Suns owner Robert Sarver sat nearby, and it wasn’t a stretch to wonder whether the vicious dunk also contained a message for Stoudemire’s employer.

As Stoudemire later told Yahoo! Sports, “I’m getting more expensive by the game.”

Stoudemire shrugs off the timing of his improvement as a coincidence. Slowed by knee and eye surgeries in recent seasons, his body now feels right. The addition of 7-foot center Robin Lopez into the starting lineup has also allowed Stoudemire to move to his more natural position.

“I’m really getting acclimated, I’m really getting comfortable with the system,” Stoudemire said. “I’ve gotten back in top shape. All of that plays a factor. I’m really focused on being a complete player and putting everything into motion that I’ve been working on.”

“It has nothing to do with the trades, trade talk or rumors. Around that time is when I stepped my game up, but it has nothing to do with that at all.”

When asked if the Suns should have already signed him, Stoudemire laughed.

“We’re going to wait and see,” he said. “We’ll see how it plays out.”

“This summer, I’m going to make a serious decision. …I’m going to make a business decision.”

As Stoudemire knows well, the cost of doing business has gone up.