It’s becoming clearer that Amar’e Stoudemire (notes) will opt out of his contract with the Phoenix Suns this summer, especially since he’s showcasing himself so beautifully in the playoffs. He could stick around Phoenix and make $17.7 million next year, but he is l ikely to make a lot more dough over the long term if he opts out now, according to the New York Times. A lot of teams have salary-cap space this summer because they’ve been planning for years to try to snag the big free agents of 2010: LeBron James (notes) , Dwyane Wade (notes) , Chris Bosh (notes) , Carlos Boozer (notes) , and so on

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Price tag rising on Suns’ Stoudemire