Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash is going to be one of the top prizes of this year’s free agency period. The 38-year-old veteran proved this season that he can still play and still be a key building block in a team’s chance to be successful.
He has said he does not want to stay in Phoenix unless the Suns can make some moves to be competitive next year, and there may not be enough on the market for the Suns to make that happen.
The biggest speculation I have heard lately is that Nash will become a member of the New York Knicks. The appeal of reuniting Nash with former teammate Amar’e Stoudemire might be enough to spark the Knicks into making a solid offer, but it may not be the right fit.
Nash and Stoudemire worked well under Mike D’Antoni because he had the right system, but now D’Antoni is gone and new coach Mike Woodson runs a vastly different operation. Nash may want to steer clear of the Big Apple.
There is also the chance Nash will want to take his talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat. That would obviously be his biggest chance at winning his first NBA title, but after winning it all this year, the Heat may decide they do not need Nash and can spend their money elsewhere.
The rumor that is now gaining the most traction is that Nash will return to his native country of Canada and join the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors would not satisfy Nash’s requirement that his new team be ready to compete for a championship right off the bat but they might not be as bad as you think.
“I’ve been hearing that from people that would know,” said one source. “The Raptors may not be ready to win right away, but with (Andrea) Bargnani, (DeMar) DeRozan and maybe (Jonas) Valanciunas coming over next season, they could be pretty decent right away with Nash. And they could have enough cap space to get something done there.”
If the Raptors could convince Nash to hop on board, that would be a great move for them. I am sure he would attract fans in bunches to come see their fellow Canadian play. He has also showed throughout his career that he can turn talent into something special. It is hard to find a player who was not made better by playing with Steve Nash.
Until he makes a decision, the rumors will continue (as per usual). So feel free to throw out the wild theories until a contract is signed. I am sure not even Steve Nash knows where he is going at this point.
