I’ve always liked reading Howard Beck. One of the more interesting parts for me was that the Suns didn’t feel like they could take the financial risk of Stoudamire’s knees failing, but the Knicks had a greater margin of error, money-wise.

Without the benefit of an electron microscope, or a crystal ball, the Suns deemed the risks to be too great. The N.B.A.’s insurance carrier has excluded Stoudemire for career-ending injuries to either knee (the right one had arthroscopic surgery) or his eye.

Losing a player making $20 million a year would devastate the Suns, who are privately owned. The Knicks, who have the backing of Madison Square Garden, have a much greater margin for error.