Nash -- Improve or I'm Gone

[devilalum]

James has averaged 7 assists per game throughout his career and Wade 6, so it seems to me they do fine as creators as well as finishers. Of course Nash would be an upgrade, but his isn't the position of greatest need. Bosh is averaging only 6 rebounds and half a block in the entire month of March (compare Gortat with 9 and 1.4, and better scoring numbers as well). I think there's your culprit.

I had a discussion about this the other day. IMO Nash would be a great role player on the Heat but not the floor general he's been for the Suns.

 

[Mainstreet]

I had a discussion about this the other day. IMO Nash would be a great role player on the Heat but not the floor general he's been for the Suns.

IMO, Nash will not accept role player money. My guess he wants a multi-year contract in the order of 12M per year from the Suns. I'm not sure a contender will go there but I believe the Suns are planning to go there.

 

[Folster]

There are a couple teams near the top of the draft that would have interest in Gortat assuming they don't land the 1st pick: Charlotte, Portland via NJ, Toronto, and Sacramento all could use a solid starting center.

 

[TRW]

Sorry Steve..

the only way the Suns improve is IF you are gone. This team can't improve fast enough for your tired, old legs.

Steve only would fit with a loaded team, he can't carry a team on his back, never could. He has had a great run but won't win a ring here.

Good luck little man.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I've been a Nash fan forever but he could have walked out the door like Amare with class and gone to a contender without the world crashing down. My take is Nash wants one last big paycheck (a multi-year guaranteed contract) from the Suns. The Suns will make some minimal moves that looks like improvement and both parties will make happy. Actually my fear is that the Suns pay Nash a huge contract and call him their big FA signing. Now the Suns lose if they keep Nash and lose if they let walk for nothing. Thanks Lon Babby.

Nash has already made it clear he is not going to sign on the cheap.

My ultimate fear, and most likely what happens. I'm also starting to think that trading Gortat isn't a horrible deal, if we get the right deal. He's a really good player at a premium position, but will be too old when we have any chance of rebuilding.

 

[AzStevenCal]

My ultimate fear, and most likely what happens. I'm also starting to think that trading Gortat isn't a horrible deal, if we get the right deal. He's a really good player at a premium position, but will be too old when we have any chance of rebuilding.

I've always been willing to trade Gortat but I have no desire to give him away. Most of the trade proposals that have floated around here involving Gortat definitely fall into the "giving him away" category. If we trade him for a draft pick, there better be a player available at that spot that we are confident will eventually be better than Marcin. Trading him for a chance at an up and down player with potential is a bad move, IMO, even if the guy has a high ceiling. Better to keep Gortat until a better trade opportunity arises.

Steve

 

[Mainstreet]

My ultimate fear, and most likely what happens. I'm also starting to think that trading Gortat isn't a horrible deal, if we get the right deal. He's a really good player at a premium position, but will be too old when we have any chance of rebuilding.

If the Suns were to trade Gortat for something of worth like a an early selection and something else useful, how sweet it would be to include Childress in the trade. The Suns are going to need to buyout Childress unless he becomes a bench ornament. Then the Suns could buyout Warrick and have boatloads of money.

 

[Gaddabout]

Anyone think Nash sandbagged about wanting to leave because he didn't want to be traded to a place where he couldn't pad his stats for his aging body? Now he can talk because the trade deadline is over, and he's making demands of the front office that only an idiot would think could be met in one season.

Where was this competitive fire when the Suns were trading away draft picks for cash? Selling players for cash and cap tax relief? It's about five years too late and no small amount of suspicious.

Dude took a hit in my respect bank for him. Major hit.

 

[devilalum]

Anyone think Nash sandbagged about wanting to leave because he didn't want to be traded to a place where he couldn't pad his stats for his aging body? Now he can talk because the trade deadline is over, and he's making demands of the front office that only an idiot would think could be met in one season.

Where was this competitive fire when the Suns were trading away draft picks for cash? Selling players for cash and cap tax relief? It's about five years too late and no small amount of suspicious.

Dude took a hit in my respect bank for him. Major hit.

You're probably right but I'm more willing to cut the guy some slack. Steve Nash has killed himself to try and win for an organization that is blatantly and obviously dysfunctional. Now his contract is up and he's looking out for himself. I think that's fair. Its not his job to help the Suns transition into a rebuilding process.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

Nash is now an ass. He could have manned up and gotten out of this situation in a way that allowed the team to return assets.

Correction:

Nash is of no fault. He is playing his cards in his own interests. However, the Suns management team consists of nothing but asses because they thought they could play footsies in what is a business decision. Good job, dummies....

 

[Ninjafish]

Good for Nash. I'm glad to hear that if the team doesn't become a championship contender, he'll be on a team that will be. I don't know if I buy it though.

Nash is now an ass. He could have manned up and gotten out of this situation in a way that allowed the team to return assets.

This is beyond ridiculous and stupid. He's never made any promise of returning next season. He has always said that he intends to weight his options. He's not obligated nor should he pigeon hole himself into saying anymore than that. If the Suns organization was willing to take the risk that he may leave for nothing, that's entirely on them.

 

[AsUpRoDiGy]

Some people are taking what he said a little too literally. If you listen to his tone of voice, by no means is he making any demands or anything of that nature, he's just expressing his options/opinions. Any knowledgable fan realizes the Suns are going nowhere, with seemingly no end in sight. Why would Nash want to stay in Phx, seriously. The purpose of playing professional sports, or any sport for that matter, is to win championships. If that's not your goal every single year, you shouldn't be an athlete, period. Nash has dealt with the Suns FO's incompetence for far too long -- it's time for him to move on to a team who actually care about winning -- like the Heat for instance.

 

[BC867]

Pretty sure he wants to win a championship more than anything, which won't be accomplished in Phx for, oh, another couple decades...

That would make it 63 years -- all 63 years -- without a title.

The legacy of Jerry Colangelo. A pretty team, at best. But not a championship team.

 

[Mainstreet]

Some people are taking what he said a little too literally. If you listen to his tone of voice, by no means is he making any demands or anything of that nature, he's just expressing his options/opinions. Any knowledgable fan realizes the Suns are going nowhere, with seemingly no end in sight. Why would Nash want to stay in Phx, seriously. The purpose of playing professional sports, or any sport for that matter, is to win championships. If that's not your goal every single year, you shouldn't be an athlete, period. Nash has dealt with the Suns FO's incompetence for far too long -- it's time for him to move on to a team who actually care about winning -- like the Heat for instance.

We shall see if Nash will take a heavy pay cut to play for the Heat or another contender. My gut feeling is Nash will stay with the Suns because they may be the only team willing to give him a large multi-year contract. There is no doubt (in my mind) the Suns will try to sign a couple of decent young players and add a draft pick. This will likely be deemed good enough.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Anyone think Nash sandbagged about wanting to leave because he didn't want to be traded to a place where he couldn't pad his stats for his aging body? Now he can talk because the trade deadline is over, and he's making demands of the front office that only an idiot would think could be met in one season.

Where was this competitive fire when the Suns were trading away draft picks for cash? Selling players for cash and cap tax relief? It's about five years too late and no small amount of suspicious.

Dude took a hit in my respect bank for him. Major hit.

I'm totally with you.

still love Steve, but he should have either opened his mouth a long time ago or done this team and city a favor months ago and demanded a trade.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I'm totally with you.

still love Steve, but he should have either opened his mouth a long time ago or done this team and city a favor months ago and demanded a trade.

I've said this for awhile. For both Nash and Grant Hill, it makes zero sense for them to be here in this situation.

 

[asudevil83]

i'm glad Nash said this. and i'm glad he pushed the suns to keep him past the trading deadline.

Sarver, since Amare left, has had no interest in putting a contending team on the court....and has wasted Nash's late prime years. All he wanted to do was put a team on the floor that was just barely watchable and bring in the money.

What could be better than nash playing the nice guy card, and flipping them off on the way out the door.

Seriously though, there is no way the suns can rebuild through FA this offseason. the best they can do is go the route of the pistons and overpay for mediocre talent (ie Gordon/Villenuava/Prince). Or they can use their cap space to eat up some bad contracts while taking back picks in the process. but then their is no sense in Nash sticking around for that.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

If the Suns were to trade Gortat for something of worth like a an early selection and something else useful, how sweet it would be to include Childress in the trade. The Suns are going to need to buyout Childress unless he becomes a bench ornament. Then the Suns could buyout Warrick and have boatloads of money.

Boatloads of money to spend on what? We're going to be all dressed up with nowhere to go, and will either panic and give Nash a ridiculous extension, and overpay greatly to appease him, or just do the Turk/Warrick/Chilz/Frye turd sandwich because we have it. Whoopie.

 

[Gaddabout]

This is beyond ridiculous and stupid. He's never made any promise of returning next season. He has always said that he intends to weight his options. He's not obligated nor should he pigeon hole himself into saying anymore than that. If the Suns organization was willing to take the risk that he may leave for nothing, that's entirely on them.

ACTUALLY, Nash has insinuated he was going to return next season, by way of his agent, Bill Duffy. Yes, in hindsight what Nash said is what Duffy has said, but Duffy's quotes also show to be incomplete. Duffy's quotes insinuated something entirely different. Duffy convinced people that Nash really wanted to be here. He said nothing about strings being attached. It confused a lot of us at the time, because we couldn't understand why Nash would want to stay here if he's truly a competitive person who wanted to win a championship. And with the Suns openly saying (a) they wanted to re-sign Nash and (b) they would never trade him unless he asked for a trade.

Unless Nash is an imbecile, and I clearly think he's a smart guy, he had to know going into this season this was not a competitive roster. He had to see what we saw in recent years of the *****-*****-***** at the integrity of basketball ops. So why now, just weeks after he could have asked for a trade to a contender for an abbreviated chance at playoff glory, would he make that statement? He knows (a) this team can't be fixed in one season and (b) management has a solid track record of doing only the bare minimum to even look like they want to be competitive. Also, (c) management has a track record of really botching it up when they try real hard to do something positive.

I'm not usually down with conspiracy theories, but I think in this case Nash is guilty of playing the Suns. Either this is a ploy to get more money or its an empty demand and he should just keep on walking when they shutter the locker room for the year.

At this point I just want him gone. That Nash Era needs to be shut down in order to have any hope this team might ever be relevant in the near future. I would have liked to get some salary cap clearance or a 2nd round pick out of it, but at this point he needs to take his legacy elsewhere where he can be a nice 2-guard option for a team that has athletes at other position.

 

[jagu]

All of us can sit here and overanalyze his comments all day. At the end of the day, Nash won't bring the Suns a ring next year even with the addition of other crappy free agent talent. I hope he goes, just not to the friggin Heat.

 

[JustWinBaby]

My ultimate fear, and most likely what happens. I'm also starting to think that trading Gortat isn't a horrible deal, if we get the right deal. He's a really good player at a premium position, but will be too old when we have any chance of rebuilding.

I am about to jump on that bandwagon as well.

Without Nash spoon feeding him his offensive production will plumet. He looks good on this roster not unlike Dudley but both just are not that good. I like them both and would be nice pieces on anyones roster. However if they are your stars you are in big trouble.

I would move Dudley for a first round pick as well.

I don't know why anyone should be surprised the writing has been on the wall for awhile. What is about to happen should have happened when they decided not to resign Amare.

I wonder how season ticket sales are looking for next year?

Thanks Bob

 

[ASUCHRIS]

ACTUALLY, Nash has insinuated he was going to return next season, by way of his agent, Bill Duffy. Yes, in hindsight what Nash said is what Duffy has said, but Duffy's quotes also show to be incomplete. Duffy's quotes insinuated something entirely different. Duffy convinced people that Nash really wanted to be here. He said nothing about strings being attached. It confused a lot of us at the time, because we couldn't understand why Nash would want to stay here if he's truly a competitive person who wanted to win a championship. And with the Suns openly saying (a) they wanted to re-sign Nash and (b) they would never trade him unless he asked for a trade.

Unless Nash is an imbecile, and I clearly think he's a smart guy, he had to know going into this season this was not a competitive roster. He had to see what we saw in recent years of the *****-*****-***** at the integrity of basketball ops. So why now, just weeks after he could have asked for a trade to a contender for an abbreviated chance at playoff glory, would he make that statement? He knows (a) this team can't be fixed in one season and (b) management has a solid track record of doing only the bare minimum to even look like they want to be competitive. Also, (c) management has a track record of really botching it up when they try real hard to do something positive.

I'm not usually down with conspiracy theories, but I think in this case Nash is guilty of playing the Suns. Either this is a ploy to get more money or its an empty demand and he should just keep on walking when they shutter the locker room for the year.

At this point I just want him gone. That Nash Era needs to be shut down in order to have any hope this team might ever be relevant in the near future. I would have liked to get some salary cap clearance or a 2nd round pick out of it, but at this point he needs to take his legacy elsewhere where he can be a nice 2-guard option for a team that has athletes at other position.

This.

 

[Phrazbit]

That would make it 63 years -- all 63 years -- without a title.

The legacy of Jerry Colangelo. A pretty team, at best. But not a championship team.

Its really too bad he sold when he did... if Jerry is running the team during the Nash era I think we would have broken through. There isnt a chance in hell Colangelo would have been okay with shipping out draft picks or dumping the starting center to save a few mil.

But, with all the success and bad luck the Suns had during his ownership I cannot give him any blame for the Suns not having won a title. The team constantly showed it was willing to do what it took to win and take risks along with way.

 

[95pro]

Either way I support his decision.
What concerns me is what the organization has planned with whatever Nash decides. That's the problem. Nash has earned the right to say and do what he needs to for his personal agenda. It's obvious our front office is a joke, you can't blame Steve for riding it out this long and possibly wanting to leave.

 

[mojorizen7]

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Seriously though Nash....just go away and take Hill with you. If you were truly playing for a title you wouldn't be here still.
Without Nashy, Sarver will be forced to ante up and build something from nothing(which i dont believe he can) and that will get his ass outta here too.
At that point maybe this team can start competing again while having a legit future.