If it’s true the Cavaliers are interested in acquiring Amar’e Stoudemire, e-mails Rasheed McCorvey, “they must have forgotten how stifled he felt playing alongside Shaq.”

Genuine curiosity in fact exists, I’m informed. However, as a few days ago, nothing was close to happening. Just so we understand each other, the same was true leading up to the Cavs’ acquisition of Shaquille O’Neal.

From the Suns’ standpoint, it’s clear why they’re entertaining Eastern Conference offers for Stoudemire. It’s senseless, it says here, to keep him, regardless if he’s agreeable to extending long term at a relatively rational annual salary, say $10 million to 12 million.

Owner Robert Sarver can’t help but be thinking it’s time to start fresh, something his Suns can afford to do because they’ve got Steve Nash to sell to the fans while they begin rebuilding with Robin Lopez, Goran Dragic, Jared Dudley, Channing Frye, Earl Clark and Louis Amundson.

Clearly, Stoudemire cannot take the Suns any further than theye already have advanced or where they currently are decomposing — 13-17 since a 14-3 getaway from jump street. Extending him figures to waste a lot of years and won’t hold back enough tears.

Are Stoudemire’s averages — 20.6 points, 8.3 rebounds — All-Star start worthy? Barely! Explicit evidence Western Conference centerfolds are in steep fade or “overexposed.”

Plainly, the once freakishly sprightly Stoudemire is not operating at nearly the same efficiency as several seasons ago before micro-fracture knee and eye surgeries?

Given the high rise of the Thunder and Grizzlies, it’s doubtful he remains good enough to co-convey the Suns to playoff paydirt.

Prospective suitors for the display cased center beware!

Check out Stoudemire’s lack of rebounding in his last five games: a meek total of 21 (one vs. Dallas), a 4.2 average, 2.4 of those are offensive boards showing what end of the floor matters most. He has failed to register a double-figure rebounding game since Jan. 15 against the Hawks — a span of eight games.

What’s more, even slow centers go around Stoudemire with ease. He never has cared all that much about playing defense, but his indifference appears to have gotten worse.

“Is this Stoudemire’s idea of auditioning for a max contract?” wonders column contributor Rick St. Jean. Are there Stoudemire suitors? Championship contenders and pretenders always crave scoring and size. That is, as long as they don’t have to give up anyone or anything worthwhile for a guy owning a $17.3 million 2010-11 guarantee he can either exercise or escape from and thus become an unrestricted free agent.

Supposedly the Suns want to extend Stoudemire long term. Keep believing that! Sarver’s assets aren’t nearly what they used to be, Arizona’s economy continues to decline, and attendance is down proportionately.

Come the Feb. 18 trade deadline, should the Suns not be absolutely certain they’re playoff bound, I see Sarver accepting a Shaq-like-deal (Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, No. 2 pick) just to dump the possibility of having to pay Stoudemire next season.

Note to Stoudemire: Prepare to become this summer’s Carlos Boozer, who did not opt out last summer upon discovering he wasn’t in demand. Therefore, he was “forced” to play this season for the Jazz for $12.3 million.

So, should the Suns be unable to unload Amar’e in some pre-arranged deal involving an extension, it’s likely he, too, will be “forced” to play out his contract in Phoenix.

It’s hard to imagine a team being snuckered into giving Stoudemire remotely what he wants — four years at $15 million to $17 million. I know, I know, all it takes is one team, one GM, to fall in love with him.

Should that one team surface, I predict the GM will get fired, and probably the coach, too.

OK, so we don’t know if Stoudemire is going anywhere . . . other than Dallas as the West’s starting non-center. Go up and down that west side roster . . . not one pivoting head (if the NBA and the Spurs want to pretend Tim Duncan doesn’t qualify as one, why should I get real?) in the bunch.

And here all this time I thought the rules dictated 10 position players (four forwards, four guards, two centers) and two wild cards.

Imagine my contempt if I actually gave a hydroelectric damn.

From what I’m told, Al Jefferson is ticked. “He’s tired of losing,” e-mailed a confidant of the Timberwolves’ portable center. “It’s all he’s ever known in Minnesota and it’s all he’s ever known in the NBA.”

T’wolf GM David Kahn was asked if Jefferson is requesting a trade and if there’s any truth to the Danny Granger tales being spun.

“Whoever’s telling you Al is unhappy has an agenda,” Kahn e-mailed. “The kid wants to stay and understands we are building something, albeit something that is 2-3 years away.

“After his name came up in a rumored deal that had no basis in reality, I met with Al and told him I had no intention of trading him this season . . . I told him I could see how hard he was trying defensively to pass out of double teams. I also told him I recognized he still wasn’t back to his old self since his knee injury, but that I was starting to see flashes and I was encouraged.

“Having said that, I also told Al I couldn’t promise him he wouldn’t be traded — that there’s probably only three or four players in the league who might be able to have that peace of mind. . . . But I have not sought to trade Al Jefferson all season long and will not do so next month.

“Anybody who tells you otherwise, Peter,” concluded my long-time NBC colleague, “is full of spit.”

There’s egrgious, then there’s Toenail Clipper egregious. How in the name of all that is good and decent in John Edwards’ America can this be happening?

A scant 48 hours after losing by 16 to the Nets — as in the three-win, sans Devin Harris and Courtney Lee Nets — L.A. infested the Off-Target Center and was drilled (14) by the nine-win Wolverines.

Things get even more joyous for the Toenails. This afternoon it’s the Cavaliers at the Hock Shop.

peter.vecsey@nypost.com