Sources: Stoudemire to play in Israel next season

2:24 PM ET

Amar’e Stoudemire has called a press conference for Monday where he’s expected to announce that he’s playing next season in Israel for the team with whom he’s a part-owner, according to international basketball sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that basketball officials in Israel regard Stoudemire’s move to join Hapoel Jerusalem as an active player is now a formality.

A report earlier Sunday from international ‎basketball reporter David Pick says the deal is done for Stoudemire to play for Hapoel Jerusalem in 2016-17 after he announced his NBA retirement last week.

Stoudemire is scheduled to travel to Israel next week as part of an NBA Cares initiative organized by the first Israeli to ever play in the NBA — Sacramento’s Omri Casspi — and has taken a great interest in the country over the past few years since revealing that he has Jewish roots on his mother’s side. He’s held an ownership stake in Hapoel Jerusalem since the summer of 2013 after Israeli tech magnate Ori Allon became the club’s majority owner.

Last Tuesday, Stoudemire signed a contract with the New York Knicks and was immediately waived, in a move designed to allow him to retire as a Knick.

“I came to New …

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