Amar? Stoudemire is expected to sign a five-year contract extension worth more than $70 million today with the Suns.

The Suns called Stoudemire's impending extension an off-season priority four months ago and Stoudemire considered it a formality even then.

He made it clear since last season's playoff finale that he would sign an extension during the off-season, which ends today with a team bus ride to Tucson for training camp.

"Talks have been intensifying," Stoudemire's manager, Rodney Rice, said late Sunday. "We're not quite there, but we're getting very close. Amar?'s goal was to get the deal done before camp started, and it looks like that may happen."