 sesongen. Igjen lagde han og Marion opp for å gi motstandere tilpasninger. Amare førte klubben med et 20.4 poeng gjennomsnitt, mens han og Marion ofte kombinerte for 20 eller flere rebounds en natt. Før sesongen lovet Amare Phoenix-fans at han ville gjøre All Star-laget. Han gjorde det og mer og scoret 29 poeng i midseason-klassen. Solene avsluttet året med 61 seire og en annen Pacific Division-tittel. Etter sesongen ble Amare kalt First-Team All-NBA. Amare traff det opp i playoffs, økte hans tall til 25,3 poeng og 12,1 rebounds per spill. Solene beseiret Lakers i åpningsrunden i fem kamper. I decider førte Amare Phoenix med 27 poeng og 16 returer. Solene møtte Spurs i neste runde og fant seg i en annen ettersesongskrig. Spursne bestemte seg for å bruke sin størrelse og styrke for å senke sola. De sendte Nash til benken i Game 1 med en gash i nesen. San Antonio vant åpningen, men Phoenix likte serien med et spill 2-seier. Etterpå kalte Amare Spurs et skittent lag, med navn på Manu Ginobili og Bruce Bowen. San Antonio vant Game 3, og solene sprang tilbake i Game 4. I de avgangsmessige minuttene av denne konkurransen, skutt Robert Horry Nash inn i scorersbordet. I den påfølgende scuffle forlot Amare og Boris Diaw benken. Selv om de ikke ble involvert i kampen, ble de begge suspendert til Game 5. Med to viktige deler av deres frontlinje savnet, kunne Suns ikke holde tilbake en skyggefull San Antonio-bølge, og de mistet denne pivotale konkurransen. The Spurs pakket opp serien med en seier i Game 6. På 25 fortsatte Amare å utvikle seg som en all-round stjerne i 2007ndash08. Han ledet klubben i å score igjen, gjennomsnittlig 25,2 poeng per kamp å gå med 9,1 rebounds. Han skutt 59 fra gulvet og toppet 80 fra linjen for første gang. Han spilte også i sitt tredje All-Star Game. Da solene plukket opp Shaq i en februarhandel for Marion, hadde Amare ingen problemer med å blande sitt spill med sin nye lagkamerat. Nybegynner Grant Hillmdashhealthy for en changemdash var en verdifull bidragsyter på motsatt fløy som Phoenix cruised til 55 seire, bra for andre i divisjonen bak Lakers. Men igjen falt Phoenix til Spurs i playoffs. Etter å ha sett Michael Finley og Duncan treffer trepunktspoengere for å folie en potensiell serierendrende dobbel-overtid-seier i Game 1, gikk solene stille og tapt i fem. OrsquoNeal, spilleren kjøpt for å hjelpe Phoenixrsquos halfcourt lovbrudd i playoffs, savnet halvparten av sine 64 gratiskast i serienmdashincluding flere på slutten av Game 5. Amare Stoudemire, 2007 Topps Etter sesongen forlot DrsquoAntoni Phoenix for å trene Knicks. Han ble erstattet av Terry Porter. I preseason oppfordret Porter sine spillere til å fokusere mer på forsvar, og han reduserte den dynamiske krenkelsen. Amare var ikke fornøyd med det langsommere tempoet, men han var mer opptatt av sitt høyre øye, som ble skadet i oktober. Legene sa til Amare at han måtte bære vernebriller, men han kastet dem ut etter noen uker. Han skadet det samme øyet igjen i et februar-spill og måtte gjennomgå operasjon for en frittstående netthinnen. Han savnet resten av sesongen 2008-09. Amare ledet klubben i scoring og rebounding på den tiden. I 2009ndash10 fant solene seg igjen i en kamp for Stillehavs-divisjonskronen med Lakers. Og igjen kom de opp kort og vunnet 55 kamper til LArsquos 57. Amare ledet laget med 23,1 poeng og 8,9 rebounds et spill. Han hadde også en gjennomsnittlig 34,6 minutter per konkurranse. Postseasonen kom til en rystende start da solene droppet Game 1 hjemme til de unge Portland Trailblazers. Men Phoenix reiste seg til å ta fire av de neste fem for å vinne serien. Alle bidro, inkludert Nash, Hill, Jason Richardsonmdashpicked opp fra Charlotte Bobcats forrige årsmeddel og unge Channing Frye. Neste opp var de hatet Spurs. Til Phoenix-fansen var å slå San Antonio like stor som å nå NBA-finalen. Amare førte solaene til et feie. Han var høyest scorer i Game 2 og Game 4, og han ledet Phoenix med 24 returer i de to første konkurransene. Aginst Lakers i konferansen finaler, solene droppet de to første i LA. I spill 3 var Amare på brann, og lurte Lakers for 42. I det sentrale spillet 5 var sola klar til å stjele en på LArsquos homecourt, men Ron Artest fulgte en Kobe Bryant-savner ved summen for en deflerende 103ndash101-seier. I Game 6 så Phoenix-fans i forferdelse da Amare brukte mye av spillet på omkretsen. Hver gang han kjørte, fouled Lakers ham. Selv om han scoret 27, fant han aldri sin rytme. I mellomtiden ble Artest gitt en åpen jumper etter en annen og drept sola. Sluttresultatet var 111ndash103 til fordel for Lakers. LA hadde det bedre laget, men Phoenix kunne lett ha tatt serien. I juli var Amare en av flere stjerner tilgjengelig på et uvanlig robust friagermarked. Det store navnet var LeBron James. The Knicks, håper å vise King James hvor seriøs de var å vinne, signerte Amare til en langsiktig avtale. Mistet i sprøytenarkomanen var det faktum at Amare hadde gjort en dristig uttalelse selv. Når han rejoined sin gamle trener på et middelmådig lag, gjorde han øyeblikkelig Knicks en playoff contendermdashand forhåpentligvis en magnet for andre kvalitetsaktører. På pressekonferansen som annonserte signeringen, sammenlignet teamrsquos-annonsøren Al Trautwig øyeblikket til handel for Dave DeBusschere i 1968 som markerte et vendepunkt for franchisen. Amare skuffet ikke Knicks fans. Tidlig på året satte han sammen en franchise-rekord ni 30-poeng spill på rad. Viktigere, Knicks var triumferende i åtte av disse konkurransene. Amare ble plukket som en startpakke for East All-Star-truppen og scoret 29 poeng i et 148ndash143-tap. Amare Stoudemire, 2010 SI for Kids Med en etterlengtet playoff-kaj i kortene, konstruerte New York en tre-laget avtale i pausen som satte Carmelo Anthony og Chauncey Billups i oransje og blå. Den ekstra ferdigheten og erfaringen hadde Knick-fans drømmende om en løp på finalen. Amare avsluttet sesongen i gjennomsnitt 25,3 poeng og 9,1 poeng per kamp, og han var en styrke på forsvaret. Med hjelp av veteran Billups var de to superstjernene fremover i stand til å dele ballen og finne en anstendig rytme. 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. Rask. 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 nivå 1 data, forskningsverktøy for grunnleggende og teknisk analyse, en kartleggingspakke og mer. 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment