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OKLAHOMA CITY -- Amar'e Stoudemire will wait until Sunday at the earliest to make his debut with the Dallas Mavericks. Stoudemire, who signed with the Mavs on Wednesday after receiving a buyout from the New York Knicks, will spend the next few days adjusting to his new team. He will sit out the Mavs' back-to-back games against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets on Thursday and Friday and prepare to play Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets.  "I want to make sure I'm sharp and ready to go from the start," Stoudemire said after the Mavs' morning shootaround. "I feel two days is always great to learn the offense, learn the defensive strategies and get more acclimated with the team and go from there." Stoudemire verbally committed to join the Mavs on Monday but was not eligible to officially sign with the team until he cleared waivers at 5 p.m. Wednesday. As a result, he was not allowed to participate in practice the past two days. Stoudemire has chronic knee problems and recently missed 14 of 18 games because of knee, ankle and wrist injuries, but he said he feels good physically and is healthy enough to play. Coach Rick Carlisle opted not to rush Stoudemire into action. "We need this time to get him integrated, get him acclimated," Carlisle said Thursday. "He was not eligible to do anything on the floor until yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock, and we were already at the airport and done with practice. So we're going to point toward Sunday. It's not 100 percent sure, but that's our goal. And we look forward to getting him involved." The Mavs expect Stoudemire, who averaged 12.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in 36 games for the Knicks this season, to address their needs for scoring punch and rebounding off the bench. They plan to use the six-time All-Star and 13-year veteran as a sixth man. The majority of his minutes will come as Tyson Chandler's backup at center, but Stoudemire will also play some behind Dirk Nowitzki at power forward. Adding quality depth at center has been a priority for the Mavs since they included backup big man Brandan Wright in the Rajon Rondo deal in December. "It's not a secret we've been looking for a big ever since we lost B. Wright," Nowitzki said. "I think this is exactly what we've been looking for, what we've been hoping for when we traded B. Wright. I think he can still finish above the rim and in the paint, but he can also pick-and-pop now out to 17 feet. I think he's going to play some 4, some 5, whatever we really need him to do on a given night. "I think he's going to be great for us. ... I think he's going to be a tremendous help on our front line." Stoudemire, 32, who was making $23.4 million in the final season of a five-year, $99.7 million deal with the Knicks, signed with Dallas for the prorated veteran's minimum. He requested a buyout from the last-place Knicks because of his desire to play for a playoff contender. The Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns were among the teams to express interest in Stoudemire, but he quickly decided to sign with the 36-19 Mavs. "I thought the Mavericks have a great organization, a well-built team and to compete for a championship," said Stoudemire, who got to know his new teammates during a team dinner Wednesday night at Mickey Mantle's Steakhouse in Oklahoma City. "I had a lot of long nights in thinking this through right before making this decision, but I feel like it's the best for me. "With the coaching staff they have here, and also the players, I think it'll be a great fit for me. Being able to be a versatile big for them coming off the bench adds an element to the team, I think, they'll be beneficial. So I feel positive about the situation."
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