Nash -- Improve or I'm Gone

[JustWinBaby]

If the Suns offer Nash the most money, will he stay?

 

[Ninjafish]

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.

?

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/sun...ix-suns-steve-nash-loyalty.html#ixzz1qY0JNugT

"He will have options and one he will strongly consider is Phoenix, based on what they're planning to do," Duffy said.

In February
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/sun...-relatively-down-from-line.html#ixzz1nEnqg1vY

Nash told the Associated Press that he "definitely would re-sign with the Suns," meaning he would consider the possibility after he becomes a free agent in the off-season.

But he said if the Suns do not want to pay his worth, they would be doing so "at their own peril."

Here's Dudley also in February
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/sam_amick/02/13/nash.suns/index.html

"I see him as potentially wanting to be here for a long time, but I also see someone where he wants the right pieces to be able to want to be here, you know?" Dudley said. "He wants to be with an organization -- and I don't want to put words in his mouth -- where he wants to win. I know Steve and I know the competitor that he is, and I guarantee you that if they put a couple pieces here that he liked, I guarantee you he would stay.

I don't know where you got the idea that Nash was staying here regardless of what happened. I doubt anyone in the organization has that impression.

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.

Because maybe perhaps he did not want a trade to a contender? Like he said? My guess is he wants to remain a Sun as long as they can go at least one offseason without botching everything up and doing a little more than the bare minimum.

I'm not usually down with conspiracy theories, but I think in this case Nash is guilty of playing the Suns.

Why would he do that? Just for ***** and giggles?

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I can promise you the Suns have no interest in rebuilding. They have said it on the radio repeatedly this year. They say it takes too long. I expect that if they can't resign Nash, they will spend their money overpaying mediocre talent.

 

[splitsecond]

The key to finally forcing Sarver out is Nash leaving. He is setting up a true assist to the fans who have supported him with this statement - and he knows it. Nash's days are numbered, and when the Suns fail to sell out a single game that doesn't include the Lakers next year, Sarver will hopefully be gone too.

 

[boisesuns]

I can promise you the Suns have no interest in rebuilding. They have said it on the radio repeatedly this year. They say it takes too long. I expect that if they can't resign Nash, they will spend their money overpaying mediocre talent.

I think thats whats been frustrating. They'll end up making moves just to make moves, and either signing older has beens or putting together a terrible roster. this team is not far off from being the hornets or bobcats.

 

[slinslin]

I can promise you the Suns have no interest in rebuilding. They have said it on the radio repeatedly this year. They say it takes too long. I expect that if they can't resign Nash, they will spend their money overpaying mediocre talent.

LOL!

They said everytime that they plan to keep the powder dry and NOT overpay for players just because they have cap space.

Also newscheck, this is the 3rd time in 4 years that the Suns miss the playoffs. Seems to me they are in rebuilding mode for the last 4 years already and do not have a choice at this point.

Also if Nash leaves then EVEN if the suns overpay the likes of Batum or Mayo they are going to be at least top9 pick kind of bad. If Nash leaves the Suns can not avoid rebuilding at all they will compete for the #1 pick from game 1 and hopefully we could start the Shabazz era in 2013.

 

[boisesuns]

LOL!

They said everytime that they plan to keep the powder dry and NOT overpay for players just because they have cap space.

Also newscheck, this is the 3rd time in 4 years that the Suns miss the playoffs. Seems to me they are in rebuilding mode for the last 4 years already and do not have a choice at this point.

Also if Nash leaves then EVEN if the suns overpay the likes of Batum or Mayo they are going to be at least top9 pick kind of bad. If Nash leaves the Suns can not avoid rebuilding at all they will compete for the #1 pick from game 1 and hopefully we could start the Shabazz era in 2013.

Haven't the suns sold most of their picks for upcoming years?

 

[elindholm]

and hopefully we could start the Shabazz era in 2013.

Does Al McCoy still do the radio broadcasts? It would be fun to hear him say, "Shabazz!"

 

[JS22]

This really irritates me.

"I didn't want to demand a trade since I owe it to the fans and my teammates. Instead, I'm going to most likely leave for nothing in the off-season!"

Suns should have just traded him. He's as good as gone. I don't see the Suns pulling out any miracles. They've got a ton of FA money, but no great FA's to spend it on. Can't wait to see them overpay for mid-level talent again.

 

[JS22]

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.

Childress has a poison contract.

 

[az jam]

The bottom line is that this Sun's team may be the best that we have for the next five years..

 

[chickenhead]

The bottom line is that if the Suns did actually get manipulated by Nash, it's their own fault. Here's how it breaks down for me:

-Nash doesn't have a no-trade clause. The Suns are the party with the power over trades. Suns: if you didn't trade Nash, it's because you didn't want to trade Nash.

-If you didn't trade him because you want him to stay in Phoenix for multiple years, then why isn't he extended now? If you tried to extend him or tried to start that conversation, but he wasn't willing to pursue it until the offseason, why would you not consider his departure a real possibility?

-If Nash is more comfortable making his decision after finishing the season in his comfort zone in Phoenix--rather than after the unpredictability of a partial season as a rental somewhere else--why would he demand a trade?

Honestly, it just seems like the most likely scenario is that the Suns want to milk Nash for baseline ticket sales as long as they can, and if he departs, they win the press conference because he either demanded a trade or left as a free agent. The fans who will be angry with them for letting him walk for nothing are not the fans they are most concerned about, IMHO.

But even after all this, my reaction is: whatever. If Nash leaves, I'd love a return for him. But I'm more concerned about them finding a way to unload contracts like Childress, NOT bring in bad contracts, and actually be in a position to rebuild quickly like a few other teams have done. Except that the free agent pool is a lot worse...sigh.

 

[JustWinBaby]

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/nashing_his_teeth_RtknJgjPozWCRRyXXhuEQJ

It appears that Nash had more than casual interest in going after Boris. That appears to be what brought the situation to a boil.

1. He wanted the Suns to keep Amare, injuries and all.
2. He was dissappointed that they did not go after Odom.
3. We did not pursue Boris.
4. What other players did Nash want that we did not go after?

Anyone of those three would quite possibly make us playoff bound this year.

Amare was a well documented risk and currently is making Sarvers decision not to sign him look very good. I take him out of the equation and really question what Boris would have provided.

Odom would have been very nice IMO. A front court of Gortat and Odom with Nash at the controls and Odom with a different outlook could have been pretty good. It would have been a one year rental in that he has a team option for next year. If we go after him this off season for a 2 or 3 year deal would that be enough for Nash to stay?

There have been suggestions that we go after Garnett and Allen, why not?

Gortat
Garnett
Odom
Hill
Allen
Nash

Could the oldest team in history compete for a ring? It would be far more interesting to watch than the current edition.

I know that none of these moves get the process of rebuilding going but at this point we really have no one to build around, not enough draft choices and the free agent pool is poor. Why not do something like this rather than sign mediocore talent like, Batum and others to long term deals, with no chance of winning?

Just throwing it out but I am at a loss as to what direction this team is headed. The captain apparently is going to leave the ship and we are going to be set adrift in the open sea.

 

[crisper57]

Dear Steve:

Not to be a jerk or anything, but I blame you for our failure to improve. If you weren't so good, we wouldn't bounce along at the middle of the pack and miss out on a good lottery pick. Free agents aren't exactly banging down the down to play in PHX, so we're gonna have to rebuild.

Of course, even if you did blow enough games to get us a good lottery pick, I am sure Stern would fix the drawing to make sure our team got screwed out of our rightful place.

So it was nice knowing you Steve. Good luck in Orlando next year.

 

[Ninjafish]

This really irritates me.

"I didn't want to demand a trade since I owe it to the fans and my teammates. Instead, I'm going to most likely leave for nothing in the off-season!"

It's what he always said though. The words he used was that he owes it to the team to play out his contract. That he made a commitment and wants to fulfill it.

It's not his responsibility to force the team to make itself better by trading him if they don't want to do it.

 

[chickenhead]

Could the oldest team in history compete for a ring? It would be far more interesting to watch than the current edition.

I know that none of these moves get the process of rebuilding going but at this point we really have no one to build around, not enough draft choices and the free agent pool is poor. Why not do something like this rather than sign mediocore talent like, Batum and others to long term deals, with no chance of winning?

Just throwing it out but I am at a loss as to what direction this team is headed. The captain apparently is going to leave the ship and we are going to be set adrift in the open sea.

Honestly, if their contracts were all short-term and everything was above board (meaning we know there is no rebuilding on-the-fly after this, because it would literally be impossible) ...it's not like I wouldn't be intrigued.

 

[jbeecham]

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/nashing_his_teeth_RtknJgjPozWCRRyXXhuEQJ

Someone needs to tell Vescey that the Suns play in U.S. Airways Center…. Not United Airlines Arena.

 

[slinslin]

Dear Steve:

Not to be a jerk or anything, but I blame you for our failure to improve. If you weren't so good, we wouldn't bounce along at the middle of the pack and miss out on a good lottery pick. Free agents aren't exactly banging down the down to play in PHX, so we're gonna have to rebuild.

Of course, even if you did blow enough games to get us a good lottery pick, I am sure Stern would fix the drawing to make sure our team got screwed out of our rightful place.

So it was nice knowing you Steve. Good luck in Orlando next year.

This is 1000% on Blabby. Babby and Blanks are a collection of incompetence it was their decision to keep Nash instead of rebuilding.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Ordinarily I support Nash, but this is a silly thing for him to have said, because he knows as well as anyone that the fundamentals of this franchise are too weak for any significant improvement to happen quickly. He should have either ducked the question or said, "I think probably the Suns are looking at rebuilding for a while, and I wish them all the best for that, but that's not how I'd like to spend the last few years of my career."

O man to I agree with you on this. All Steve Nash is doing is paving the way for leaving this summer. If he had any balls he would have said this just this way BEFORE the trade deadline. This is about Steve Nash controlling his own destiny. He did not want to be traded some place mid season, so he let everyone believe that he wanted to be here and would not say anything publicly. Now that there is no chance of making a deal he speaks up.

I just lost a huge amount of respect for Steve Nash. He is a selfish &*^&* just like all the rest of them.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Haven't the suns sold most of their picks for upcoming years?

The only pick the Suns do not have is their own second rounder this year.

 

[slinslin]

The only thing it tells you is how stupid and naive the suns FO is. They need a heavy dose of reality this offseason in the worst way.

I still think the reason Steve Kerr was let go was because he was the only one in the organization with any sense for reality and seeing the need to rebuild.

 

[JustWinBaby]

The only thing it tells you is how stupid and naive the suns FO is. They need a heavy dose of reality this offseason in the worst way.

I still think the reason Steve Kerr was let go was because he was the only one in the organization with any sense for reality and seeing the need to rebuild.

The question is, is there anyone still here that ever disagreed with Sarver?

However I am not convinced that I would want Steve Kerr building my franchise of the future. His draft record was horrific. His first pick for a coach was horrific. He spent as much time as possible in San Diego. What did he really contribute?

 

[slinslin]

His pick for a coach was not horrific. The problem is that he bend over to Nash and did not follow through with the change of style.

Good plan, horrible execution.

 

[Covert Rain]

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.

With one caveat. You simply cannot trade Gortat without getting a big man in return. They are hard to get and teams will give up a good guard or SF way before they give up a legit big man.

If you give up Gortat for anything less than a big man and this team gets lucky and reloads on all kinds of talent....we are still stuck for the next 5 to 10 years looking for Gortat's replacement. Probably going back to the Suns go to strategy.....small ball.

The question is, is there anyone still here that ever disagreed with Sarver?

I said it before but I think one of the reason that Sarver went with "non-basketball" folks in the FO is so they would be "yes men". That last thing he wants basketball folks telling him what to do IMO. They know more about the game and it's easier to tell someone NO if they know as much as you do about how to run a FO or organization.

 

[Superbone]

Does Al McCoy still do the radio broadcasts?

Is the Pope Catholic?