The tempting has paid off, the New York Knicks has secured Amar’e Stoudemire on Monday. The former power forward from the Phoenix Suns is one of this summer’s prized free agents. The Knicks offered a five-year, $100 million contract.

Stoudemire was the first big-name free agent to change teams this summer. Talks of his last season with the Suns was loudly buzzed. Now the NBA awaits the decisions of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Knicks got their sights on Joe Johnson too, but Johnson chose to stay with Atlanta under a maximum contract Sunday.

Early evening, Stoudemire was pictured outside Madison Square Garden in a Knicks uniform, with “Welcome, Amar’e Stoudemire.” This is his ninth season in the NBA.

The Knicks continue to be optimistic in acquiring LeBron James as well. Donnie Walsh, the team president, and Coach Mike D’Antoni met with James two days earlier. James did not make it at the second meeting, where Grunwald and O’Neil discussed salary-cap figures with Rose and how they would preserve future flexibility.